Digital Marketing Programme

There's a buzz in marketing circles this morning as Cambridge Marketing College launches its new Digital Marketing Programme through a website developed and managed by Viper Marketing.

The Programme includes CAM's brand new Digital Marketing Diploma and Diploma in Managing Digital Media. It also incorporates the industry benchmark CIM e-Marketing Professional Award which for a number of years has set the standard for digital marketing and communication qualifications.

The new Programme, the brainchild of Cambridge Marketing College's Principal Charles Nixon has been created online with an interactive 'mashup' of technologies to provide what is termed a 'blended learning experience'. Blended learning is all about a person using the media and learning styles of their choice to gain knowledge and experience. The Programme uses podcasts, webinars, written guides, research links, discussion forum and video to provide a rounded experience for those studying this exciting subject.

Despite the name of the College you don't have to go to Cambridge to study! The Programme is available through distance learning, with tutor support and access to the Programme's learning portal. We see this flexible style of learning as a guide to the future of training so expect more developments like this in the coming months.

Rangers from the South West

Countryside Rangers from all four corners of the South West are converging (collective noun for a gathering of Rangers? A ramble of Rangers?) for the South West Ranger Forum 2009 hosted by Viper. We've helped raise the event from a lovely informal social gathering to a lovely informal social gathering with a sprinkling of training and awareness raising.

We've given the Forum a digital focus. Hopefully we'll dispel a few myths, cure some technophobes and open some eyes to future possibilities. Rangers from Dartmoor, Exmoor, Cornwall, the south coast and Quantock are coming. Les Davies MBE is also helping out with one of his unforgettable walks in the afternoon.

More soon. If you feel left out ask me to send you the leaflet for the day. Jim@vmcg.co.uk

Social Media - DON'T Just do it!

The show of hands from today's Social Media Seminar at the Bristol Business Show was quite enlightening. 50 people present, 40 using Facebook, 30 using LinkedIn and 20 using Twitter. Just one person raised their hand to confirm they are seeing a real business benefit from using social media and online networking. The seminar outlined that the starting point to see such benefit is clear strategic thinking; matching business goals and an understanding of where target customers and prospects are using social media tools; before embarking on regular blogging, tweeting and online networking. The few who have taken this approach are already starting to see a measurable business benefit.... the rest of us should follow.

From conversations and questions after the session it is clear that there are many people who are feeling obliged to play with social media without really understanding quite why and how best to do it. Very few have thought about the real business value and are lacking in confidence to integrate social networking within their proven marketing and sales plans.

Social media can, if you wish and if it's appropriate, provide an unprecedented new channel to market creating new sales opportunities if you get it right. If you don't however it can be a case of long hours spent delving deep into your memory in an attempt to come up with something new to say, week in, week out.

We'll publish the Seminar in its entirety when the materials are available (presentation and video) so please do watch this space.... or Twitter, of course!

Future of Rural Asset Debate

This important event in the 2009 calendar is targeted at members of the local, regional and national policy and practice community with an interest in rural affairs.

The conference will be opened by Sir Don Curry, Chair of the Sustainable Farming and Food Delivery Group and author of the influential Curry Report.

Several rural research and policy papers will be presented throughout the day, cohering around the themes of Localism in the 21st Century, the Future of Rural Policy in the UK and Europe and Rural Assets: What’s the interest?

The conference is being held in the prestigious Queens Hotel in central Cheltenham on October 21st 2009.The delegate day rate is £100.00, which includes lunch and refreshments. You can secure your place at the conference now by booking online via the University of Gloucestershire Online Store

To find out more http://www.ccri.ac.uk/Events/PolicyConference2009.htm

Got an iPhone? Try Marketing Apps

Marketing Apps on the Apple iPhone are the latest craze in keeping up to date with news, views and latest trends in the world of marketing. It’s simple, you just pick up your iPhone, go to App Store and search ‘Marketing’. Here are some Apps you might like to try out…

Marketing Forecast (Ad-ology Research) = FREE

Designed for strategic advertisers and marketers, Marketing Forecast provides a continuous stream of forward-looking marketing and consumer insights from Ad-ology Research and other top research firms. Four distinct channels collect the latest forecasts, news and recent Tweets targeted to those responsible for: Advertising, Brand Marketing, Digital Marketing and Consumer Spending. Video podcasts highlight the latest marketing research and consumer surveys from Ad-ology Research

