On Friday the 26th April Bigfoot Digital will be spreading the creativity in the Ideas Shed at the Barnsley Digital Media Centre.
The shed is a great way of encouraging people to get away from their usual surroundings and we’re welcoming everyone to come and have a look and a chat and we’re hoping you’ll leave feeling creative and inspired.
You can find us in the shed between the hours of 10am and 3pm, and we’ll be there to discuss everything Social Media and SEO related.
We’re encouraging everyone and anyone to pop along, so if you’d like to come and think outside the box then why not book a slot with us? E-mail us at – enquiries@bigfootdigital.co.uk
Or, if you’d like to drop in remember that you can catch us between 10am-3pm!
We look forward to seeing you and to (hopefully) meeting some new faces!
We WON! Bigfoot Digital were awarded in the Best Digital Communications category sponsored by Digital Region at last Thursday’s Sheffield Star Business Awards, and what a fantastic night it was!
This year’s Star Business Awards which was hosted at Pond’s Forge International Sports Venue in Sheffield was the biggest and best yet! Bigfoot were more than delighted when we found out that we were shortlisted alongside some other digital companies from around South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.
We arrived at the venue and we were met with a string quartet and a few glasses of champagne, we took our seats alongside our friends at the Chamber of Commerce and we anxiously waited until our category was up! The nominees were announced and we could hardly contain our excitement, we thought that being shortlisted was an achievement in its own right but winning would truly be amazing! We sat there and the suspense was painful… “The winner of the Digital Communication Award goes…. to………….BIGFOOT DIGITAL” We jumped out of our seats with arms flailing and smiles as big as the Cheshire cat’s, we headed straight for the stage with our big feet trying not to wobble out of our high heels as we tried to focus on keeping balanced (not counting Mark of course! )
It was OUR Digital Communications Award and it was presented to us by Hon Norman Lamont, the judges were more than impressed with our use of next generation broadband technology in order to gain advantage in the marketplace and how we have achieved measured success for clients through social marketing channels including Facebook and Twitter.
We collected our fabulous award and posed for the flashing cameras. We felt like celebs!
We celebrated in style after collecting our award, and the champagne was well and truly flowing. We didn’t even mind our sore head’s in the morning because we were still in awe of our beautiful award.
We’re delighted to be an AWARD WINNING AGENCY and fingers crossed for many more in the near future!
Here a just a few snaps from the evening.
Steph, Lindsey & Mark – All smiles after winning our award
Bigfoot Digital – Winners of the Digital Communications Award
Champagne & Our Award
The morning after….
The Bigfoot team collecting our award!
Here’s the highlights from The Star Business Awards, Bigfoot make an appearance at 02:39
There are many reasons you may want to boost your productivity and monitor the results. If you’re starting out with a new business, then every second is precious and could mean the difference between reaching your targets this month and not. Likewise, if you’re an established business owner, you may want to look for ways to cut down on time wasting activities such as scheduling and communication.
There are many tools available for free online which will help you streamline your working process and keep a close eye on how long you’re spending on productive and unproductive tasks. If you’re running a social media campaign alongside your regular business activities, then keeping track of how long you dedicate to this can be a real eye-opener. It’s amazing how often 30 minutes on Facebook can turn into 2 hours.
I’ve been test driving a few this week, partly out of curiosity, and partly out of a desire to brush out the cobwebs and have a bit of a productivity spring clean.
RescueTime
Ever wonder how much of your time per week is leeched by unproductive habits? Well now you can see it – plotted on a graph – and you may need to sit down to read the results. This program will quietly judge you in the background as you go about your daily business. You’ll then be able to see a round up of which programs and websites you use most often, and when.
Why is this so great: If you’re running a social media campaign this is a must have tool for ensuring you stay on target with your timing. I wouldn’t suggest you use this to monitor your workforce, as that would be intrusive and show a lack of trust, but it may be a good idea to encourage everyone to use it for their own benefit. If you’re a tight knit team, your productivity could even get competitive.You’ll find yourself competing, with yourself, to keep your productivity high throughout the day.
77% - MUCH higher than anticipated!
