Silicon Beach Training Blog

How to Improve Yourself as a Writer

Guest Author — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:30:04 +0000

Great writers have different styles and different methods. However, when writing for the internet (especially when starting out) there are some standards you should aim to follow to improve the quality of your content and increase readership. Famous authors may be able to get away with a very personal style and a dependence on alcohol but your blog isn’t going to last very long if you don’t make it internet friendly. If you are serious about starting a popular blog then we recommend our Blogging & Content Marketing course to get you started. We also have WordPress courses if you would like to delve deeper into creating blog sites and SEO training and Social Media training to ensure your blog posts are searchable and shareable.

This article is written by McKinley Plowman, accountants in Perth, who provide business and personal financial advice.

Written communication remains one of the most important skills for a person to possess. Writing has allowed us to communicate precise ideas that are able to be digested by the reader at their own pace. Most importantly, writing has given man the ability to communicate outside of their mortal life. It has, in a way, pushed mankind into a post-human state.

With this said it is disturbing that a lot of the population write poorly. I’ll run through some ways you can improve your writing and will focus specifically on writing in a business setting.

Use smaller words if possible

Large words sap energy from a piece of writing. Many people believe that using a big word will make them appear more intelligent to the reader and hence improve their status. This is partly true but influence doesn’t come from convincing people you are smart, it comes from making people like you.

For an illustration of how this works consider this statement.

“I met a great man at a cocktail party, when he spoke to me I felt like he was the smartest person in the room. I then met an even greater man at that party; he made me feel like I was the smartest person in the room”

By writing in a manner that doesn’t send a reader rushing to the dictionary every now and then, you have a much better chance of communicating your written ideas to a reader.

Gain some more readers by entering our blogging contest! If you win, not only will you receive a limited edition pack of Top SEO Trumps but we will also promote your article and your blog!

Break some rules

There is no need to follow all the rules of structure that you were taught at school. This is especially true with internet writing. Single word sentences are OK. Very short paragraphs are fine too.

The typical paragraph of 8-12 sentences is mostly too long and creates large blocks of text that are hard to read. If you’re reading this now, I credit it to the idea that I have not made large paragraphs which tend to scare the reader away in this modern age of very short attention spans.

Get a lot of sleep

Writing requires creativity. Being tired or hung over is the nemesis of creative thought. You should be getting at least 8 hours of good sleep each night. Without being well rested, ideas will not come to you and you will more likely suffer from writer’s block.

Write about what you are passionate about

My most expressive and readable writing comes from writing about something I care about. Ideas flow more readily onto the page and people are more likely to enjoy reading what was written. If you are finding it difficult to write about something, it will also probably be difficult to read.

Make sure you’re aware of the fine line between inspiration and plagiarism. Getting an idea and stealing an idea are very different actions.

The simple solution for this is to research what you are writing a bit more. Typically writing about things you don’t know well are the most painful experiences.

Excessive Words

Don’t pad out sentences with catchphrases and corporate speak. Writing should be punchy and to the point otherwise the text will be boring and hard to read. I’ve seen corporate memos that are written using three times the number of words that are necessary to communicate the idea.

SEO Implications Of NoFollow Links: A Nuanced Approach Is Best

Guest Author — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:24:02 +0000

This guest post looks at an overview of follow and nofollow links, sparked by Google Search Plus Your World which is struggling to realise its potential as social networks are usually all nofollow. This prevents Google from adding their data to Search Plus Your World and severely limits its use. This returns the debate as to how you should use NoFollow links on your site…

NoFollow links are not new by any means, but they are receiving more attention recently with Google’s introduction of “Search Plus Your World.” At the center of the debate is whether Google is abusing its position as the world’s primary search engine by integrating social search in a way that favors its own social network, Google+. Because of NoFollow, Google is prevented from fully indexing Facebook and Twitter. Until this summer and prior to the launch of Search Plus, the Twitter Firehose provided a special feed to Google. When the deal expired, Twitter elected not to renew its agreement with Google, but other search engines still have access to the Firehose. This has become a complex business dispute that everyone seems to have an opinion on, but it has also reignited a discussion about the SEO implications of NoFollow.

