Nutcracker Blog

Support Emily Wilson for Miss Birmingham 2012

2012-02-28T02:22:00.001-08:00

Nutcracker are proud to be the official sponsor of Miss Emily Wilson who is competing in the Miss Birmingham 2012 final, which is a direct heat into the Miss England 2012 final. I'm sure you will agree how stunning Emily is, and we would encourage you to share the information and make Emily the winner!

Here is a bit of background information about Emily;

“It is fabulous that nutcracker design and marketing have chosen to sponsor me in my venture to become Miss Birmingham 2012. I won a local beauty pageant and am the face of Miss Full Length and Fabulous.
I am currently studying for my A levels and have future aspirations to become a doctor. I like to stay in top shape by using the gym and competing as a top British amateur in classical sequence ballroom dancing.
I would like to enter the promotional model world to help fund my way through university. I have entered Miss Birmingham 2012 to prove to people that in the beauty world there is intelligence and not just pretty faces.
I believe we get out of life what we put in and it is also important to me that I use my talents for the benefit of others whether it be my future work or fundraising for charity.”

We need your help for Emily to win Miss Birmingham 2012. Please can you text for Emily to win Miss Birmingham 2012 text... 'MISS BIRMINGHAM28' to 63333. Texts costs 50p plus 1 standard network text! Thanks everyone would be great if you could.

Valentine's Day Google Doodle

2012-02-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Whether you or single or in loved up bliss it is that time of year again when hearts and flowers in abundance. One thing you can count on for Valentine’s Day is a love themed Google Doodle.

It was in 2000 that Google introduced its first Valentine’s Day inspired Google Doodle and since then other classic designs have followed.

Take a look at some of the romantic themed logos that Google has shared with us over the past 12 years.

http://mashable.com/2012/02/14/valentines-google-doodles/

Source: Mashable, 2012

What have you done for me lately..?

2012-02-03T04:07:00.000-08:00

Are you one of the thousands of companies who have invested in a website for your company and after it’s been built paid it very little attention, yet still expect it to generate interest and income?

Here is a simple test that you can do to measure the effectiveness of your website:

Take a step outside of the box for a second. If you were searching for your product or service what ‘keywords’ and phrases would you type into a search engine such as Google?

Now go onto Google and type in one of those phrases-

1. Where do you appear?
2. Are you on the first page?
3. How many of your competitors are above you?
4. Which link would you click?

If your product or service is not showing on the first few pages of any search engine, the chances are that you have just lost a potential customer to your competitor.

Gone are the days when people search through the yellow pages to find what they are looking for.
It’s all about the internet whether it be from a PC or through a Smartphone.

Give us a call today to arrange a meeting and we will sit down with you and discuss what the search engines are looking for and the ways in which you can help your website get the best position possible for relevant key words. Or simply ask us a question and enquire here.

Take Flight in 2012!

2012-01-23T06:26:00.001-08:00

Twitter have introduced Enhanced Profile Pages to help increase your brands engagement and help drive your business goals.
An enhanced profile page increases your brand’s Twitter presence by prominently featuring your most important content and visually branding your page. Your enhanced profile page is completely public — users can view it without joining or logging into Twitter. Enhanced profile pages are currently available to a small selection of brands; they will be rolled out more broadly in the coming weeks and months.

Enhancing your profile page

Header image: Add a logo, image, tagline or any other visual branding to the new 835x90 header to create a lasting impression on your audience.

Feature your content: Promote a Tweet to the top of your profile page’s timeline at no extra cost to highlight your most engaging and important content. If your Promoted Tweet contains a link to a video or photo from a partner provider*, it automatically expands to show that media within the timeline.

Mobile devices: Users will have a more consistent experience across platforms, including mobile devices.

Delivering results with your profile page

Communicate with more users: In addition to hashtags, use your @ handle in your other marketing activities to guide users to a richer brand experience on your profile page.
Offer exclusive content: Twitter users love exclusives! Promote a Tweet on your profile page with exclusive content such as product launches, breaking news or promotions to deliver relevant, real-time messaging.

Refresh your page frequently: Twitter users also love new content. Update your enhanced profile page with new Promoted Tweets or new header images to keep your messaging fresh and to keep users coming back to your page.

http://business.twitter.com/advertise/enhanced-profile/

Add some character to your QR code, Brand it, make it stand out!