Cool Tricks: My favourite feature is being able to decide which activities are productive and which aren’t. While I was setting up my profile I had to select news and opinions as a productive task, whereas most people would consider this distracting. Likewise, if Social Networking is productive to you, but you find scheduling an endless chore, you can incorperate these preferences into your profile for more accurate results.
The Downside: There is the obvious privacy issue, as you’re essentially uploading all of your computer activity to a website. Rest assured, they take their security very seriously.
Here at Bigfoot Digital we like to get stuck in when it comes down to fundraising, and because it was for such a good cause we felt extremely excited to play our part in Sport Relief 2012.The Digital Media Centre approached us with an exciting and fun challenge and that challenge was to try and keep the wheels of two exercise bikes spinning for a full day, and they needed the help of everyone at the Media Centre. Here at Bigfoot Digital we like to stand out from the crowd, and what better way to stand out than to dress up as farmyard animals whilst completing our stint on the bikes? Lindsey and I quickly accepted this challenge and we kicked off this morning’s cycle event in two rather fetching cow and rabbit costumes, the chosen music was quite amusing as we found ourselves peddling away to Queen’s-Bicycle Race. People were soon lining up to keep the wheels turning and made some very generous donations towards Sport Relief 2012.
The second event that took place this morning was a race up one tower of the Media Centre, across the top floor then back down the opposite tower, we were out of breath just thinking about it! Unfortunately we didn’t participate in this task, but one young chap managed to run up five stories’ and back down in a very impressive 58 seconds which proved almost impossible to beat! So instead we headed over to the cake stall that had some rather creamy and delicious looking buns and pies on display, and from our intense cycling stint we thought we’d reward ourselves with a great big piece if apple pie and because it contains apples it counts as one of our 5 a day?…right?
It was great to see everyone coming together to raise money for people that need it the most both here in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries. We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, and if you’re taking part in the ‘Mile’ then good luck from the team here at Bigfoot Digital!
SXSW just wrapped up, and as we speak, MozCon is well underway; for those not in the know, MozCon is the place to be right now if you want to be rubbing elbows with the best talent in internet marketing.
We all know how great conferences can be for mixing things up and refreshing your ideas, they’re also great for networking and meeting with industry leaders. If you’re not lucky enough to be in Seattle this week, fear not, there are still many conferences lined up for the rest of the year, and they’re all around the world. So here are some top tips for making the most of conferences… Or any networking opportunity for that matter.
via Wonderbranding.com
Harness the power of social media and make plans to meet people before you get there; but don’t limit yourself to this group of people only. It’s nice to have a bit of background knowledge about the people you’re going to be bumping into, but be sure to use the opportunity to meet as many people as possible without being rude.
Don’t be the guy (or gal) who walks in, litters the place with business cards, and leaves. No one looks at these business cards again; we use them to scrape chewing gum off shoes and fix wobbly tables. Don’t hand over a business card until you’ve had a real conversation and there is a mutually beneficial reason for handing one over.
If you’re terrible with names, scribble a little reminder on the back of business cards you receive (when they’re not looking, of course). This will help jog your memory when you get back to the office and you’re looking at stack of identical business cards and trying to remember who ‘Jake’ is.
If you want to talk to one of the speakers, play it by ear. I’ve read advice which says you should march over to them before their slot; as this way, you’ll be more memorable; this could hideously backfire if you’re marching over to a nervous or highly focussed speaker who will forever remember you as the great pre-speech distraction. Play it by ear, ask if it’s a good time, and pick up on social cues. They’re not going to flat out tell you to go away, so just be perceptive.
If there’s a drinks mixer involved, do not, and I repeat, do not! Be that person. Have one too many drinks and that is all you’ll be remembered for. Also, remember that there are probably a lot of cameras around, people like to record these events, so just be sensible and grab an OJ.
“People worry that technology will disconnect us, but study after study has shown that it strengthens us”
-Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook CEO
Facebook now has to power to connect brands with human beings now marketers can embrace that same technology that the rest of us have. “It enables brands to find their voices…and to have genuine, personal relationships with their customers” says Sandberg.