DoFollow/ NoFollow – What are you on about?

NoFollow Links: Not like sheep

In case you didn’t know, DoFollow is the default for links and does not require specific code; rel=”nofollow” is code you insert that tells a search engine spider to index the text it encounters but not the link attached. It was originally conceived to combat spam in comment sections by preventing untrustworthy sites from having outbound links indexed, which could in turn increase the page rank. Eliminating the incentive for cluttering comment sections with spam was sound in theory. Also, by designating necessary but not particularly interesting links that appear on multiple pages such as “About” and “Contact” as NoFollow, you could ensure that your link juice was not diluted and only divided between important links. Unfortunately, this reallocation of link juice lead to the SEO practice of PageRank or link sculpting – which Google looks down on.

Prior to 2009, designating links as NoFollow meant that if there were five links on a page and one was NoFollow, then each of those links would receive 25% of the site’s link juice. Google, however, quietly changed the way it treated NoFollow links and, when no one seemed to notice, it actually made a point of announcing its reversal in June 2009. Now, with the same scenario, those four outbound links would receive 20% of your site’s link juice and that NoFollow link would still receive none. You are no longer redistributing link juice, but actually throwing some of it away. The intention was to undermine unethical link sculpting practices that were attempting to game the system, but it also complicated the reputable practice of link building.

Holistic Approach to Link Building

Link building, when done well, is a perfectly valid means of increasing your site’s visibility and rank. Linking to sites you like and respect and asking sites to link to you is a great way to foster a sense of community and expand your site’s reach. Just like with content, however, you need to make sure that you are adding value to your site, and there is a solid rationale for those links. If you do not tag untrustworthy links as NoFollow, you will leech link juice from outbound links that matter. Also, if you are invaded by spam or low quality links, you will actually damage your own page rank. Undermining your site with indiscriminate link building is completely counterproductive. Link building and the implementation of NoFollow have become more nuanced tasks. For example, just because a link is initially marked as NoFollow does not mean that you cannot remove that code if you determine a site is worthy of being followed. Ethical link building is done with everyone’s best interest in mind and does not involve compensation. That said, there is also nothing wrong with buying and selling links as long as you indicate what they truly are-advertising.

Google’s stance on NoFollow links is very clear. Untrustworthy and paid links should be tagged rel=”nofollow”. Paid links masquerading as unsponsored text run afoul of Google’s Terms of Service and will be severely penalized, as in your page rank will plummet to zero. Lest you think that is highly unlikely, keep in mind that Google buried the download page for its own browser, Chrome, for at least 60 days, when a marketing campaign went awry. If Google is willing to hold itself accountable, it certainly will not hesitate to do the same to you.

What Does This Mean for SEO?

Ultimately, what this means for SEO is that all links on your site, regardless of whether they are NoFollow or not, need to be managed with care. It is still smart to designate structurally important but not particularly compelling links such as “About” or “Contact” as NoFollow. If you decide to link to something in the content of your pages, make sure you are doing so with pure intentions and linking to something valuable for your audience. Lastly, while you want to encourage conversation in your comment sections, it is safest to mark links posted by others as NoFollow until you have an opportunity to evaluate their worth. While that means extra work for you, it is the best way to protect your own page rank and ensure you are sharing your link juice with sites that truly deserve it.

While NoFollow links are not new, recent developments have reignited a discussion about the SEO implications of NoFollow & the best way to approach link building.

Will Twitter finally sink the idea of a new luxury ship fit for a Queen?

