Spark into Marketing

Latest WordPress update (3.1) called Reinhardt

February 28th, 2011 · Inspiration, Technology

Image via Wikipedia

WordPress release 3.1 Reinhardt

I am about to check out the latest WordPress release but have been distracted by the fact that it is called Reinhardt. How wonderful that the people at wordpress like music!

I am so delighted that it is called Reinhardt (after Django Reinhardt) that I have spent some happy time on You Tube and found video of Django and Stephane Grapelli playing in 1939 in the Hot Club of Paris / Hot Club of France days. Wonderful stuff and exciting to see them in action (with cigarette in mouth.)

As well as playing wonderful music Django Reinhardt had a disability with his left hand which you can see in the picture which just makes his choice of career a complete inspiration. He was assumed to be French in fact he was Belgian by birth. He came in for a lot of criticism from many quarters at the time because of his gypsy background although now – 102 years after his birth, it can be hard to understand.

Back to WordPress….

Why would you need to update WordPress?

Only if you have your blog on your own domain name on WordPress.org. As a precaution it is better to take a back up, and I do know people who always wait until the latest release is bedded down. The thing to remember about wordpress is that it is open source (free) software contributed to by volunteers. This latest release from WordPress follows hot on the heels of the previous update which improved security.

How do I update?

It is simple. Just click “update” and follow the screen status updates until it is done.

Update to WordPress 3.1

If your blog name is followed by the words “wordpress.com” you do not need to update as you are simply taking space and your blog is being looked after (hosted) on the wordpress.com site.

Which is better? WordPress.org or wordpress.com?

WordPress.org is superior because you have your own domain name. Because it is your own property you could sell it at some point. Ultimately you are more a master of your destiny. However you do need a 1. choose a domain name, 2. buy it 3. have it hosted.

Which is quicker and slightly easier? WordPress.org or wordpress.com?

WordPress.com. If you operate in a defined niche and already have status this may be fine. Your audience may not know the difference anyway. You don’t have to do updates and site statistics are included. If technology is likely to hold you back go with the simpler option so you get going. You can upgade later but readers will have to make the transition with you. Renowned marketing thinker and guru Seth Godin does not have his blog on his own domain.

→ No CommentsTags:Wordpress

Women in business – less confidence than men?

February 22nd, 2011 · Bit of a Rant

50% of women in business admitted feelings of self-doubt in a recent survey compared to only 31% of men.

Self employed women in business gain from support

The survey by the Institute of Leadership and Management was asking about ambition and gender at work. Some of the findings indicated that women are holding themselves back…and not a glass ceiling created by a male-dominated culture.

Obviously what the survey could not validate was whether feeling less confident equated with a poor performance in reality. But this has to be the question. Maybe those who are aware of self doubt simply have higher standards?

People with more imagination can imagine things going wrong, while those with less do not anticipate problems. In fact the fear can be part of the experience. The really scary thing can be what is important. To quote uber marketer and thinker Seth Godin “if it scares you that is the signal that you should do it” on David Siteman Garland’s interview

I find that many female small business owners are honest enough to admit to feelings of lack of self confidence.

Sometimes they cannot see what is special about themselves, sometimes those qualities have not yet been validated with money and status so seem unimportant, and sometimes they need inspiration or challenge.

However once they get support and validation, they go on to take risks and realise their potential.

And of course the great advantage of being self employed is that nobody else is making the rules about the priorities between work and home life.

→ No CommentsTags:female entrepreneur·small business·women

Book lovers turning to Kindle?

January 31st, 2011 · Technology, Words

: Image via Wikipedia

Are you a book lover? Does the smell, the feel of the book in your hand, the joy of just looking at the covers please you even before you have read a word? If yes, you are definitely a book lover. Me too.

Have you bought a Kindle? Or have decided against one on principle?

As a book lover I am reluctant to spend even more time in front of a screen. Computers and TV’s seem to take up far too much of my time, so I have not – so far – been persuaded to get a Kindle or one of its alternatives.

However many of my book loving friends are enjoying theirs – and say they are easy to read. Of course as a reader it is always a problem to know what or how many books to pack to go on holiday – and whether they justify their weight.

I was at my neighbours’ house when they had the “book talk” before their recent three week holiday. After a big discussion she (a non-reader) felt that 8 was the maximum number of books it was fair for her husband to take in their baggage. He (voracious reader) thought that was reasonable, but had real difficulty prioritising. Another point of negotiation was what to do with the books once read. She was keen that he simply left them behind once he had read them, but he as a book lover could not bear to be parted from the book itself, and argued passionately that he had to bring them home.

I followed this up when they got back, and apparently 8 was the perfect number, and yes he brought them all home, and their holiday was a great success! I am not sure that a Kindle would have made life easier in their case as the books were important in themselves. But we can all change and maybe a Kindle could solve the issue next time.

