In truth, if you are following best practice and trying to be honest about your website and relevance there shouldn’t be too much change. The update has been placed primarily to counter webspam.

Poor SEO techniques such as the following will be hit…

Low-quality links including unnatural inbound links and a high number of site-wide inbound links. Google are also looking at aggressive internal linking patterns with excessive links from low-quality sites. Google are frowning upon low-quality directory listings and article marketing with keyword stuffing (rightly so), along with overuse and exact match of anchor text, and low anchor text diversity.

In short those who chase aggressive ranking may be affected, however those would want to produce quality content which is relevant to their site and business which leads to the site being authoritative will be rewarded.

Matt Cutts, Head of Google’s Webspam team said ”We are trying to detect when someone is an authority in a specific space and trying to make those authorities rank higher”.

The below is a video which was rolled out to give more information on what SEOs should expect in the coming months:

As part of the update Google also rolled out a Penguin Spam Report form. Which is there to help counter against WebSpam. If you come across any spam, fill out the form and Google will check it out!

3 Ways to become an authoritative site:

1. Invest in quality content for both your site content and for your outbound content marketing. It’s not about quantity it’s about quality. Remember content comes in all shapes, and the right medium for your customers should be used to make your content effective. Look at articles, blogs, white papers, infographics, video, and interactive pieces. At D&W we invest a significant amount of time into content creation for our clients.
2. Content distribution and syndication is key. Ensure you have a strategy to effectively market your message and content to the right people, sites and businesses. Ensure you are creating “relationships” not just links. In fact did you know the majority of our time within SEO is spent creating relationships with businesses over the phone and email, taking an active interest in relevant partners/sites to share content and work with on behalf of our clients.
3. Drive engaging traffic to your site. This is an important metric, the focus on “engaging”. Anyone can drive traffic to a site however Google is now looking at the user engagement. How many visited? How many pages did they visit? How long did they spend on the site? How many bounced? Social also has a part to play by looking at the social share metrics.

For more information on our SEO services or to speak to one of our consultants call us on 0161 946 3851

Take a look and make sure your business isn’t missing out on content marketing and how to achieve the best results …

The attribution of the infographic goes to www.demandmetric.com

In no less than 19 days, the doors of the Olympia Grand London will open once again for Europe’s favourite premier marketing event as it becomes host to an impressive line-up of forward thinking marketers and digital innovators and yes, you guessed it Digital & Wise will be there!

If you’re attending MWLive2013, or have been contemplating it, then we highly recommend the visit and we look forward to seeing you there. D&W have been a part of the show for a number of years and we love throwing ourselves into it and ensuring we showcase our brand and our love for digital. This year we have increased the size of our stand to ensure we have plenty of room to welcome anyone who wishes to stop by and have a chat, we really value our community.

To find out more about the Marketing Week Live they have a website dedicated to help you find out all you need to know here. It includes all the conference speaker sessions, the different zones, how to register and even how to book a meeting whilst you’re there.

Some of our highlights from last year include all the amazing people we met (our recorded footfall was very impressive hence why we went bigger this year), avoiding the lone bird that flew around on day 1 (managing to somehow target our carpet and stand), attending some of the key speaker sessions and shaking hands with some of our all time super hero’s (see below) … Oh and we always enjoy the team bonding that comes when we take ourselves out of the office and have some quality evenings together, we really do have such a great team  (of course I’m biased but we like to think our clients and partners would feel the same too)!!

After a successful 2012, D&W are focusing our efforts on making 2013 even bigger and better. Look out for us on stand A215 in the Digital & Data Zone and pop along to the talks by George Ioannou throughout both days.

The Marketing Week Live exhibitor page offers more details and we welcome you to visit our new D&W website to find out more about who we are and what we do, here.

Come and follow us on Twitter @DigitalandWise and keep up to date with all the MWLive2013 tweets. You can also follow our MW Live List to see all the real-time updates from the key speakers and brands.

If you attend this year’s show then D&W would love the opportunity to meet you, you are welcome to come over to our stand, A215, at any time and we may even have some little treats for those who do!!