Guest Author — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:30:42 +0000

In this guest post, James Christie of Social Media agency No Pork Pies looks at how Twitter has become so influential in today’s society, even having a say into the planning of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Royal Yacht Britannia: now permanently moored in Edinburgh. Picture by Ian Mackay

In April 2009, it was announced that the British public would now be allowed to follow the Royal Family on Twitter at @BritishMonarchy (it now has 280,790 followers).

Commenting on the development, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Queen has been advised that it’s up and running but there won’t be any members of the Royal Family tweeting.”

A year later, the Queen ‘joined’ Facebook. “The Queen has approved the decision – she knows all about Facebook,” an aide assured us.

With this supposed knowledge of social media and micro-blogging sites, our sovereign is sure to be aware of how social network communities have reacted to the idea that a new royal yacht should be built to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The idea was first floated by the Daily Mail; the newspaper launched a campaign to build a luxurious new yacht in October 2011. The Mail backed the campaign with several lengthy articles and an impressive artist’s impression of what the yacht might look like (complete with a theatre and a deep sea submersible). However, the campaign sank without trace until 16^th January 2012 when The Guardian published a leaked letter from Education Secretary from Michael Gove.

Gove’s letter suggested that: “in spite, and perhaps because of the austere times” it would be an “excellent” idea to investigate the idea of a new royal yacht.

Much of the reaction to Gove’s suggestion has been covered by the Guardian and the Mail. But could it be that the real barometer of public opinion to the issue can be found in cyberspace? While Gove’s letter was a lengthy affair, many voters have given their reaction to it in far-more succinct 140-word tweets.

Brandwatch history of mentions of ‘Royal Yacht’

By using social media monitoring tool Brandwatch it is possible to see that the number of mentions of the phrase ‘Royal Yacht’ on the internet spiked dramatically on January 16^th when Gove’s letter was first published.

There were 8,720 mentions of ‘Royal Yacht during the period 11^th January to 24^th January 2012. Brandwatch’s sentiment-monitoring software identified that:

13 per cent of mentions were positive
22 per cent were negative
65 per cent were neutral

Tellingly, Twitter hosted the most number of mentions (84 per cent) with Facebook hosting 12 per cent and ‘other’ (online newspapers, forums and blogs) accounting for five per cent.

Twitter-users tended to be more negative than people expressing their opinion on other platforms; 43 per cent of tweets were negative, compared to 22 per cent of all tweets.

The pro-yacht argument was represented on Twitter by re-tweets of supportive articles such as a Daily Telegraph piece by Graeme Archer which insisted that “the monarch is a defining landmark of the country and should be treated as such”.

Some typical negative tweets included re-tweets of a spoof article entitled “Royal yacht plans scrapped in favour of Diamond Jubilee pedalo” and a comment which asked the government:

“Will you be using this year’s cohort of unemployed school leavers to help build the royal yacht?”

Sentiment about the Diamond Jubilee

Adverse reaction to the yacht seems to have caused a slight rise in negative sentiment regarding the Diamond Jubilee (the red line on the chart above). However positive sentiment (the green line) also increased on January 16^th and both levels have now reverted to the level which existed before Gove’s letter was leaked.

Sentiment surrounding Michael Gove

Which brings us to Michael Gove; Gove had the highest ratio of negative sentiment of all three topics (the other two being ‘Royal Yacht’ and ‘Diamond Jubilee’) but perhaps unpopularity is just the normal lot of a coalition government minister.

The Guardian – rather than the Daily Mail which launched the original pro-yacht campaign – hosted more mentions (2.4 per cent) of the topics than any other sites bar Twitter and Facebook.

While the Brandwatch monitoring tool does give a neat breakdown of where and when conversations surrounding the yacht are taking place, it can’t answer one mystery relating to the idea of a ‘Diamond’ boat.

How would such a ship be built in time for the start of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June?

James Christie is an Editor at Social Media Agency No Pork Pies.

