I had one question in mind when I attended the ‘Improve Your Resource Efficiency’ seminar: do we qualify for a grant? Unfortunately, the answer was more complicated than a mere yes or no.

Wessex Enterprise explained that applicants had to meet certain eligibility criteria:

1. Less than 250 employees (or a group with no more than 250 employees)
2. Annual balance sheet not exceeding €43 million
3. Annual turnover not exceeding €50 million
4. Not be more then quarter owned by firms that do not comply with the above criteria.

Grants could be used for: lighting upgrades, new heating systems, compressors, recycling equipment, CAD design software, testing & monitoring equipment, consultancy / training / certification for environmental management or other projects. These grants are issued on a 50% match fund basis (minimum of £1000 threshold and maximum of £40000). Investments must be in Dorset.

The bottom line was that the amount you qualify for depends on the difference between your current carbon footprint and your potential post-grant carbon footprint. The potential difference needs to be comparatively substantial, which unfortunately limits the options of a smaller enterprise [especially those that do not have high consumption or high wastage].

Wessex Enterprise does offer 12 hours free support, which can be used to benefit the business in developing an environmental policy, guidance on developing an environmental management system, legal compliance check, resource related research projects, etc.

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Following our recent acquisitions, we’re very proud to announce our updated and extended social media services!

We’ve expanded our training workshops to include:

Introduction to Social Media – designed for decision makers who need to understand how social fits into their business and how to begin to create a SMART strategy to do so.

I’m on LinkedIn, But… – understand how to take your LinkedIn profile to the next level as a powerful networking tool.

Twitter 101 – learn to make best use of this powerful communication tool for your business.

Better Blogging – covering both technical how-to (using Wordpress) and best practice content creation.

Facebook for Business – designed to enable you to utilise the world’s largest social network for real business benefit.

We’ve also launched 2 new services:

The Online Social Impact Audit provides a reference point to identify areas of improvement and forms the starting point for any social media campaign or strategy development.

Maximise the number of people who hear about and interact with your event, product or brand launch with our Social Media Event Amplification.

Our Social Media Management page has been updated to reflect changes to our offerings also.

We’re offering an Introduction to Social Media breakfast session for only £25+VAT.

Come and join us on the 26th October at 8am (for an 8:30 start) for some breakfast and an overview from our Social Media Strategist, Luke on:

• Why social networking matters to your brand
• An overview of the key sites
• Some future trends to look out for

Call Steve on 01202 888192 to reserve your place.

If you’d like more information on any of our social media services, please call Luke in the office.

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The popular video sharing website and social network YouTube has recently released what you could describe as a book of  ‘Commandments’ for what the team at YouTube believe are the most successful and effective ways to help its users generate better quality content and drive more traffic to their channels.

This extensive guide dubbed the ‘Creator Playbook’ gives YouTube users a distinct structured list of the best strategy to maximise the potential of their online videos. It also explains how to promote your marketing material through other social media networks and is designed to be accessible to all users, mapping out a tick list agenda to optimise the opportunities that Youtube offers.

So, just what is it that makes the largest online video destination and second most used search engine such a valuable brand and marketing tool? One reason I can think that video marketing is so advantageous and so powerful could be linked to the fact that 90% of our day to day communication is non-verbal. This implies that messages are most likely to be understood when given out and received usingbody language and self-expression. Unlike written words in printed media and websites, and spoken words in radio advertising, video and television marketing have the additional messages which are transferred by eye movements, visual cues, and overall body language, which makes YouTube a great channel to add more depth to your brand strategy.

You can download the YouTube instruction ‘bible’ here:

http://youtube.com/creators/playbook.html

While you’re waiting for it to download I can give you a few of my own ways to use make the most of your ‘home generated’ content which are often overlooked.

Firstly, it’s important to take an honest and value based approach to using YouTube to raise awareness of your business.  The direct selling route is not always necessary. Ultimately if your videos are interesting, informative, innovative or humorous then your audience are more likely to value them and share it, spreading awareness of your brand without any legwork from you. If a key factor to your video strategy is sharing then make your videos focussed and simple with a more subliminal marketing message. People are unlikely to share your video if they think they are being pitched to!