We asked Geoff about his experiences and what he thought made a great news story and we are delighted to have the opportunity to share his thoughts with you in our post below. Geoff gives his point of view as a TV producer but it’s also interesting to hear his opinions on social media and it’s well earned position as a great news source – when it’s used correctly.

“The horrific events in Woolwich prompted wall-to-wall coverage in the days following the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby.

The events brutality and unexpectedness, followed by the emotional response of the victims family, made this a compelling news event.
Yet it was the chilling words of Michael Adebolajo spoken into the lens of a mobile phone camera that will be cemented in the nation’s memory.

Stepping back from the emotionally charged substance of the story, there are lessons here in what makes a piece of TV news journalism.

Pictures are at the heart of every TV news report, and with mobile phones being now near ubiquitous, a breaking news event of such drama will seldom be short of “user generated content” to illustrate it.

When seeking coverage on TV news outlets, marketers and PR professionals must likewise think in pictures. What will a journalist point a camera at? After the presenter has read the introduction, what piece of footage is going to make a viewer think “Wow, I’m going to stick with this for the next few minutes”.

In technology, my specialism, the suggested answer is often to use graphics. The problem is that when a viewer sees computer generated graphics, the story seems so distant and intangible as to be irrelevant. A story told entirely using graphics is extremely unlikely to get commissioned. Viewers want to see how a story impacts upon the real world, and preferably a real person.

This bring me to the second essential ingredient for TV news – “real people”. One of the reasons Adebolajo’s words were so striking that he seemed so real, so cogent that viewers could imagine having sat next to him on a bus or queuing behind him in a cafe.

Humans are more interested in news stories in which they see their fellow humans, without it there is no empathy in the story. For marketers, this means finding case studies, victims, business owners, real people who can explain how the issue impacted upon them.

It should be obvious from the above that the bar for TV news is high. Even in a 50 minute program like Channel 4 News, there is only room for a half a dozen or so packaged reports. Your client is going to have to fight for space, and will often lose.

In the world of web publishing, there’s no reason why outlets like Channel 4 News should be the sole focus. Using channels like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, marketers can control the message, build an audience and gain far more reliable metrics and feedback than they can from TV coverage. You can also decide your launch date, so that you can hold back for a quieter time when your message won’t be drowned out.”

We couldn’t agree more with Geoff. News has dramatically evolved in our lifetime and we must appreciate the role that social media is now playing within the industry whilst also continuing to note that TV still plays a massive part in bringing key news in a digestible form. No longer must we wait to hear reports 24 hours after an event has occurred in the daily newspaper. Not only do we hear the views of one single reporter. We hear live stories covered by real people in real time and news is more powerful and prominent within our everyday life than ever before.

Think about the last time that you heard a piece of news and remember who it came from and where you read it? We have a lot to be thankful for. Not only does the way we now review news feed our human desire to be nosey it also serves the opportunity to hear any significant warnings or alerts . The people who work tirelessly to bring us all the relevant news on our TV screens, like Channel 4, and the wealth of information that smartphones allow us to access. From mobile news apps that notify us of breaking news stories to our very own social media accounts.

Our special thanks go to Geoff for taking the time to write and share his thoughts with Digital & Wise.

The show first began in 2005 offering one successful candidate the opportunity of a lifetime and the chance to be Alan Sugar’s Apprentice; the definition of apprentice being ‘a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages’. Despite being £100,000-a-year job there was frustration and acclaimed exploitation from the winners so the prize changed in 2011. The stakes were raised and a promise of a £250,000 investment was made to the successful candidates business.
It’s a prize worthy of only the best business minds, so, to be worthy of such a prize the contestants must continue to demonstrate that they’re not only capable of creating and running an effective, successful business but, perhaps more importantly capable of being the best business partner!

So, we bring you our top 8 business tips that we have taken from The Apprentice:

1. Accountability: Let’s start simple by saying ‘take responsibility for your actions’! We all probably think we do this but, after watching the show and seeing it from the outside, it has allowed us to witness just how much business & pressure can make us push the blame on to others, without us even meaning or realising! So, if you make a mistake, be honest and you’ll build up respect from those around you.