Customising E-Commerce Sites For All Mobile Devices

Guest Author — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:05:24 +0000

With the number of new portable and mobile devices being used to access the web on the rise, web developers have to be able to cater for all of these to create successful e-commerce sites. This guest post explores some of the main features of e-commerce sites that need to be cross-compatible and ubiquitous across devices to ensure success, showing why full Mobile Development Training, iPhone App Training and knowing how to fully make the most of Dreamweaver & jQuery Mobile Web Design Training are all vital for adapting to today’s latest platforms.

Customers no longer stay confined to desktop and laptop computers. The trend is to be permanently connected through a host of mobile devices like smart phones and tablet computers. Hence the age old concept of designing websites specifically for computer screens has to be discarded for sites that can be customised for all types of mobile devices. Online businesses may have to spend more and make adjustments in website design to ensure that the customer’s click on the website is not a wasted effort simply because the site did not look readable, or did not offer all the features clearly visible on a computer screen. The only way to maximize sales is to catch the client with his first click, by extending all the options of the e-commerce site to all possible mobile devices.

Ecommerce functions for mobile devices must include at least the following:

Login- Every user or customer must be able to login to an existing or new account from any device, be it a smart phone, laptop, tablet or kiosk in a commercial place. Multi-device logins need to offer all the features possible like registration that can be used by new customers, forgotten password or user ID, and security checks. The idea is to make the site as functional on a mobile device as it is on a computer. Modular websites can integrate user login features in their mobile apps with their standard site format, as has been done with leading e-commerce sites like Amazon.

Products on sale- E-commerce sites also need to ensure that customers can easily scroll through an entire product catalog from their mobile device. Formatting the product details for specific devices according to their screen size helps in making the right impression- the functionality of course remain the same. Each mobile device must be able to display clearly, product details like price, product features, promotional offers and other useful information like product comparisons, reviews, and ratings. This functionality can be achieved only through an ecommerce system that can incorporate features of all devices.

Browsing and searching- the feature most used on the internet is search-for products and services available. Search engines place a vast range of options in front of the user and this makes mobile searches even more convenient since users can search even while inside stores, to get the best of what they are looking for. But mobile devices need to be customized for search as well.

Shopping Cart- The most decisive call to action comes with the shopping cart in every e-commerce business. The shopping cart needs to be conspicuous on every page of the website on any mobile device, not just on a desktop computer. Lack of visibility of the cart might lead to an opportunity for sale getting lost. Mobile devices can be used to gradually add products to the cart and finally the checkout may take place later.

Checking out- E-commerce websites need to have simplified checkout processes to make shopping online a happy experience for customers. The checkout steps and navigating through the site to reach that stage from a mobile device, must be smooth sailing and hassle free or else the customer might just dump a shopping cart full of orders, causing damage to the business.

Customer service- Every online shopping experience from any mobile device becomes easier if customer service is easily available. Customer queries and doubts must be clearly then and there and irrespective of the mobile device being used, the query must be visible to the customer service staff.

This post has been submitted by Neil from eMobileScan, who are a dedicated B2B supplier of the latest handheld technology like the Motorola ES400 and the Zebra GK420T which allows them their customers to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

If you would like to read more about cross device and cross browser development considerations, then have a read of our article asking What is Responsive Web Design?

Top SEO Trumps Blogging Competition

Heather Buckley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:48:24 +0000

The great Top SEO Trumps Blog Off has begun!

We have been slaving away creating the top SEO Game of the Decade. To get your hands on one of these limited edition Top SEO Trumps packs we are inviting you to take part in our Top SEO Trumps Blog Off!

Here’s a preview of how the cards look:

Simply write a blog post that meets the conditions below to be in for a chance to win.

There are 46 Top SEO Faces from the SEO world, each ranked by:

Popularity on the web
Twitter followers
Google+ contacts
Fanciablility (we are keeping our judges a secret for this category)
Geek Cred

Can you guess who is hiding behind Danny Sullivan? If you can’t guess or want to see the other 45 Top SEOs then you can follow all those who made it into to pack by creating your own SEO circle from this one we made earlier, just click on the image to view or add this circle in Google+:

35 Limited Edition Top SEO Trumps packs are up for grabs.

Anyone can enter: SEOs, marketing people, social media specialists, bloggers, content marketers, and students, anyone who thinks they can write a good blog.