2012-01-23T06:26:00.000-08:00

Everyone seems to be talking about QR codes. They seem to be popping up everywhere, on media adverts, in newspapers and magazines, so what are they and what can they do for your business?

Lets start off by showing you a few stats and figures

56% of QR codes appear on product packaging 
QR code uptake has increased 4589% from early 2010 to early 2011 
The majority of users expect to receive a voucher or deal from scanning a QR code 
11 out of 50 Fortune companies are incorporating QR codes into their marketing strategy 
68% of QR codes are scanned via an Iphone 
Response rate increases by 2.4% with a custom QR code over a standard one 

What can you use a QR code for?

Your contact details
Company website 
Facebook/twitter page
LinkedIn Profile
Events 
Promotions 
Discounts/Vouchers 
Youtube Videos 
Maps 
Advertising mobile apps 

By using a QR code, you are giving your customers the opportunity to quickly and easily view and store your details.

This is why QR codes are commonly used on product packaging, promotional items, leaflets, flyers etc., they eliminate the hassle of hunting for a pen and a piece of paper to write down the details, most people have their phones to hand.

QR codes are the quickest way for brands to make the transition between paper and the web.
Here are a few examples on how you can use a QR code and grab more customers.

Rise Of The Mobile

2012-01-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Mobile Web:

Do you have a robust mobile strategy?

 Currently only 21% of companies have a mobile strategy.  Smart phones are definitely here to stay, mobile internet usage has grown exponentially and it is predicted in 2013 that it will overtake desktop internet usage. In 2011 consumers spent more time on mobile devices then they did on desktop devices.

Don’t panic if you are one of the 79% of companies that have no mobile strategy, if you have a website then it can be viewed on a mobile device, whats your point then? I hear you ask.   

Well two things:

1: it takes much longer to load a website on a mobile, and not all of your content may be viewable or compatible, for instance if you have flash, this won’t work on an iPhone, due to incompatible software.

2: It will appear much smaller and will involve a lot of zooming and pinching the screen and copy can be almost impossible to read. This is before your consumer is anywhere near the content they want, which contributes towards a bad user experience and research has shown that 40% of consumers turn to a competitor if they experience a bad mobile experience.  

The solution is to have a mobile specific site or WAP site (Wireless Application Protocol), which is tailored to meet all the mobile requirements, with regards to differing handset and screen sizes and capabilities. A mobile website is much easier to access anywhere and anytime, as a result of this it allows you to engage with your consumers anywhere they are.

Mobile websites can also have unique capabilities and offer a convenience that standard websites cannot. For instance the ability for a consumer to click a button and call the company directly from the companies mobile site.

Mobile Applications:

Mobile applications are simple to use, economical to develop, portable information that is at your customers finger tips and allows them to engage with your product and brand instantly anywhere they go.

An app is a mini application or software program that is customised to your business and increasingly to your customers needs. There are two types of apps, Native apps and Web based apps.

Native app – runs off the handheld device via a smart operating system which allows stand alone software to run via wifi internet connection or wireless. Native apps are native to one type of mobile operating system ie: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, Windows Phone. These are mostly downloaded via app markets like iTunes, Android Market, Blackberry World etc.

Web based mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular, these run off Html 5 and Javascript and does not sit on the consumers handheld device but is accessed through the devices mobile internet browser.

Which is best for my business?

 The answer wholly depends on your business, your customers, your mobile strategy, there is no right or wrong answer.

What can a Mobile App do for my business?

There are a number of reasons businesses develop a mobile application, but mostly for the following two:

1. Generate income
2. Marketing / Brand awareness

Mobile apps can be used to generate income through a number of ways, by charging for consumers to download the app via the app markets, subscriptions, third party advertising and through revenue received from a sponsor for their brand/product to appear on the app.

Mobile apps can also be used to enhance your brand and marketing, it can also be used as a customer service tool. With a customised application tailored to you customers needs you can engage with them on a new level, as if you are on the mobile device you will always be on their mind....

So what does this mean to our clients?