Make use of the close integration that YouTube allows with other social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Before you know it you can quickly and effortless have your video posted across platforms and embedded in your website and emails. YouTube video’s are viewed for an average of 2.9 billion hours a month so make sure you get a look in and use it as part of your overall strategy.

Customise your own YouTube channel (Like ours here: http://www.youtube.com/user/rtmediauk) to compliment your branding and to set up playlists with your personalised content. No lack of equipment or technology should stop you from producing original, creative content for your YouTube channel. Consider interviewing clients, or experts on a variety of topics which are relevant and authentic, and make sure an element of your brands personality shines through and reflects what your all about. You should maintain communication with your audience with regular updates and new posts.

Be Tag savvy. Remember…search engines like Google can only determine the content of your video if you tag it and your YouTube channel. Think carefully about the words and phrases you use for titles and descriptions. Link your social media accounts and make sure they are on your own website as well to encourage sharing and remind people to subscribe.

Check out RT Media’s You tube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rtmediauk

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There are some things we just come to accept after a while, no matter how inadequate and cumbersome they may be.

What am I referring to? The Facebook Business Pages.

Earlier this month I was listening to Radio 1 while they were trying to boost the number of ‘likes’ on their Facebook page to over 1.5 million. I picked up two interesting points from their chatter. Firstly, they were trying to see if there was a way that they could set permissions for a video so that only people who ‘liked’ the page could see it, as a loyalty reward. They established that this could not be done (it is possible, but not by any means easy) and moved on to uploading the video itself. They struggled for ten minutes to get it to display on the page, with Aled Jones stating that as he couldn’t sign in as the Business Page itself, only his personal account, the video was ending up on his profile.

This was not a very significant event, nor was it something we didn’t already know about Facebook Pages. It did, however, make me consider just how long we have put up with the difficulties of the Facebook business pages and that Google+ as a competitor is long overdue.

Despite its very recent invite only launch, the number of Google+ users has grown at a rate greater than that of Facebook at its’ launch. Google have also been continuously updating the selection of features on offer, with the game sections which was released last month.

However, the benefits of Google+ are likely to be had within their much anticipated Business offering. Where other social media platforms have struggled, Google+ Business is rumoured to be a tailored business social solution, rather than a business add on to a social platform.

Google+ are still in the development stages of the business pages, and brands have been advised not to try and create their pages under personal accounts. This indicates that they intend to offer something that is quite different for businesses from the individual accounts. They are even going as far as policing the network to shut down any business accounts that are set up prior to the launch.

Although nothing official has been released, experts have predicted that Google+ business will excel above Facebook in its usability, features, search functionality and analytics tools – most of these are native to the success of Google.

Google+ looks set to have the potential to be the leading social media platform for businesses, and I for one cannot wait for the launch.

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Dorset based strategic branding and digital agency, RT Media, has completed the acquisition of two Bournemouth based companies – social media training and consultancy business, SocialTech, and creative agency, Ozone Creative Solutions.

Ross Thornley. founder of RT Media, explains: “We recently carried out a strategic review within the business with a view to increasing resources, skills and generating growth. Both SocialTech (http://www.socialtech.biz/) and Ozone complement our existing capabilities and will further enhance our offering, expanding our branding expertise into all online communications and leading to a wider solution for our international, national and regional clients.”

Ross Thornley with Tony Ridgway and Luke Williams

Founded in 2008, SocialTech has built a reputation as a leader of social media training and consultancy. Its clients include Channel 4, E.ON, Condé Nast and Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).

Luke Williams, Director and founder of SocialTech, comments: “I’ve always held the team at RT Media and the outstanding quality of their design work in the highest regard. When the opportunity to merge our businesses became available it was an obvious fit, in terms of culture and approach, and as a logical extension of their brand communication to offer an extended range of services.”

As a total creative resource, Ozone Creative Solutions brings expertise from its impressive folio of advertising, direct mail, sales literature, Point of Sale, interactive CD and online design work to RT Media. Its ‘straight talking’ and ‘clear creative thinking’ approach is also a natural fit for RT Media, as Tony Ridgway founder of Ozone, comments:

“Our view has always been to get the job done, and get it done well. The team at RT Media has a similar approach; they like to get under the skin of a client’s and challenge them to really know what is actually required to achieve the objectives. We have already started collaborating on several campaigns and new business wins, which has shown us just how much potential we have, working together.”