There are so many ways of winning that the playing field is wide open, there is a really good chance of winning so it’s worth a go. As all great SEO’s and Content marketers know, generating great content is just par for the course anyway. What have you got to lose?

Not only that, if you are one of our 35 finalists we will publicise your fine post using our many social media accounts, and link to it from all of our resources and blogs, as well as on our own well ranked site, so it would be good for your SEO too.

All you have to do is what you do best: write a great blog post.

How to win

Write a blog post that contains a link either to one of these links
http://www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/blog/seo-top-trumps OR http://www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/seo/
Tweet a link to your post to: @sbttraining with the message: “My SEO Trumps entry” and the Hashtag #seotoptrumps

It’s as easy as that!

For example if this was my entry I would tweet:

@sbttraining My Top SEO Trumps entry http://www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/blog/seo-top-trumps (or shortened version) #seotoptrumps

You can publish your blog post anywhere (not necessarily on your own blog) as long as you identify yourself as the author somewhere in the post and tweet the link with hashtag as above.

After the closing date April 1st 2012

Votes will be counted and verified and prizes will go to the authors of the winners of the following categories:

The 5 funniest posts
The 5 most original posts
The 5 most useful posts
The top 5 posts that drive the most traffic to the destination link.
The 5 top most liked posts on Facebook – where that information is available
The 5 most +1’s on Google Plus
The 5 most tweeted posts – where that information is available

Good luck and get blogging!

Become a future top SEO trump with our many SEO related courses. SEO training will provide you with the best practice approach to optimising websites and content for higher rankings, you can then use the knowledge learnt on our Social Media course to market your website and build strong brand identity. If you want to measure how your site is doing (and your social media efforts) then Google Analytics training is essential, while Advanced Google Analytics training is available for those who already use it on a regular basis. Don’t forget, we also now provide Content Marketing training – great for building brand and author identity whilst gaining valuable backlinks!

Spring Festivals & Events in Sussex

Guest Author — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:15:27 +0000

Now that the Christmas festivities have finished and the New Years Eve hangover has fully worn off, a certain sense of deflation seems to have settled over the UK. No one’s got any money, there’s no celebrations left to look forward to and the emphasis is very much on cutting back on the booze, getting to the gym and getting early nights. However, even if you are currently in a state of detox, there’s no need to be glum because spring is just around the corner and there’s a whole range of spring festivals and events in Sussex to look forward to.

Why not learn a new skill this spring? It could be the most exciting thing you do this year! If you’re thinking of a career move in 2012, want to dust off some old skills, pick up that new talent you’ve been thinking about for a while or even flourish in your current role then training courses are the best way to start. If you want to get your creative juices flowing then our Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator courses are all perfect. If you want to take the web by storm then our Web Design courses are all tailored to different skill levels and SEO and Social Media are both important as well. If you are looking further up the career ladder or want some help in the corporate environment our range of Business and Management training courses are all very useful. We run everything from Management Skills Training and Leadership Training to accredited PRINCE2 and Six Sigma Training. Spring is not just for learning though! In your time off why not attend some of these great events…

Sussex Beer Festival takes place on 8-10 March and if you’re having a bit of a dry month at the moment then this is something to really look forward to. The festival has around 230 beers on offer, including a range of British and foreign beers, as well as other mouthwatering tipples, such as ciders, perries and wines. Tickets cost between £4 and £7, depending on the day you go, and include a free souvenir glass and programme.