So at Nutcracker you are in safe hands dealing with experts. Our new Digital lead Mark has extensive experience of user experience and interface, designing mobile websites and applications for companies such as Tesco Mobile, Orange, T-Mobile, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Everything Everywhere, Virgin Media and Carte Blanche.

Grab Your Free 2012 Wall Planner

2011-12-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

Nutcracker do the Olympics

This year Nutcracker only had one theme on our minds for wall planner ideas. Yes, it had to be the Olympics.

Our original thoughts were going to be based around Office Olympics, The 100m chair race, the furthest you could flick a rubber band, the fastest you could sharpen a pencil, you get the idea! However, we decided to keep it corporate (cough) and sensible (cough cough) and represent a proper sport with a twist.

Complete the contact form to receive your 2012 complimentary wall planner.

Have fun guessing the sport!

Merry Christmas From Nutcracker Design & Marketing

2011-12-09T02:25:00.000-08:00

Closing for Christmas

2011-12-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

To our customers and friends, we at Nutcracker Design& Marketing extend our best wishes for a joyous holiday season and prosperous New Year.

We close for business on:

Friday 23^rd December 2011

and re-open on:

Tuesday 3^rd January 2012

refreshed and ready for a new and exciting year!

Did your website get ‘Fresh’ with Google?

2011-11-18T02:19:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday 2nd November, Google got ‘Fresh’. Yet another algorithm update commonly known as ‘Fresh’ is one of ten updates that have been implemented within the last 2 weeks.

Since this search has impacted upon 35% of all searches, it’s significance is worth talking about!

This update is a tweak to Google’s earlier ‘Caffeine’ algorithm. The Caffeine update provided 50% fresher results for searches than the previous Google index. This symbolise that individuals now have higher expectations for search engines than in the past as they expect to have access to relevant instantaneous content.

In other words, for your rankings to stay consistent or to increase, you will need to update your content on a regular basis. This can include social media content, blogging and news articles.

So, if you were to do a search on Google at present for ‘Olympics’ the chances are that you are after information relating to the 2012 Olympics and not the 1900 Olympics. This ‘Fresh’ algorithm update will take this into account (think for you!) and provide you with the results relating to the latest information available.

Google+ For Business

2011-11-18T02:19:00.000-08:00

In June this year Google launched its social media offering Google+ which went head to head with other social media platforms like Facebook. Google+ boasts a whole host of features and specifically promotes its privacy features on who its users share their information with, an issue that Facebook are yet to resolve!

Google have trialled Google+ for a few months and have now introduced Google+ for businesses. These pages will allow brands and organisations a presence on this latest growing social media network.

The business pages are similar to the personal profiles and allow photos/videos and content to be posted and shared.

To Subscribe to our newsletter click here and keep up to date with the latest in social media and read a more detailed post on how Google+ can work for your business.

Click here to view our Google+ business page and look our for the below button to add other organisations to your Google+ circles.

2011-11-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

HOW TO MAKE THE HUNT FOR YOUR BUSINESS MORE EFFECTIVE

Why is search engine optimisation so important..?

Imagine what may happen if your clients couldn’t easily find your telephone number or even your address.

Yep, bet you couldn’t survive for very long in that situation could you?

Well, the same thing can be said for your website. If it cannot be easily located (ie at the top/front of any search engine) then it will be overlooked in favour of competitor’s sites that get there first!!

If your website can’t be found easily then it will not get visited, which means that ‘traffic’ numbers will fall, which in turn lowers your sites rating on the search engine algorithm – Catch 22! The more people visit your website - the more the more people will see it in the first place.

It is therefore essential that you make the hunt for your website as simple and as straight forward as possible. You may say ‘I have a URL, so people can find us that way’, well yes that may be so, but that only applies to your current customers or to those who can remember exactly what you company URL is.

If your customer's want to find your website then they will. Other potential customers are lost unless you rank effectively within a search engine. Effective SEO could put you in front of the competition.

For more information on how we can enhance your SEO or for a free online marketing appraisal click here.

2011-11-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

MAKE AN IMPACT

Keeping in touch with your customers is essential if you want your marketing strategy to keep you ahead of your competitors. If you don’t communicate with them then there is a good chance that when they are considering buying a product or service they won’t just contact you and you may lose out!