Steve Mills, Business Development Manager at Nutrichef said “As a long standing customer of RT we were asked to be one of the test clients they worked with pre-merger to support the re-launch of our new web site. Adding the social media knowledge from SocialTech to the branding expertise of RT worked very well, dramatically extending our reach online.”

Ross adds: “This is a coming of age for RT Media. Integrating the three very like-minded, skilled and professional teams has given us a very strong platform for growth. It is a new era, both for us and for our clients, who will most certainly benefit from having this level of resource for their campaigns.”

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We are the only agency in Dorset and the surrounding counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire, to be listed in a first-of-its-kind table from the Recommended Agency Register (RAR).

We were delighted when, after months spent collecting and collating the financial data of hundreds of recommended agencies, the Recommended Agency Register’s Design Review – a table that recognises design as a discipline – placed us 62 out of 100.

We have made the list because we have been highly rated by our clients through the RAR’s ratings programme. The agencies in this elite group not only have the high regard of their clients, but have also demonstrated that they have remained strong across our financial rankings in spite of the current economic state.

RT Media founder and Creative Director, Ross Thornley, explains: “Traditionally, design was seen and treated as a separate entity, and even with a certain reverence within the industry.  For some time now, especially with the advent of digital media and the shift from traditional marketing channels to the exponential opportunities of the Internet, this has not been the case.

“As an agency which creates highly effective campaigns for our clients using a whole host of marketing channels, we welcome a ranking table that acknowledges design excellence within the context of all the other core disciplines we have mastered to make our business successful.”
RAR has been identifying the best agencies based on client feedback since 2004 and more than 6,000 ratings have been made by clients.  RT is already a RAR listed company and we were finalists in the awards for best in video production last year. All of the team are really proud to have achieved this status and it is the result of lots of hard work all round!

The table published in The Drum was created as the result of clients recommending agencies for their design excellence, despite not being specialist design agencies.  Ross concludes: “While RT Media ranked #62 of 100, the table was set out in terms of size of operation in the absence of other parameters, since this was a ‘first-of-a-kind’ listing, and does not reflect the size or scope of the campaigns we are capable of on a local, regional, national or international scale.”

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After a long history of Social Media attempts, and their more recent, albeit low radar, endeavours in the form of Google Wave and Google Buzz, has Google finally put forward a contender in the seemingly unattainable competition with Social networking giant, Facebook?

The ‘invitation-only’ launch of Google+ has been widely hyped as the most promising competitor to Facebook for some time. In some ways it seems to have ‘borrowed’ a lot of the key aspects and features of Facebook’s functionality, however, it is hitting out at Facebook’s weaknesses too.

With an estimated 500 million plus users, privacy is an area on which Facebook has been criticised in the past, and Google are grabbing this opportunity to differentiate themselves with both hands. Although this alone will not be enough to sway the dedicated Facebook fans, reviews from the chosen few that were invited to try it, shows that Google+ has potential to, compete with at least, Facebook.

Another of the key differences that could push Google+ is the depth of integration available. At the moment, Google+ is linked to all other aspects of Google; accounts and Gmail for example. This integration will undoubtedly allow users to go about their daily online business without leaving the site, meaning a much longer contact time with the user, attractive to both Google+ and marketers.

Comparisons with Facebook

Opportunities for brands

The main opportunity for brands on the new Google+ network, aside from wanting to be added to people’s circles, the equivalent of being ‘liked’ on Facebook or ‘followed’ on Twitter, is the ‘Sparks’ application. A user will list their likes and interests, and Google feeds them relevant information/products. The priority for brands will be to appear at the tops of these lists, whether this is through SEO linked to Google searches or interest optimization. This could give the opportunity for a new optimization market to develop, giving marketers another channel to consider.