2. Learn from your mistakes: It’s a crucial step in a business; to learn lessons and learn them quick!! As we advance in both business and character we’ll continue to make mistakes; it’s a part of our growth and development. However, the key to success is to step back and learn from the experience! Lessons you gain from the mistakes of your own and others will be invaluable. Just ensure you do not make the same mistake again… lessons learnt stay learnt!!

3. Leadership: Both on the show and in real life, leadership is key!! You need to accept your position, role and circumstances. Delegate and create responsibilities for other people according to the tasks, deadlines, strengths & weaknesses, ensuring that the work moves along efficiently & smoothly. Remember great leaders create great businesses!!

4. Humility: Be ready to trade in your tailored suits for overalls and put in some hard graft!! This rule seriously comes into play in business!! People buy from real people!! Be approachable to staff, colleagues and customers!! Concentrate on being the right partner instead of trying to find the right partner. Becoming the right person and creating the right relationships is what business is all about. Work on being the right business partner/company rather than searching for it in the others!!

5. Loyalty: Although the show is competitive and in most ways seen as ‘dog eat dog’ it is still important to hold loyalty within business and not be quick to throw others under the bus. Speaking negatively about companies, colleagues or employees will do nothing good but alienate the people around you and question whether you are someone good to work for or with.

6. Teamwork: We’re all guilty at times of thinking we are the only ones capable of getting the job done and then end up taking on everyone else’s work too. However, when you’re in a team you must work together! It’s not cool to hide the scissors or accidentally schedule in the wrong time in a diary. It’s not a weakness to offer your expertise or to help others! Live by the Disney motto … ‘Teamwork makes the dream work!!’ and aim for a happily ever after ending.

7. Speak Up: Face issues directly rather than speaking behind people’s back and not doing anything about it! If you don’t agree with something or have a further comment to bring to the table, grow a pair and bring it up!! Unfortunately, the best ideas are sometimes never heard. It is good to voice your thoughts and let ideas bounce around. Plus you’re more likely to become passionate about a project if you speak up!!

8. Adaptability: This is arguably one of the most important assets needed to make it in the business world. Industries change on a constant basis so it’s vitally important that you can keep on top of it, and take advantage of it. Adaptability is also key to your longevity in business. The top business people didn’t get to where they are by staying in the past; these people moved with the times and became more successful because of it!

Image Credit – Daily Mirror

To put it quite simply, there is no one quite like Beckham. He was a world class footballer in his prime, a dedicated athlete right until the end of his career, a staunch patriot, a fashion model, a global icon and celebrity all rolled into one. David Beckham has become one of the most powerful brands in the world today and his retirement certainly won’t spell the end of that, we are merely opening a new chapter.

So let’s takes you through David Beckham’s 8 Step Guide to Building a Brand:

Stage 1 – Passion & Drive

Growing up in Leytonstone East London a young Beckham had eyes for only one thing, a football. All brands start with an idea or a drive to get somewhere. Beckham certainly had all of this in abundance. Being a fanatical Manchester United fan he set his sites on Old Trafford and achieving his dream of playing for the Manchester United first team.

Stage 2 – Take Your Market By Storm

When David Beckham returned to Manchester United in 1995 after a season long loan at Preston North End he was thrown straight into the first team. Along with five other players who had come through the youth ranks, Beckham formed an integral part of a team named “Fergie’s Fledglings”. A group of players who would form the nucleus of the Manchester United side for years to come.

Stage 3 – Go Global

If you look at any big brand, Apple, Coca Cola or Nike, they are all instantly recognisable anywhere on the planet. Beckham’s career has taken him from Manchester, to Madrid, to the Hollywood hills of Los Angeles, and to Paris via a few spells in Milan. A global superstar on every level, he probably didn’t need to play football in these far and exotic places to make a name for himself all over the globe, he had already done that. Although it didn’t do him any harm.