E books outsold physical books in the last quarter of last year on Amazon, so many people are changing their reading habits – and not just for holidays. E readers are far more commonly seen on commuter trains and the Tube, and likely to become even more popular.

Many ebooks are information products which have been sold on the web at a far higher price than is possible with a printed book. The big change may be cheaper fiction ebooks, and shorter stories.

Ereaders are encouraging reading of the short story. One publisher, Fourth Estate, has teamed up with the Sunday Times to produce Fast Fiction – a downloadable short story for 99p. The market for print short stories has never been strong in the UK, although more economically viable in the US so this could be a great way to revive the genre. It fits, of course with our shorter attention span and need for immediacy.

There are some wonderful short stories by well-known writers which are not so well known as their major works, but could be a fantastic introduction. “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens is one that I particularly enjoy. Once you have the Kindle you have access to many classics and digitised out of print books completely for free. I think I am talking myself into getting a Kindle.

→ 1 CommentTags:books·ebooks

Advertising Standards Authority to become website watchdog

January 21st, 2011 · Marketing

The Advertising Standards Authority is to become the industry watchdog for websitesp from March 1st 2011.

They will be watching for advertising that is not legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Advertising Standards Authority

One of the subjects of the ad campaign highlights the companies we love to hate who advertise a very low air fare, and then build in layer upon layer of additional expense. So the £ 39 airfare can double or triple by the time that the return journey, check in, insurance, baggage handling – and goodness knows what else is loaded into the price.

Find out more about the ASA

It won’t just be big business who is affected. Even small and medium sized businesses who are already legal, honest, decent and truthful may find additional transparency is required. In the USA last year’s changes from the FTC – the regulatory body – have meant that internet marketers are openly declaring affiliate links that might result in financial gain, as well as providing disclaimers for earnings opportunities.

Time to re-appraise wording on websites.

→ No CommentsTags:Internet Marketing·language

Do spelling mistakes matter in emails, websites and online reports?

January 21st, 2011 · Words

I have often been told that spelling mistakes don’t matter on the internet because it means that the email, website, or report is written by a real human being. Real human beings have flaws and therefore the occasional flaw helps to build credibility.

There is no hard and fast rule these days as spelling mistakes used to matter more than they do now. If spelling mistakes matter to you and your audience then it is a good idea to check and double check that they don’t appear. If your customers are perfect spellers they may find it difficult to trust you if you make some obvious – and key – mistakes.

A good test is to ask yourself how you would feel if a spelling mistake in your website, email or report is pointed out to you?

If you feel nothing more than mild surprise it probably didn’t matter, anyway. Some of us can spot spelling mistakes at a hundred paces and some – even if not dyslexic – would never see them.

On one occasion I found a spelling mistake in the heading of a friend’s business email and let him know so it could be amended for the future. He said 6 of them had studied the email before giving it the OK..they had been looking for mistakes but didn’t see them.

Another time I remember being asked to SING not SIGN up for technical WordPress blog information. When I remarked on this in a conversation later the site owner said it had been like that for 3 years and nobody had commented before. The audience hadn’t noticed, and probably didn’t care if they had. (Actually it could have been more interesting to sing than sign up – I did feel mildly disappointed!).

But a good professional reputation is earned through attention to detail as well as the big picture. Spelling a really important word wrong could do damage. I did find a site talking about ROUGE traders not ROGUE traders which turned a serious business proposal into comedy. I have also recently seen FUNITURE not FURNITURE and PHOTOGRAHY not PHOTOGRAPHY.

Spelling mistakes (also called typos) can often creep in especially if you have been working on something for a long time. After a while you cannot tell if it is spelt correctly or not. Computer spell checkers can add to the confusion if you are not a good speller and may be set for a different region than the one you want. The key is to

take a break from it, and come back fresh,
get another person to read it through.

Some spellings are correct in one region and uncommon in another. Here in the UK I think we are more tolerant of US spelling because we are used to seeing it. I have just written a website and deliberately chosen to spell “install” in the US way rather than “instal”. The double l just looks better, but I pointed it out to my client because their literate UK audience may notice.

There are many common words which are spelt differently CENTER (US) or CENTRE (UK), ANALYZE or ANALYSE, CURB or KERB, even ADVISOR or ADVISER seems to divide across the Atlantic.

There is no right answer. Once the proof-reading is done, the only question worth asking is does it matter to your audience?

→ 5 CommentsTags:language

World Internet Summit – the …. guy or gal?

November 29th, 2010 · Branding, Words

World Internet Summit came to London earlier this month. I have been wanting to go for some time, and was pleased to be there at last.