In marketing terms it costs more to attract new customers than it does to retain existing ones. It is therefore logical that during the economic times we are currently experiencing organisations should not only focus on increasing business but also target businesses and referrals from existing customers. This is easily achieved through regular communication, ensuring that your company and its offerings are not forgotten at the time when clients may be looking to buy. Email marketing provides one of the easiest, most proactive and effective ways of keeping in touch!

Here are a few key points to consider with email marketing campaigns:

1.    Regular communication is key to growing your business.
2.    Permission based marketing is one of the easiest ways of communicating.
3.    Make sure the content of your email is relevant to the recipient.
4.    Ensure content is interesting and stimulating, provoking a positive reaction.
5.    Encourage people to subscribe to your mailing list (if they want to read your communications they will already be receptive to your ideas).
6.    Interesting or informative content that proves useful to the reader is less likely to get regarded as spam and ignored.

7. Send your emails at the most appropriate time of day and week to maximise uptake.
See the below info-graphic for our nutty hints and tips!

2011-11-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

A Rod or a Net...?

What would a wise fisherman do? Use a rod which only allows him to catch individual fish in one specific area? Or use a net which will allow him to expand his trawl and capture a varied range of fish over a large area and even fish travelling in different directions?
The same principal applies with online marketing.

It is important to understand that search engines are evolving and that social media is now a huge part of that process. The use of social media within an integrated inbound marketing strategy can give your company website an adrenalin rush making it increasingly visible to your target audience.

Recently both Bing and Google admitted in interviews that their search results are ‘positively affected by social signals such as tweets, Facebook likes and Google +1’s’. This is evidence that there are significant benefits from combining social media marketing with a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. The benefits range from increased social network discovery via search to the ability to attract and develop links for advanced SEO.

“The links that you build through social media, the references, the authority — all can have an impact in various ways on how you are ranked and listed even in ‘regular’ search results,” says Danny Sullivan, Editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land. “Social media allows for people to provide more trusted signals.” (source: Mashable 2011)

Below are a few examples of how SEO and social media complement each other:

1. Social media content can be optimised based on an organisation's keyword analysis.

2. Media sharing through social interactions creates content that improves a brand's visibility within search results.

Both Google and Bing have added real time results to their searches. This means that Twitter and Google+ results show up prominently above other content.

For more hints and tips on how to increase your online presence through the use of social media give us a call today or visit our portfolio.

2011-11-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

Nutcracker would like to give a warm welcome to the newest member of our team Mark!

Mark is an experienced digital designer and brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to our team. He has particular expertise in Mobile and Application design, user experience and user interface design.

During his career Mark has worked with a multitude of Blue chip clients including Orange, T Mobile, Virgin Media, Tesco, Arsenal FC, Man Utd, Liverpool FC, Everything Everywhere, Chorion (Mr Men) Carte Blanche and Cummins to name a few.

Here at Nutcracker Mark will be working predominantly in the digital realm as well as on a variety of print projects.

So lets get cracking!

Sharing on the Web: How, When, Where and Why We Do It [INFOGRAPHIC] from Mashable

2011-10-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

100mile Charity Bike Ride - Breakthrough Breast Cancer

2011-10-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

On the 24th September our company Director Rob Hupperdine and others took part in a charity bike ride to raise both money and awareness about the remarkable charity that is 'Breakthrough Breast Cancer'.

Robert Hupperdine who organised the event says:

"Supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer is so important because everyone knows someone who has been affected by this dreadful condition. I am taking part in this year's event in memory of a dear friend who died recently as a result of breast cancer. We are really looking forward to this weekend's event and raising money for Breakthrough."

Click here to see our photos!

For more information on our 100mile bike ride challenge or to pledge your support please contact Rob via email: robhupperdine@yahoo.co.uk or donate now using the following link:

www.justgiving.com/robhupperdine

Thank you for your support!

Could Google’s infinite scrolling affect your search results?

2011-10-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed recently that when you search for an image on Google, your results are displayed on one page. This is called infinite scrolling.

There are rumours that Google are in the process of testing this formula out on main searches. If infinite scrolling is used in search results, the potential impact on search engine rankings could be major.

For the user it makes it easier to view any relevant results. The user will be inclined to carry on scrolling until they find the required result, as this is much faster and easier than clicking to the next page.