Beer by Tim Dobson on Flickr

2012 sees the 45th Brighton Festival taking place between 7 and 29 May, guest directed by Vanessa Redgrave, and celebrating themes of liberty and freedom. The festival is an important annual event for the town and is the largest multi-art form festival in England. You can expect to find a broad selection of dance, music, art and film on the programme and a wide range of events for all the family.

Children’s Parade 2010 by Brighton photographer on Flickr

At the same time as the Brighton Festival is happening, the Brighton Festival Fringe is taking place, which holds the impressive title of the third largest fringe in the world. In the past the festival has attracted audiences of up to 180,000 and had more than 625 events taking place across Brighton and Hove. Anyone can take part in the Brighton fringe, whether complete beginner or competent professional, which results in a fantastic mix of arts talent and fabulously groansome performances!

Circus of Horrors – Brighton Fringe – By Heather Buckley on Flickr

Sussex Food and South Downs Fair takes place at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton between 6 and 7 May. The festival offers food and drink lovers two days of complete indulgence with tastings, cookery classes and a fine selection of delicious produce to try and buy. There is also music and demonstrations of local rural life that give the event a fun and educational feel.

Eastbourne Festival takes place between 7 and 29 April and offers an impressive selection of traditional and contemporary arts performances, including dance, theatre, poetry, street dance, theatre and storytelling. The festival is now in its fifth year and has become a serious arts flagship, so that it is now viewed as a showcase for talent in the Eastbourne area.

If you’re a fan of the races then an evening discussing the favourites for the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival at the Cheltenham Festival Preview Evening at Plumpton Racecourse, Lewes is likely to be right up your street. The smart event brings together a panel of racing pundits, trainers and well known media commentators for an evening of racing chat and a slap up two course meal. Tickets for the evening cost £50.

Plumpton Racecourse by Ronnie MacDonald on Flickr

The annual Glyndebourne festival opens for ticket sales on 24 March, with the first performances commencing in mid May. The Glyndebourne festival is an opera extravaganza that consists of six productions each year, staged in a 1,200 seat opera house, set in fabulous grounds that make for a romantic picnic spot. Tickets start at £10 for a standing position up in the gods, going up to £230 for a prime stalls seat.

The Glyndebourne Festival by HerryLawford on Flickr

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival takes place each year for ten days between 30 March to 09 April and is a showcase for local food and drink. Events included in the umbrella of the festival include Brighton coffee and cake festival, Sussex gourmet bus tour, the big food debate and Brighton wine festival.

Celebration of Spring – if you have thoroughly had enough of winter by now and you’re ready for the primroses, warmth and Easter eggs of spring then no doubt you will be quite keen to celebrate its arrival. Parham House near Pulborough holds a special Celebration of Spring each year on Sunday 22 April with activities for kids and speakers, tours and sales for the adults. Tickets are £9 for adults and £4.50 for children.

There may still be a few more months of cold (possibly grey) days left until the UK starts to warm up again but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still plenty to look forward to. With all these exciting events and festivals coming up, Sussex is certainly the place to be to welcome in the spring in 2012.

John wrote this post for Elite Hotels who run some of the best hotels in Sussex and wedding venues in Sussex.

Why Should You Start Content Marketing?

Daniel Twigg — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:53:49 +0000

We have now added Content Marketing to our Blogging Training course to create the mighty Blogging and Content Marketing Training course, so you can get a head start on your internet marketing endeavours.

It can be tough to get your brand, company or website noticed on the big World Wide Web. Fierce competition for search engine rankings and SEO dominance is rife between websites gunning for the same keywords and with the same general target audience; so what can you do to get yourself to stand out from the crowd?

Currently, one of the most effective methods of generating interest from users and building up back links to appease the search engine lords is content marketing. This form of marketing has many advantages and uses which should be explored by anyone looking to extend their website’s visibility, outreach and exposure.

Why should I do it myself?