Although business and ‘non-human’ pages are not currently part of Google+ being tested in the trial, it is something that they are looking to provide. Jeff Huber, Google VP of Local and Commerce, has indicated that Google+, at some point in the near future will include the option for business profile page. Here is his comment:
‘And pre-emptively answering a question — yes, we will have (smb) business profile pages on Google+. I can’t announce a launch date yet, but we want to make them *great*, and we’re coding as fast as we can.’
It is surprising that Google+ has not been more prepared for the wave of brands wanting to create profiles, as happened with Facebook and Twitter. Brands want to go where their customers are, and by not trailing the promised specialized business profiles, Google+ may have missed a trick.

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Ross Thornley, Creative Director of RT Media, regularly gives up his time free of charge to support young entrepreneurs; specifically assisting the Young Enterprise Group (Poole High School, meeting every week from September 2010) in the ways of business and inspiring them to achieve their business goals.

We are also looking forward to working with one of the companies from Young Enterprise to help them commercially take their idea to market. It is a great feeling to work with young people who are a constant source of inspiration.

In addition, RT Media have helped the students from Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne and here is what one of the students had to say:
“My name is Fern Johnson and I attend Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne. We are currently doing a unit called ‘Product Promotion’ which requires us to investigate advertising agencies. We had emailed loads of different businesses with no reply, until Mr Thornley kindly got back to our teacher advising her that he would be prepared to even do a meeting with us.”

“We then organised the event and on the day walked into Wimborne to go to visit RT Media. Mr Thornley very kindly gave us 2 hours of his time, which to us was a priceless experience, having never worked or needed to think about promotion of products beforehand; we could only use what we could find using the internet, our own ideas and a text book, but Mr Thornley gave us more than any text book example, we talked into depth about the pros and cons of different media types, their range, what they do in particular, how they have to create unique ideas.”

“I learnt a lot from the experience and found it very interesting, as well as informative, I then went home that evening to find myself write up about 5 pages extra on my assignment as well as set off creating my own promotional campaign, which was another assignment for the unit, without this trip I would not have had the motivation to do so, let alone be able to write in the amazing examples that I now have been able to write into my assignment. Thank you Mr Thornley at RT Media for making what I thought would be a difficult unit for me into something that I have enjoyed and taken a lot of time over now due to his enthusiasm of the business.”

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iPad TripleO Website

Branding experts RT Media, has created a brand and launched the web site for a revolutionary product, tripleO, on behalf of client, ooops!

Ross Thornley explains: “We have worked with Paul Booker and his team at ooops! for more than 2 years on the side of the business which specialises in repair, painting, maintenance and ‘detailing’ of all types of transportation.  When we learnt that they had acquired the licence to commercially market a unique and specialist ‘nano-technology’ high performance cleaning and protective surface coating pioneered by the US military, we knew that this would be a special project.”

The product – tripleO – has heritage as a surface protectant for the US military and has been proven in some of the most challenging applications, for some of the world’s most demanding military organisations over three decades.  It was re-engineered in 2000 to incorporate innovative nano-technology into the solution to enhance its performance and ‘cross link and bond’ to any surface, which means it can be used on any fleet of aircraft, trucks, boats and helicopters, or even wind farms in exposed locations, and wherever reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency is mission critical.

Paul Booker, Managing Director at ooops!  comments: “While tripleO is an unrivalled product which has many benefits, how we chose to bring it to market would be critical to its success.  After months of work, we gained accreditation from some of the biggest names in aviation such as Airbus, Boeing, Douglas and Raytheon and we needed a brand and web presence that would not only reflect this pedigree, but the many scientific benefits and bottom line Return on Investment to our clients.”

He continues: “Having worked with the team at RT Media and experienced their integrity, creativity and passion for putting us first, I know they would provide us with the exact solution, and I was right.  Working with RT Media is akin to working with an ‘honest coach’ and ‘mentor’, whose strategic vision and ability to see beyond the horizon, means that we don’t waste money now, in order to save for the opportunities that will give the greatest return on investment in future.

“The web site was orchestrated to launch just as tv coverage about tripleO aired across Europe and on the BBC in the UK, and we’ve been very busy ever since – having received great feedback from clients and potential clients all around the world.  I am very proud of how the site performs – the aesthetics and branding are superb and most importantly, it is funnelling sales enquiries through its various options and giving us business. The web site really is our shop window to the world, and we feel we have not just had real value for money, also a format that will give our web site longevity.  I’m now looking forward to further investment to make it multi-lingual.”