For SEO purposes this could have a huge impact on the industry, where not all of the emphasis will be focussed on page 1 results, as potentially a user could view up to 10 pages just by scrolling down. So this could be excellent news for the small fish companies fighting for the high demand key phrases.

The Russian search engine ‘Yandex’ has just rolled this out. Users will see 10 results with a button below ‘see 10 more results’ which once pressed will display a further 10 result areas, whilst the original 10 results are still available.

Do you know when the best and worst times to do your email marketing are..?

2011-10-07T02:27:00.000-07:00

Click on image to enlarge

Robs Charity Bike Ride for 'Breakthrough Breast Cancer'

2011-10-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

Please pledge your support today by visiting the following link:

https://www.justgiving.com/robhupperdine

The Growth of Social Media

2011-08-31T02:46:00.000-07:00

The infographic below shows the steep curve of the user growth rate in all age ranges and demographics. It is evident that social media has changed the way we interact and connect online, see for yourself below.

Source: The Growth of Social Media: An Infographic

Google's War on Spam

2011-08-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

Google has been making updates to its operating systems in order to give YOU the most accurate search results. The below infographic shows the Google algorithm changes since March 2003.

For more information on how Google updates may affect you website or for SEO advice give us a call today on: 01384 455 141

Nutcrackers top 10 things to remember when using social media…

2011-07-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

1. Don’t pitch! There is no need to yell at customers and bully them into purchasing a product or service from your business. The basis of social media is to build a relationship through connecting with individuals and not pitch. It is this relationship which will encourage individuals to use your organisation over your competitors who may not have made any previous effort to connect with them.

2. Keep your account up to date! Many organisations create a social media account and leave it at that. They actually forget or don’t realise how important it is to regularly upload content. We recommend that social media accounts are updated daily as when customers visit your company page all of the content should be up to date. If customers see that it has not been updated in over a month, they may assume that it is inactive and decide not to follow your company. Failure to update your account could result in your prospective customer going to a competitor’s recently updated page as they feel that they will get better customer service.

3. Decide on updates carefully. Your company is accountable for whatever it posts within its social media accounts and the content is in the public domain on the internet forevermore. Therefore ensure that the people managing your social media accounts are aware of their responsibility and that they are representing the company at all times.

4. Be prepared. Even your customers have bad days and will feel the need to vent their frustrations on your page, blaming you for everything! It is important that you do not remove any negative comments from your page. Make an attempt to deal with the customers issue offline ie, via a telephone call BUT don’t make promises you can’t keep. Once the situation has been resolved post a comment on your wall.

5. Communication is key. It is important for your organisation to understand that for social media to be successful you must interact with your followers. That means joining in with conversations, answering questions and leaving comments. However if you do not realise the significance of engaging in this manner then social media is not for you and as a result you may lose touch with your customers and as a result be unable to satisfy their requirements.

6. Don’t forget to link. If you find an article or other content particularly interesting and it is relevant to your organisation, then link it to your Twitter and Facebook page. Tell your followers why you have chosen to link the information with your account and post questions or incites.

7. Be open and honest. It’s ok to share what your employees are doing within your social media accounts. Take photos of office celebrations, company days/nights out or charity events and upload them. The photos help to create a positive and humanistic element to the organisation.

8. Publicise your blog. You can spend days writing the perfect blog article to have no one read it…sound familiar? So why not link you blog to your social media accounts and mention it with links in your posts and tweets? It allows you to give your customers large amounts of information that you may not want to feature on your website, yet they are too large to be included as status updates. Problem solved!

9. Tell everyone. If you have differing social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or a blog then you really need to let people know how to find you. It is a good idea to have the links on your company website and corporate stationery reminding/encouraging people to ‘add’ you.

10. Be trendy – create a trend. If your organisation does something at the same time each week mention it to your followers. For example if you have a special offer each week then display what it is within your social media so that people will visit your page at the same time next week to see what the next offer is. It is a great way to get people onto your social media and into your organisation.

Have fun with your social media and don’t be afraid to get creative! Think about what you would like to see and read…ask questions that your customers can answer and keep your accounts up to date.

Google+ decoded by Nutcracker!