Stage 4 – Be a Trendsetter

Over the past 20 years the public have tuned in to watch Beckham play or sometimes just to see what his latest hairstyle will be. In his early days when he had the curtains, the kids on the street had curtains. When he shaved his locks at the beginning of the millennium it started a media frenzy that he could never of imagined. Next up, was the infamous mohican which despite being quite a strange style prompted kids and adults alike to get to the barbers and ask for a mohican.

Beckham has been the ultimate trend setter of the last 20 years, whatever he was wearing, people would copy him. I remember as a kid playing Sunday league football and fighting with my friends and teammates over who would wear the number 7 shirt! Why? Because that was the number Beckham wore. As his career progressed kids all over the world fought over the number 23 and 32 shirts.

Stage 5 – Get Into Bed With Other Brands

Excuse the pun in the title, but it is true that having strong partnerships with other big brands can be hugely important to your growth. In 1997 Beckham started dating one fifth of the biggest girl group in the world. Victoria Adams or “Posh Spice” as she was known to the world. The couple built a brand within a brand and were dubbed by the media as simply “Posh and Becks”. Everything about their lives together was being watched with a close eye by the public and media. From the names of their four children, to their famously named home in Hertfordshire “Beckingham Palace”. The two of them together seem an unstoppable force and with their children growing up, I think the world has a lot more to come from the Beckham family.

Stage 6 – Grow Your Brand Into New Areas

Once you’ve conquered one market, what do you do next? Well obviously you conquer another. Football was Beckham’s most natural talent but let’s not forget everywhere else we have seen the Beckham brand pop up over the years. Beckham has had his own clothing line in some of the biggest retail stores in the world. From H&M to Marks & Spencers and Adidas his status in the fashion world has taken his brand to new heights. He is now as much a fashion icon as he is a football one. He and Posh have become sought after by fashion designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, exercise promoters, and spa and recreation businesses. Let’s not forget his multimillion pound sponsorships deals with Gillette and Pepsi, as well as having his own aftershave range. You really can’t go far without seeing the Beckham brand.

Stage 7 – Survive a Scandal

Ahh the good old scandal. Every big brand has one. Just this week we have seen Google up in court fighting charges of tax avoidance. Beckham himself has not been too far from a scandal over the years, the biggest coming in 2004 when British tabloid News of the World claimed that he had been having an affair with a former personal assistant. Beckham called the accusation “ludicrous”. Due to the enormity of the Beckham brand, people are likely to talk and create stories (true or not true). The test of character is how you react and weather the media storm whist retaining your integrity. Over the years Beckham has faced scrutiny but each time he has bounced back and seems to be stronger for it.

Stage 8 – Create a Legacy

All brands must create and leave a legacy. At 38 it remains to be seen what Beckham’s lasting legacy will be but he is certainly building one. His work with charities and fund raising has been something he has been involved in since his early days. He is a UNICEF Good Will Ambassador with a special focus on UNICEF’s Sport Development program. He is a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council and helped launch the charity in 2009 with Andy Murray at Wembley Stadium.

Perhaps one of Beckham’s crowning achievements was being part of the team that helped bring the 2012 Olympics to East London where he grew up. The sheer presence of Beckham during the bid is said to have been a key part of London landing the Olympics last summer. Pictures of Beckham cruising down the River Thames holding aloft the Olympic torch with a childish grin on his face said everything you need to know about how proud he is of his country and where he comes from.

The Future

It is perhaps unfortunate that when people look back and think about Beckham, the first thing we think of won’t be the trophies, free kicks or the superb footballing career. Instead it will be the Beckham brand people remember. The way he used himself as a marketing tool to become what he is today is quite amazing. His name is instantly recognisable around the world the same as Coca Colas

So as Beckham draws the curtain on his footballing career, his brand enters a new stage. What next? Well the honest answer to that is anything. He could try his hand at the movies, or music which judging by his wife’s voice wouldn’t be too difficult to do. Whenever Apple bring out a product people will buy it, why? Well because its Apple. Beckham is the same, anything he touches turns to gold. So now we wait, eagerly anticipating the next stage of the Beckham brand. One thing’s for sure, we wont have to look far to find it, or him!