Marketing Master (Simpaddico) = £0.59

A basic jargon and terminology flash card toolkit. Learn over 150 terms and parlance for Marketers. Search, shuffle and test yourself. Ideal for those new to marketing or taking Introductory Certificate

PRWeb Breaking News (PR Web) = FREE

Stay on top of breaking news from companies and organisations around the world with this leading online newswire focusing on marketing and advertising. 30,000 companies release news through PRWeb and this App aggregates them all on your iPhone

Mashable - The Social Media Guide (Mashable) - FREE

A place for tips, how-tos and the latest information about social media for web users, brands, news organisations, marketers and charities. Well respected and well informed

iNews (GDIPlus) - £1.19

Technically more of a news reader than a specific marketing feed but helpful and fully featured news reader with adjustable fonts. Tag news wires, favourite broadcasters, blogs and more in one integrated App

MarketingProfs (MarketingProfs) - FREE

Skim mini articles in 60 seconds in this marketing digest covering topics as broad as B2B Marketing, Buyer Insight, Email, Marketing Inspiration, SEO and Small Business

That’s your starter for 10…. are you using an App we haven’t covered? Please post it here and share it with everyone… And if you don’t have an iPhone…. well, what are you waiting for!?

Best way to think about your website

Change your way of thinking about your website. Treat it like an employee:

• It has a specific set of tasks to perform, writing a job spec for your website is no bad idea!
• It needs a development plan if it is to continue to perform at its best
• It needs regular updates to stay current – like a training plan
• It relies on input from various other team members to do its job
• Not everyone will like it all of the time

A website has a permanent, full time, role in your business: many treat it as a self-contained project – with beginning, a middle and (even more worryingly) an end. You wouldn’t recruit someone and think that, once they’d signed the contract, their job was complete or that they’d stay exactly the same as the day they walked through the door. You shouldn’t think the same of your website.

A person comes to your company with some skills and knowledge, but over time they will gain more specific knowledge about your company, and become more skilled as they learn on the job or undergo formal training and development. A website is just the same – however well conceived and delivered, it is only when real people start to interact with it that you’ll know what really works, and what doesn’t, on your site. Through reviewing analytics and undertaking user testing and feedback, you will be able to constantly refine and improve your website’s performance. Which brings me to performance… you’re likely to set of minimum performance standards for your staff, have you done the same for your website? And, do you have the tools to measure against those standards.

And of course, things change. Think also of a scenario in which your employee’s area of the business is subject to some sort of change (legal, environmental, new product, etc.) – they’ll need to adapt and respond. Your website is no different. Just because it was beautiful when you launched it, it may not be in a new context. What’s more, this is technology we’re talking about. The tech big boys work to a circa 6 month product development cycle – the pace of change is fast and furious. If your website is to stay current, you’ll need to keep an eye out for the new trends, like Twitter, Tag Clouds, etc… and whatever is just around the corner.

But, it many ways it is even better than an employee:

• It never sleeps
• It doesn’t take holiday.
• It won’t sue you if you change its role or replace it with a new one

Useful people management techniques you can apply to your website:

• Write it a job specSet a basic salary (hosting, support, regular updates)
• Set a commission plan (invest a percentage of the revenue it delivers back into traffic generation and improvements)
• Have a weekly one-to-one (update content, check stats)
• Conduct a monthly review (stats, performance targets, etc)
• Conduct a quarterly appraisal – consider a 360 appraisal where you get feedback from all usersSet a ‘training’ budget – essential updates, spring cleaning, new features

What is YOUR Occupassion

Occupassion... there's an interesting concept as many of us start back after summer holidays. The beginning of September for many gives you that 'back to school' feeling. The long sunny days of summer (outside the UK of course!) are a distant memory and misty mornings coupled with heavy work schedules aren't always the most invigorating start to each day.

But it really doesn't have to be this way. If you aren't combining your occupation with your passion then perhaps this is time to start believing that you really could. There are always 101 reasons why you think you cannot actually live an 'occupassion' (defined as an occupation combined with a passion). Mortgage payments, the risk of failure, peer and family pressure to do the 'sensible thing'.

For just one morning though, at the start of the autumn, take a little time to stop and pause and just wonder what it might be like if you actually made the change. Imagine every morning being motivated to see what the day has in store? What are YOUR passions? Not someone else's view of what working and leisure life might be.... yours? Could there, if you are really thinking creatively and positively, be a way of living the dream? Is it a dream? Or could you change it into reality?

What's YOUR occupassion?

(Thanks to Rachel for the idea of Occupassion.... someone who lives her Occupassion every day)