Ross Thornley, creative director at RT Media, concludes: “For us, this project was about creating a business-to-business brand primarily for the web, which had to reflect its core values – experience, expertise and tested durability, whilst bringing them together in a format which also had to convey key scientific information and study research quickly and simply, provide media information and case study video footage, whilst also channelling those all -important sales enquiries.  We are really pleased with the results, but most of all we have evidence from Paul and his team that this web site is performing on a business level and that is what we are all about.”

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RT Media Red Nose Day

The RT Media Brand Champions raised £361 for Red Nose Day on Friday the 18th March 2011.
The whole team took part in silly challenges in order to raise money for Comic Relief.

Ross, the Creative Director, painted his entire face bright red to become a walking, talking Red Nose. Sam, the Senior Designer, wore a spikey, red wig for the day. Ali stuck with the hair theme and sprayed her hair red! While Corli, the office chatterbox and warbler, did a sponsored silence (excluding necessary phone calls) for a day of peace and quiet. And that is just mentioning a few of the RT Team members.

Ross Thornley said: “RT Media was proud to raise money for the Red Nose Day’s ‘Do something funny for money’ campaign and help transform lives across the UK and Africa.”

As a special thank you for the kind support of this great cause, Ross Thornley will be donating an entire day of his design skills to New Driver Schools, the company who gave the highest single donation.

For more information about or fundraising campaign, please see http://my.rednoseday.com/rtbrandchampions. For more information about RT Media go to our website www.rtmedia.com or follow us on either http://twitter.com/RT_MEDIA or http://www.facebook.com/pages/RT-Media/39137908894

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What can we learn from the “big boys” in the B2B arena? One thing that has implemented itself firmly is lead nurturing emails, way beyond personalisation and basic segmentation. You are not doing it? Well you are wasting marketing budget! Email lead nurturing has proven to have a significant impact on the lead nurturing process.

But what is “email lead nurturing”? It means that regardless of the stage that your prospect is at in the buying cycle you have regular, relationship building, meaningful email communication with them. Therefore when they are ready to buy, your company is on top of their evaluation list. A trusted relationship with the right people is the key in this process.

This obviously requires not only good segmentation (making sure your database is up to scratch etc.) but also some careful content planning. You will need relevant content for all stages of the decision making process, from “We haven’t even entered any process” to “Interest”, “Learn”, Evaluate”, “Justify” and “Buy”.

Your safest bet is to get together with your Sales team – yes, Sales and Marketing can work together! You can then come up with a content plan that matches the typical customer journey, so that any prospect is supported at any stage of the decision making process. Here are just a few best practise ideas:

• 3rd party articles
• Case studies
• Invitations to webcasts
• Link to Podcasts
• E-newsletters
• Relevant white papers and eBooks
• Free reports
• Invite to events
• Company information

The result? Experience has shown that if you do it properly, not only the number of sales-ready leads will increase but so will the quality of those leads. Because you have built the relationship with your prospect, you are already considered a trustworthy partner with the necessary expertise – a great starting point for Sales to pick up the opportunity.

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Ways in which businesses speak to their target audience online are constantly evolving and expanding. Instead of dull static windows of text and information, consumers are much more likely to expect creativity, interactivity and originality, meaning brands are using their online space in new ways to fiercely differentiate themselves from competitors. The drive towards this new look social web is down to social network sites like Facebook, Youtube, Flickr and Twitter changing our expectations of how we would like to interact with a brand or business before we buy into it.

Initiating ‘social’ behaviour on a website can give visitors a chance to interact, contribute and share their thoughts and feelings, meaning that businesses can finally tap into the desires of their target audience and assess trends in the market. The ability to develop messages, and new products and services can also come from this new insight. Whether it’s by allowing users to give feedback, offer opinions, share links or generate their own content there are many positive reasons to move towards making your website a social environment or joining a social network. It’s all about conveying your brands personality to potential customers!

However, even though taking advantage of the new rules of the ‘social-web’ and building them into your marketing campaigns could lead to an increase in traffic, where do you go from there? This should be just the beginning of your marketing strategy.