If you enjoyed this blog you might like a previous blog of ours – 6 Leadership Skills We Can Learn From Sir Alex Ferguson.

Image Credit1 – The Times

Image Credit2 – The Guardian

Image Credit3- The Sun

Image Credit4 – Coolsmenhair

You can either choose to subscribe to the list (which will allow you to follow all the latest tweets from the speakers without becoming a direct follower), or, alternatively you can scroll down the list and add all those that you wish to check out and follow.

If you haven’t been able to attend the 2-day event this time round but are keen to hear what’s going on, come and follow @DigitalandWise for the latest news and live updates, or, if you’re lucky enough to be at the event it’d be great to chat over a coffee – just tweet us and tell us where you are and we’ll do our best to come over.

For more information on the wonderful iStrategy conferences or for a look at The Hague program online, visit the iStrategy site here.

Keep calm and carry on tweeting ….

In this blog we bring you some interesting points that will help you consider what your brand is already saying about you, determine what your competitors are achieving and help you think about your future marketing strategies.

It probably comes as no surprise that today’s society is becoming more and more image obsessed and visually demanding. Fuelled by everyday apps like Instagram and Pinterest, our inner artist/photographer is brought out of us all very easily. And when the user starts to get creative and experimental, what does that mean for the business world? Does it mean greater appreciation for graphics, design, and usability? Or, does it mean a higher expectation and necessary to step it up?

The user now demands constant creativity and wishes to see visually pleasing images and sections throughout the entire navigation of a site or platform. This demand results in colour becoming more crucial than ever. In order to catch the modern-day consumer’s attention, trust, and emotion thought must be given into what precise colour is used across every area of your online presence. Of course this is also true of your offline marketing too.

The value of colour is now an essential part of a brand’s marketing life and is no longer purely for fashion sake. Coming from a fashion design and retail background, I totally appreciate the importance that has been placed on colour. Of course we all know that in fashion there has always been a focus and pressure to get your colours right and avoid the embarrassing fashion faux pas, but fortunately with fashion it soon becomes yesterday’s news and it’s simple to overcome. However, should a brand choose the wrong colour across their website or marketing campaigns it isn’t so easily forgotten, or forgiven!!

Colours influence the mind and stimulate the senses … No brand can ignore the importance of colour!!

We recently read a blog that highlighted the reason behind why Facebook is blue. The New Yorker claims that it all originally came down to the simple fact that Zuckerberg is in fact red-green colourblind. With blue being his strongest and rishest colour this seemed the no-brainer choice, however, there is still more than meets the eye, of course!

Colour is significant in building brand awareness. We all have instinct in us that allows us to associate a particular colour towards a particular brand without even giving it much thought. Think about it … what brands do you think of when we say the colour red? And what colour do you think of when we say Coca Cola? Interesting and powerful isn’t it?!

Each colour has a unique ability to influence and persuade consumers making colour choice of paramount importance. It should always remain to be an integral and fundamental consideration within any design strategy for anything your brand does from start-up and through each and every campaign.

Colours don’t just look nice to us all in different ways, they actually set off emotions and senses within us all. The 11 basic colours are known to have universal deep rooted psychological properties, it is very interesting to spend some time looking at the different psychological properties of colours that a Google search brings up and to be honest this will give you a good understanding.

The D&W colour choice focuses on black and white with an accent colour of red…

Black = authoritative, sophisticated, elegant, seductive, glamour, secure, efficiency and dignified.

Red = passionate, strong, excited, courageous, warm and energised.

White = immaculate, neat, organised, proficient and equal.

A clever brand will not only think about what message they want their colours to portray but also think about what their customers are saying and where they are situated within the colour emotion chart.

Below we have used a colour emotion guide incorporating some of the world’s major brands to understand this whole theory …

Where does your brand currently sit? If you talked strategy and vision, where would you like your brand to sit? Do these two answers match or differ?