The internet is made of content. It’s what people use it for; to find useful information, tips and entertainment. By creating your own content you can write about the topics your website, blog or company specialise in from as many angles as you can think of. Doing this not only gives you more searchable content to be found via search engines it also gives you the opportunity to stamp your authority on a subject, working your way into becoming an expert in your field that people will look to for knowledge, answers and cutting edge info.

However, if you aren’t ready to put yourself forward as an expert just yet, content marketing still has some valuable other uses which when used properly will help improve your site’s traffic and exposure to new users.

If you would like to find out more about content marketing then have to look at our post on Guest Blogging and Great Places to Post Your Content, or read on to find out more about how blogging and content marketing can benefit you.

Guest Blogging

Writers have been creating guest content for other sites for some time now, giving writers the opportunity to share their knowledge and writing style with a new audience, as well as being able to get a link to their own website. This link is useful for a few reasons, namely it allows the reader to hop straight to your site if they like your content and also the back link can work in your favour when it comes to SEO and search engine rankings, especially if it is coming from a website with a high authority or page rank.

Accepting guest posts can work in your favour too. Search engines like sites that update their content regularly, so posting relevant and useful content from others can take the strain off of keeping up with the demand of writing as well as giving you to post articles on topics you may not be as knowledgeable in.

You don’t even have to approach sites directly now to enquire about guest blogging. With guest post sharing and distribution sites such as My Blog Guest making the process of bidding for content and choosing who you want to publish your own offerings far easier than ever before.

Going Viral

Another major advantage of making your own content is sharing. Social media sites have made sharing content so easy these days that if you have something that is timely, unique or of exceptionally high quality you can find your content being shared all over the web, hopefully going viral. Combine this with the fact that Google’s new Search plus Your World search algorithm weighs heavily in favour of popular, well shared content on Google’s social network, Google+. So this method can boost your search engine rankings as well as bring in interest from a new audience.

Easy on the Wallet

Content Marketing also has another big advantage; it’s extremely cost effective. If you are creating your own articles or accepting guest posts the cost is extremely low, if not free (except for staffing costs!) Bear in mind that your content will also hang around for far longer than any advertising campaign you may choose to run, so you are likely to see a far better ROI on these efforts.

All of these benefits make content marketing an extremely attractive marketing method, which is why we have updated our Blogging and Content Marketing Training course so you can learn all of the latest techniques to teach you how to make high quality, sought after content.

Car Share Photo Competition

Heather Buckley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:22:14 +0000

Brighton-based car share website Catch-a-ride have just launched their photography competition and it is being judged by Silicon Beach Training‘s co-founder and photographer, Heather Buckley.

Catch-a-ride is set up to encourage people to car share by connecting drivers and passengers. This is a great idea to reduce travel costs, emissions and traffic!

Read more about the competition at Catch-a-ride’s blog or we’ve provided all the info below…

The Competition

The competition theme is ‘Car Share’ so send in your most interesting photo of people car sharing for a chance to win a fantastic prize. You can interpret that as you like but the most interesting one wins! Just don’t break the law of the road or your entry will be discounted.

The Prize

Up for grabs is a 16-megapixel Nikon Coolpix compact camera, perfect for taking more photos of your car sharing adventures!

The Rules

1) Only UK residents may enter

2) All entries must show a car share journey but must not include any activities that go against road safety

3) By entering, you agree that www.catcharide.co.uk may use your photo on their website. Photos will not be used for any other purpose.

4) Photos must be in JPEG format and a maximum of 1MB.

The Entry

To enter, send your car share photo to: contact@catcharide.co.uk

The Closing Date

All entries must be in by 15th March 2012.

Photo by Heather Buckley. Follow Heather on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

Why not really make your photo stand out with some nifty Photoshop tricks? By coming on our Photoshop Training course you will be able to edit your photos professionally to really make them shine. If you’re already competent on Photoshop and want to take your skills to the next level then our Advanced Photoshop course is worth checking out. Call us on 01273 622272 or email awylie@siliconbeachtraining.co.uk to discuss either course or any other training requirements.