The number of ‘fans’ or ‘likes’ a brand or business has on Facebook for example, can be used as a measure of popularity but should not be relied on as an effective measure of consumers engagement with your brand: David Parfect, agency sales group head at Facebook spoke recently during the keynote discussion on ‘Socialisation of the Internet’ at Social Media World Forum Europe, in London and encouraged businesses to look beyond the simple number of connections:

He said: “Just because a brand has 17,000 fans on Facebook, that does not mean these fans are engaged with them. That is just where the marketing should start.”

It’s important that before venturing into the world of social media and online marketing, that you have the resources to deal with the new insight and information gained from it. It is crucial for brands to be able to follow through their efforts and ensure they engage with the target audiences in order to turn ‘Friends’ and ‘fans’ into business and brand loyalty.

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RT Media, the marketing & branding agency in Wimborne, proudly took part in the ‘Those who plant trees, plant hope’ event on the 3rd February 2011 at Potterne Park, a local community recreation area in Verwood. The event was organised by Rock recruitment in association with The Bournemouth Echo and East Dorset District Council and RT Media planted a 6ft Oak tree together with a variety of whip trees.

The event consisted of various tree related activities with the Education Rangers from East Dorset Countryside Management Services, including crafts, bird box building and even a Wellington boot competition. The bird boxes made as part of the day will be dispersed in gardens around the area and will give birds somewhere safe to nest in the spring.

Mr Ross Thornley, RT Media Creative Director, “We are aware of our impact on the environment and aim to reduce our emissions with the goal of becoming carbon neutral within the next 10 years. It was nice that we could get involved as we didn’t get to see the tree eForests planted for us last year; a single tree can offset 1 tonne of carbon emissions in its lifetime.”

As a business RT Media has always endeavoured to work with suppliers and customers who share the same environmental values and together look for solutions to decrease our carbon footprint.

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It’s been around for a while now, but only recently has it really become a valid avenue of exploration for the online advertiser. Mobile advertising is the practice of displaying ads in content designed specifically for mobile devices, such as websites, search results and, most recently, mobile applications. But what exactly can it offer over traditional display and search advertising?

• Unlike in previous years, there is currently a high device penetration rate for mobile advertising. Operating systems such as Android, RiM, iOS and Symbian all support fully featured mobile web browsers which are capable of displaying mobile optimised web pages. Introduction of tablets such as the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab have contributed to the spread, and the number of capable devices is only going to increase as the market (and the technology) devices.
• A whitepaper conducted by research firm YouGov for the annual Tamar Search Attitudes report shows us there has been an increase of no less than 246% in mobile search traffic in the UK in the past year. (Source)
• The nature of a mobile handset opens up the possibility of anywhere, anytime searching. Consumers who are out and about can now find what they are looking for regardless of their location.
• In addition to this, with modern cellular devices now equipped for location services (such as cellular triangulation or via GPS satellites on more high-end devices) it’s now possible to tailor both search results, content and advertisements based on these parameters, allowing advertisers to deliver location targeted and relevant ads such as “Papa Johns Pizza, Winton”. These are often more accurate than IP based location targeting.
• This type of targeting can also be applied to specific carriers, for example Vodafone or Virgin ads that are targeted for the sole purpose of tempting customers away from O2, delivered straight to the O2 provided device. An amusing, but effective, means of finding potential customers.
• Most modern mobile operating systems are capable of recognising not only text formatted like an email address, but also telephone numbers and Skype usernames. This means that with a simple click of an ad, marketers can direct potential new customers not just to a website, but to direct contact to the company via a phone or VOIP call.
• Most importantly, from some perspectives, is the ability to place ads not only on web pages and search results, but framed into downloadable apps from the Android Market, App Store or OVI store. This has given rise to a number of app developers releasing full, but free, ad supported versions of applications they would normally charge for. On Android especially, where statistically users are more likely to click on in app advertisements, this has left the vast majority of apps being available for free, such as the internet sensation Angry Birds. On the iOS store this costs £1.99, on Android you can download the full game for free with a small ad inserted to offset the costs. As you can imagine, this gives your marketing a rather large reach across many networks, countries and demographics.

These are just a few of the benefits and features available to marketers should they decide to tap in to the ever growing world of mobile advertising, and there is much more to it than the points listed above. What campaigns work best, how to target your audience, and the most important factors leading to campaign success are key things you’ll need to know in order to run a successful mobile marketing platform for your business. To learn more, get in touch with us today and find out what mobile advertising can do for your business.