As a marketer I am always interested in how events and people communicate their brand. Quite apart from the training (which I will save for another post) I did have two overwhelming impressions even before the first speaker spoke the first word. The list of speakers was announed on a video screen, and I watched in amazement as man after man was announced.

All the speakers were men. Every single one.

Once I had got over that, I was intrigued by the one-liner underneath each picture. In the vast majority of cases the speaker was presented as the expert in a particular aspect of internet marketing which was briefly described, followed by the word “guy”. So we had the webinar guy.. the easy cash projects guy.. the lead generation guy etc.

What a nice easy word “guy” is. It sounds warm and approachable but with a hint of ruggedness and reliability. It is more relaxed than “man” and even “gentleman”.

Even if there had been female speakers wall to wall what is the equivalent modern word for women? I don’t think there is one . Which is why there is a whole slew of “divas” and “queens” and goddesses”. There simply isn’t a relaxed word. “Gal” or Girl is OK for someone younger, Chick can give the wrong impression, Lady is very formal, Woman sounds too dull.

C’mon guys ( I mean women / gals / you gorgeous ladies what can we call ourselves?

→ No CommentsTags:Internet Marketing

Entrepreneurs give money and time to charity

November 15th, 2010 · Inspiration

A new study of 150 entrepreneurs in the USA revealed that companies led by entrepreneurs give twice as much profit to charity compared with other large organisations. So the entrepreneur is not a Scrooge-like figure but a creator of wealth, who gives back.

The study revealed that “nine in 10 (89 percent) entrepreneurs donate money, both personally and through their companies, to support charitable causes, while 70 percent also donate their time. The majority (61 percent) of respondents believe that being an entrepreneur makes them more inclined to give to charity. Whether corporate or personal, entrepreneurs view “giving back” as an opportunity rather than an obligation.”

This is very welcome news right now in Global Entrepreneurship Week. In addition to highlighting the get-up-and-go of business owners who can create wealth for themselves, employees and suppliers it looks as though charities are also directly benefiting.

Making money for money’s sake is often not the most powerful motivator for business people. Helping people, making a difference, doing work that you love and being free to make your own choices are often the more powerful drivers. Giving time and money to a worthwhile cause is a great way to make a real concrete difference.

Business people are often portrayed as tough on television. Think “The Apprentice” which is mostly about competition. But we also have programmes such as “The Secret Millionaire” where rich business people go under cover and volunteer to work with charities, and at the end of the programme reveal their true identity and usually make a financial donation.

It all helps to make running your own business more of a career choice for people whose priority is to care about others, not themselves.

Entrepreneurs donate to charities – money and time

November 14th, 2010 · Inspiration, Uncategorized

: Image via Wikipedia

Entrepreneurs have often been viewed as having to be tough and ruthless in order to be successful in business. “The Apprentice” is a prime example.

A recent survey in the USA demonstrates a more caring and committed side to entrepreneurs. The survey of nearly 150 CEOs and founders reveals that nine in 10 (89 percent) of entrepreneurs donate money, both personally and through their companies, to support charitable causes. Plus 70 percent also donate their time.

Here in the UK the image of entrepreneurs as generous creators of wealth is helped by programmes such as “The Secret Millionaire” where millionaire business people go under cover and act as volunteers for charities. They have to live locally and find charities they can support. In nearly every case they become involved with the cause and willingly donate. The final reveal of their status is often very moving.

Entrepreneurs are top of the agenda this week in Global Entrepreneurship Week.. and as corporates continue to shed people it could be that entrepreneurship is the solution to many of the world’s financial problems.

→ No CommentsTags:entrepreneurs

Hallowe’en – start of the new year

October 28th, 2010 · Inspiration

: Image via Wikipedia

The pagan new year starts here .. at Hallowe’en. So if you feel like a brand new start it could be the ancient memories coming to the surface.

Samhaim (prounounced Sowen) is the Celtic festival at the end of October which became Christianised. November 1st became known as and All Saints Day (All Hallows -Holy) but the day before retained its pagan origins and was known as the evening before All Hallows.

Mexicans have the Day of the Dead at the same time when those who have died are remembered. It has got nothing to do with scaring people out of their wits and is more a celebration of life.

The origins of Hallowe’en are explained here. But to be honest, your prospects and customers may be more familiar with the “trick or treat” approach, so why don’t you give them a trick or treat experience? Use the festival to deliver a message that is relevant to them, and give them a choice of something enjoyable or scary!

→ No CommentsTags:

Spark into Marketing with our newsletter
Name:
Email:
Yes I want marketing ideas now!

Spark into Marketing

Small business marketing ideas and inspiration

Latest WordPress update (3.1) called Reinhardt

February 28th, 2011 · Inspiration, Technology