2011-07-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

A phrase you may have heard a lot recently may be ‘what is Google+?’ Loads of people have been talking about it and now we are going to fill YOU in on what the hype is all about!

Last week Google introduced us to their brand new social network Google+ which has been dubbed ‘the Facebook killer’. At Nutcracker we have been exploring whether this will actually be the case, by investigating what Google+ actually offers.

Obviously the launch of Google+ is Google’s attempt to introduce social networking into their expanding portfolio and therefore gain market share within this area. Google explains its new service below;

‘We realise that today people are increasingly connecting with one another in the web. But the ways in which we connect online are limited and don’t mimic our real-life relationships. The Google+ project is our attempt to make online sharing even better. We aren’t trying to replace what’s currently available; we just want to introduce a new way to connect online with the people that matter to you. Sounds pretty cool, huh? And it is. There are 5 main features to Google+: circles, hangouts, instant upload, sparks and huddle.’

So here Nutcracker goes at explaining them!

Circles

Other social networks such as Facebook are about sharing content with a wide audience. Google however have chosen a different approach in that circles allow the user to group friends, family and colleagues for example into groups. This allows the information displayed to each group to vary. This feature allows for the separation of your personal and private life a characteristic that Facebook does not have.

Hangouts

These are a great feature which sets Google+ apart from Facebook. Within hangouts up to 10 users can simultaneously video chat face-to-face with each other. How good is that!

Instant uploads

This allows the photos that you take on your phone to be easily accessible. Whilst you practice your photography skills, Google+ adds your photos to a private album in the cloud. This allows all of your pictures to be available across your devices ready to share as you see fit.

Sparks

Have you heard the phrase ‘spark a conversation’? Well this in many ways explains this feature. Google+ keeps a feed of content based on your hobbies, interests and preferences which you can view at any given time which you can then choose to share with other friends/contacts who have the same interests.

Huddle

This group text chat tool is for individuals to have private conversations within a circle. This feature can be used directly from a mobile phone (Android 2.0+ or iPhone 4.0+).

There is some fantastic information about these features within the videos on the below link.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/introducing-google-project-real-life.html

Things to remember about Google+

• At present there is only an Android App available for Google+
• Awaiting approval is an Apple App
• ‘Pages’ similar to Facebook ‘Fan Pages’ will allow businesses to market their service on Google+ according to Google’s Jeff Huber.
• Google+ has adapted its privacy settings by eliminating the ability to share certain semi-private posts to other users and friends.
• On Google+ you still own everything you put on there unlike Facebook which takes co-ownership.
• Gaming rumours for Google+ are already circulating.
• Facebooks response to the Google+ hype is the announcement of ‘something awesome’ on 6th July 2011…a deal with Skype maybe to launch a video chat service?
• Information site Mashable has already published instruction on how to import your Facebook contacts into Google+. No time wasted there!

But you can’t get Google+ yet! Only a few selected individuals received an invite so for now all you can do is sign-up to receive notifications of when new invites will be available.

So is Google+ the end of Facebook..?

Well we don’t think so. It will take a lot for Facebook users to switch over to Google+. Most non techy Facebook followers are content with their user experience on Facebook. They are on there because everyone else is! Unless Google+ offers something significantly different to Facebook which could compel users to switch across then we think Facebook is safe for the time being.

Finally Google join the social revolution with Google+

2011-07-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come. Google have unveiled Google+, a social strand to add to the company’s search engine which is set to rival the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

Vic Gundotra Google’s senior vice president of the social sector has managed a yearlong project which has finally led to the rollout of Google+. Despite the project been delayed several times it is now set to challenge Facebook’s dominance within the social networking arena.

You may have noticed that Google have redesigned their home page navigation bar. The familiar grey strip at the top of Google has been replaced by a black bar displaying new options for accessing your Google+ profile and engaging with other users.

The underlining function of Google+ is to become a social network. Initially users will be introduced to the ‘stream’ feature. This is similar to Facebook’s ‘news feed’ and allows for the users content to be shared with friends.

Explore Google+ for yourselves by clicking on the below link then let us know what you think on Twitter @nutcrackernet.

https://plus.google.com/up/start/?sw=1&type=st

At the moment Google+ is still on trial and only a select number of people are able to participate during this period.

However it won’t be long before we can all have a go!