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Recently at the SES SFO conference there was a presentation by Brian Kaminski COO of iProspect that stated Search Engines would no longer be used within the next 5 years!

If we first accept that the Digital Industry is the fastest moving industry the world has ever seen and how it has changed over the years, is it such a radical step?

My gut feel to this is that search engines will evolve, not disappear. The presenter went on to say that search will be voice based, camera based and social led searches. Google already has the goggles application which although camera based still works on the same basis as a search engine. People are using the social media resources as search engines and voice recognition software has been about for sometime but ultimately it still has to return a result. This is what leads me to the thoughts of evolution as opposed to extinction.

With the volume of information available at our finger tips via all types of sources alerts, feeds and search, some people can become easily overwhelmed, so how do you filter out the quality results from the poor ones? Currently sites that the search engines deem to be of a lower quality are ranked accordingly.  BUT…. could Google (who’s driver is relevancy) et al conceivably blackball sites that do not reach a minimum standard? We’ve already seen many discussions on W3C compliance and how it does or does not effect your rankings, so is it that big a leap to completely denying visibility. I think not!

Clearly only time will tell how and when change will come, when it does agencies need to be in a position to respond. They need to know and act fast, hence the reason continual testing helps you understand your traffic and conversions it will also keep you abreast of the changes within the world of search.

The Bottom Line: Stay on top of your Digital Marketing effort, use every resource available to stay informed and keep testing!

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RT Media strategic brand communications agency is celebrating the qualification of Online Content Publisher, Darryl Walker, as a Google Adwords Qualified Individual.  The Google Adwords Professional Exam formalises Darryl’s existing skill set and has already enhanced and honed his experience.

Darryl explains: “The formal qualification is an extension of the experience and knowledge I had already gained from running Adwords campaigns for our clients over the course of several months, which can be used to demonstrate my personal knowledge of the programs.  Now, with better understanding as a result of this training, I can run client and company campaigns even more effectively.”

Google Adwords is Google’s advertising program, allowing users to create simple and effective adverts online and display them to people already searching for information related to the advertiser’s business – effectively placing relevant adverts in front of the relevant people.

Creative Director Director at RT Media, Ross Thornley, commented:  “While we have been able to offer Adwords campaigns for a while, we believe in providing the best possible service for our clients, actively encouraging further learning and continued professional development of all our team. The great thing about this qualification is that it is very ‘hands-on’, requiring Darryl to run an Adword campaign alongside taking the examination in order to qualify, demonstrating his capability.  We congratulate Darryl on his success; we are already utilising his expertise to complement our clients’ ongoing and forthcoming campaigns to give them that essential competitive edge in the online marketplace.”

As would be expected, the training and examination took place online via the Adwords Learning Centre, which uses a special testing program and blocks access to other programs while the exam is taking place.

The examination, entailing 120 exam questions over the course of two hours with a minimum 85% pass rate, was in addition to managing and maintaining at least one existing Google Adwords campaign during a 90 day period.

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It’s everywhere, inescapable. In every news outlet, in every country of the world (sometimes as a front page story), Facebook privacy settings are changing once again. That fact in itself is practically a landmark in the importance of social networking sites, but that’s a different blog post.

So you may be thinking, as I’m sure quite a lot of Facebook’s almost 500 million registered users are, what exactly is going on?

Not so long ago Facebook changed their privacy settings to allow users granular access to their privacy settings, to control exactly who can see what, when, where and in what context. Personally I thought this was a marvelous idea, and the first thing I did was set everything to private. Job done, straightforward and spelled out for you there in black and white.

Unfortunately this spelled trouble for people who found the level of control to be overwhelming and confusing, and after a few privacy gaffes (including a few choice comments from Mark Zuckerberg himself) and millions of users threatening to delete or abandon their accounts, Facebook have caved to the pressure and are rolling out a simpler, one click approach to privacy controls. But what exactly does this mean?

- There is now the equivalent of a big red flashy button. Facebook explains: “A new simple control makes it easy to share on Facebook with friends, friends of friends or everyone—all with just one click. The corresponding settings are immediately applied and displayed in an easy-to-understand grid.”

