AddingValue Blog

By Randle Stonier
CEO, AddingValue


What Twitter provides and then some, a few thoughts from us:-
 

• “An alternative medium that lets you listen widely and communicate specifically.”
•  “Transparency ensures people don’t hear the anonymous body corporate but listen to a specific individual making the engagement more personal.”
•  “A place to share and consume where you can cut out the clutter and focus on the rich and relevant.”
•  “A real-time search engine that lets you filter by specific sources of your choice and that you value saving you time and making the results richer and more relevant.”
•  “A medium for listening and analysing that’s succinct, incisive and often rewarding.”
•  “A traffic generator, helping to build your network of followers, prospective customers and promotional participants.”
•  “A means to meet new people, to create new connections that helps expand your network.”
•  “A way to talk about what you are doing right now, a feedback mechanism and a vehicle for discussion.”

And richer thoughts from them:-

5 ways I benefit from Twitter

50 ideas on using Twitter for business

Research by Vanson Bourne in 2009 surveyed around 500 SMEs and estimates 700,000 UK small businesses are now using Twitter (i.e. 1 in 6 of the total UK SME population):-

Nearly one in five (17%) SMEs surveyed said they were tweeting regularly, with more than a quarter (28%) of those signing up over the last 4 weeks.

According to the research marketing and recruitment cost savings are cited as the main benefits of the much hyped micro-blogging service.  One in ten firms claim to have saved £5,000 by using Twitter and nearly a third £1,000.

In addition to the 74% who highlight cost savings and marketing advantages, small businesses found the service useful for keeping in touch with customers and suppliers (42%), monitoring competitors (34%) and generally feeling the benefit of being connected to other small companies (28%).

The simplicity of Twitter may also be seen as a plus.  Four in ten say they are using it more than either LinkedIn or Facebook.

A video guide on how to get started on twitter – signing up and setting up.

 

Climate change aside, let’s face it, the world is changing fast…

Our client lexicon incorporates Web 2.0 stuff as a matter of necessity. But already words, expressions and thoughts like blogs, wikis, Feedburner - the RSS feed creator, Ajax driven websites, podcasts and vodcasts, the PingoMatic weblog ping tool, the WordPress blogging tool, Technorati’s blog monitoring tool and the LinkedIn social network plus Digg, Reddit, MySpace, Twitter, FaceBook and del.icio.us are.... so yesterday. Now we’re talking mico-blogging, Pownce, Netvibes and PageFlakes but by the time you read this, they will also be so passé.

As quickly as we assimilate and take advantage of new technologies, the challenge for us as professionals is that something else is roaring down the pipe-line in that nano second of a heart beat.

It’s the era of rapid prototyping and rapid change. Dip in, mess around, try a few things, get the guys all playing, learn quickly and move on.

This is not a time to be faint hearted.

By Randle Stonier
CEO, AddingValue

Blinked and then thought, strewth, we've not added anything to the website for yonks. Classic website dilemma. Loadsa work and not enough time, cobblers shoes and all that. So, time for a quick update.

In the last 2 months we've had more eulogies from the beloved clients than we can shake a stick at! Thanks clients, we love it, Bring it on.

The year has come and gone in a blink. It's been Mont Blanc pens all round for the gang here at the ranch to mark the old birthday. It was a nice way to end it having won a big competitive pitch for another new client, HBOS (Halifax and Bank of Scotland rock) and produced a conference for The Scottish Executive and the Education Minister, only the week before.

Then it's been full steam ahead into our brand spanking new offices in Twickenham. We've never had it so good. Luxury. Starbucks and M&S within 50m - we'd better large it on the skinnies otherwise the waistlines will be feeling the strain. Hope to welcome you all here soon.
On the 1st July, we launch the dog's spheroids of a 10 week online promotion for BlackBerry Pearl and Vodafone, targeting SMEs and sophisticates, complete with a brilliant viral campaign and a not inconserable ATL spend through national press, key verticals, banner ads and email marketing. It can't be bad, the Tahiti Tourist Board asked if we could do some work for them on the strength of it. Mmmm, I suspect the boss will insist on personally taking that brief.

Still keeping our hands in, the same week we launch a brand new product for March Solicitors - Fixed Cost Divorce, with a sizeable radio campaign, online ads, a further development of the website and a pretty hefty DIY online wizard. Professional services and law firms are us. :)) We even had the client on the phone saying the enquiry levels and appointments were going crazy. Almost thought it was a complaint. Phew.

That's all for now folks. Hope you're still awake. Stay safe 'til next time.
 
By Randle Stonier
CEO, AddingValue