Now ask yourself does your brand already have the perfect colour combination, for both you and your customer? How do you know? Colour is more important than ever; it can literally make or break your brand!

In today’s digital landscape you no longer have to waste years on a trial and error approach in hope that one day you’ll achieve your future success. Multivariate testing allows you to gain all the data you need to determine what’s working and maybe more importantly what’s not working for your customer base – this can include your use of colour. Of course, if you are an established brand you wouldn’t focus your attentions on the main brand image itself, but maybe instead choose to test your overall use of colour across your digital platforms. Remember colour overkill can sometimes be as deadly as using the wrong choice of colour!

Test, target and optimise your site without limits with MVT … Find out for yourself how you could be accelerating your conversion rates with our MVT calculator here.

If you’d like to know more about MVT (multivariate testing) then please get in touch with the team at Digital & Wise who can spend some time explaining the process in more detail with you or arrange a demonstration.

1. Lead From The Front

Every organisation needs a figure head, someone to make important decisions and lead a team of people to success. Sir Alex Ferguson has been all this and more for Manchester United. He has led the players, the staff, the fans and the club for 27 years. No player has ever been bigger than the club or indeed Sir Alex himself. Sir Alex took it upon himself to develop the youth team, the coaching systems and the scouting systems and molded the club in his image. The amount of late goals and come backs over the years is no coincidence. Ferguson’s mental grit and determination flows through the club and will continue to do so long after he leaves. Be apart of your team and let your influence rub off on them.

2.Inspirational

As a leader you have to command the respect of your team. Some people are born with the ability to lead and some grow into this position. A leader’s ability to rally the troops and inspire them is an invaluable asset and something that Sir Alex Ferguson has done time and time again in his Man United career.

At the end of the game, the European Cup will be only six feet away from you and you’ll not even be able to touch it if we lose, and for many of you, that will be the closest you will ever get. Don’t dare come back in here without giving it your all Sir Alex Ferguson 1999 Champions League Final

3. The Hair Dryer

The hair dryer treatment has a universal link to Sir Alex. It has been exaggerated over the years but he was never afraid to have a go at someone for under performing. Regardless of age or how much your paycheck is worth no player was safe from get a telling off.

4. Instill Confidence In Your Team

Sometimes a little bit of encouragement and faith goes along way. At the beginning of the 1995-96 season, Man United fans were expecting major investment in the team after the sales of two or three major stars. Fergie put his faith in a team made up of youth. This prompted the famous Alan Hansen quote “You’ll never win anything with kids”. ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ as they were known went on to win an English league at cup double. He always showed faith in his teams ability and so should you. If you want to get the best out of your team, you must make them feel like they can make a difference and be the best they can be.

5. Build and Maintain Relationships

You can’t underestimate how important it is to build and maintain relationships. Sir Alex is known for having great relations with other managers from around the world. He also maintains relationships with ex staff and players. Relationships in business are vital. If you work with someone on a one off make sure you maintain the relationship you built, as you never know when you might need them again in the future.

I call him Boss because he is the boss of all managers
Jose Mourinho

6. Ability To Move With The Times

Football like most industries is ever changing. Getting stuck in the past and dwelling on it can be a leader’s greatest downfall. Over the last 27 years Ferguson has evolved and rebuilt Manchester United whilst still maintaining an incredible rate of success which has seen him win multiple league titles in three different decades. As a business if you’re not willing to move forward you will be left behind.

So as Manchester and football mourns the retirement of arguably the greatest manager ever to grace the beautiful game, don’t forget what he not only did for football but what he has taught us as a leader of a global brand at the forefront of its industry.

Think about which of these qualities you already possess and show within your role? Now think about which of these  qualities you can learn from and bring into your role to make you a more successful leader or employee?

In many aspects of life they say men are from Mars and women are from Venus but can that be said of our virtual world too? Take a moment and think about your office, your friends and even your family … It’s the battle of the sexes : Men Vs Women.

This interesting infographic highlights some of the key statistics within this debate:

Attribution of this infographic goes to InternetServiceProviders.org