So there you have it, to change your privacy levels, one click. Bang, and you’re done.

- Fortunately (at least from my point of view) the granular privacy access controls will remain as an option. These now appear on a single page in your settings panel and any changes apply account wide, from your wall to any applications you might use Facebook connect with. This applies to all your information. Perfect for those that like to control (and don’t mind taking responsibility for) their own privacy settings.

- The amount of information that is available on your profile, such as gender, age, job, relationship status etc will be reduced and is also controllable by the end-user.

- Facebook pages will “have privacy settings that work for both ends of the connection”. Meaning that you can now hide what pages you like from friends and connections, and also on the fan box on the pages themselves.

- You can now opt out of your information sharing on platform applications.

Following the raging debates and heated threats to leave Facebook a ghost town, the much demanded privacy settings are in the here and now. It’s difficult to strike a balance when simplicity and yet total control are your end goals, and time will tell whether this will be enough to calm the storm of angry users. Hopefully they can now go back to Farmville and Mafia Wars safe in the knowledge that their private information remains just that: private.

But then, is anything ever really private on the internet?

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Energy Efficiency in Business

RT Media, marketing branding agency based in Wimborne, proudly announced that they have attained EEiB (Energy Efficiency in Business) 2020 certification! Independent consultants assessed RT Media’s energy usage and accurately reviewed where energy was wasted, allowing corrective measures to be taken. The company committed to meet and exceed the expectations of environmental legislation, by working toward a series of targets including a minimum 10% reduction in annual energy and paper usage, to begin with eForests planted a tree on behalf of RT Media, and this single tree can offset 1 tonne of carbon emissions in its lifetime.

Mr Ross Thornley, RT Media Creative Director, “We are aware of our impact on the environment and these steps will help reduce our emissions in line with the goal of becoming carbon neutral within the next 10 years.”

As a business RT Media has always endeavoured to work with suppliers and customers who share the same environmental values and together look for solutions to improve energy efficiency in business relationships.

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Richard Webley Digital Projects Account Executive

Strategic brand communications agency RT Media has grown yet again.

Following last year’s growth of over 27% we are delighted to welcome Richard Webley who joined us this week as a Digital Projects Account Executive.

As a marketing graduate from the University of Exeter whose most recent role combined lecturing and research at Bournemouth University, Richard brings with him a thirst for digital technologies and a passion for all things marketing.

Having previously completed a Graduate Training Scheme at a global consumer research agency in London where he worked with a range of FMCG, media and public sector clients, Richard is extremely excited about the prospect of nurturing brands and growing businesses with RT Media.

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We have launched a new division to support companies who are serious about unlocking digital marketing and social media channels within their marketing mix.

GetShaking was brought about via the concept of people shaking hands by way of an introduction. This is, in essence, what social media allows people to do far more effectively than real-world, cross-globe travels to meet and introduce yourself.

We have a dedicated team of passionate, motivated and highly experienced marketing professionals who care about getting the right result for you! From email and internet marketing, to design and copywriting, through web development and strategic consultancy, GetShaking are the people that will help you fulfil your social media management and email marketing, ensuring success. We’d rather you went away with too many ideas and action points than not enough, because we know that communication coupled with an understanding of your business requirements are vital in getting the right marketing mix for you. We believe in marketing that builds relationships. Our focus is on your strategy and the ongoing support of that, because we know that short-term activity might get the quick sale or result, but it won’t maintain the result or lead to sustainable success or business growth.

In keeping with our unique and effective offering, E-Bob, GetShaking’s purple-faced character was developed by our in-house illustrators.

We currently have a diverse cross section of clients who are enjoying full success from our work on their internet presence. From established solicitors to experienced car body maintenance companies, all our GetShaking clients have committed to ongoing contracts as they have seen rapid results from the work we have undertaken for them.

Are you engaged in online marketing but don’t know if you have reached your maximum potential? For a limited time only, we are offering a free audit. We will look at your current online activity and evaluate the positives and highlight where there is room for improvement. The audit comes with no obligation – but will ultimately help you making the right decisions for your future activity.

Visit www.GetShaking.co.uk for more information and to arrange your free audit.

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