Facebook has made it clear that it is now a partnership company, and just like social media transformed gaming, it’s now transforming all companies. Facebook announced that brands are their best content creators and Facebook’s vision for marketers is that brands will be able to interact with their customers in ways that are just as rich and dynamic as the way they would interact with their friends and families. Facebook has now unveiled its latest social technologies for marketers and brands, and first up is ‘The Time Line’
“The richest, most customizable marketing canvas we’ve ever built”
-Mike Hoefflinger, Director or Global Business Marketing of Facebook
Facebook has decided to turn its social network into one big marketing platform, and now they’ve introduced ‘Premium Offers’ and these are the best way to get your stories infront of more people more often. “This is your opportunity to express your identity and tell your stories” says Hoefflinger. It ‘offers’ are placements for premium advertising and sponsored stories, very much like Twitter’s sponsored Tweets “ Premium on Facebook is the most impactful way to distribute content on Facebook” Hoefflinger stated. You begin with a page post, and then you can start to increase your distribution. Over the last few years Facebook has been testing the efficiency of ‘premiums’, and the results show that it can potentially hit 3 times the ROI for brands.
Fans are more valuable than a general population, because they aren’t just customers, they are the people that love a company’s products and Facebook has taken advantage of this and introduced a ‘Reach Generator’ which is a new product that can guarantee that 75 % of fans can see your brand’s content each month. According to Hoefflinger Ben and Jerry’s were able to double its total engagement and their sales increased at 3 to 1 ROI using the Reach Generator tool. To use this tool, marketers need to understand what content fans find the most engaging, and once you understand that, the reach generator can then be used to increase distribution.
“Brands will also benefit from increased engagement from people telling stories on top of brands stories. Talking to fans alone is not an end result”- Hoefflinger.
Starting now, brand stories will be eligible on Facebook’s newsfeed, and will be seen alongside updates from friends and family. Marketing on Facebook will feel like the rest of Facebook and newsfeed aren’t just on your desk top screens, but on mobile devices, ipads and other media platforms. As well as stories appearing in your newsfeed, users will also be hit with stories when logging out on Facebook that will show them ads and offers. This will affect the millions of people who use Facebook every day, and will begin in April.
“One story, one creative and we’ll take care of the reach and engagement and distributing that story throughout Facebook” said Hoefflinger. Marketers will be able to reach more fans but will the little fish users of Facebook feel like they’re being chased by the big sharks with their jaws wide open?
This week this famous historic sporting venue was home to an event which was more energetic than a team of professional athletes, bounding up and down the court. This event is the largest meeting of advertising and marketing minds in the UK that runs over a period of 2 days. With sessions from Google, EBay Advertising, Yahoo and Microsoft and with hundreds of businesses exhibiting; the team at Bigfoot Digital just had to be there!
As soon as we placed our big feet through the door at Earls Courts we threw ourselves in to a talk given by Tim Grice, Head of Search at Branded 3 Search Ltd. He spoke about how businesses use social media to improve SEO which provided us with great food for though. After a quick coffee break we found ourselves taking on the coloured carpets of the Expo, each colour belonging to a different classification of stands. It was great to meet and chat with so many different companies and “Where great minds come together” was the perfect way to describe the TFM2012′s
After networking our way down the coloured carpets, we found ourselves in one of the longest queues of the day, which was for one of the busiest seminars given by Chris Hackney the VP of Client Services at Vitrue; he spoke about the social media trends to watch out for in 2012 which was well worth the wait! Chris raised some interesting points about the way Facebook has changed over the years, and how it’s going to progress in time to come.
Facebook now has the power to tell others where we are, who we’re with, what we’re listening to. What games we’re playing and even what we’re reading. It’s no longer a ‘news feed’ but a catalogued feed of our lives.
“All your stories, all your life. No story is too big or too small to share”
-Zuckerburg September 22nd 2011
We came away feeling excited about what the future of social networking has in store for us, but also making it hard to predict past the next 6 months.
Overall, Visitors can gain valuable information on how to gain bigger and better results, as well as creating successful campaigns. The Technology For Marketing and Advertising Exhibition is an exceptional opportunity to learn about the new trends in advertising and marketing in this economic period, and can develop new business contacts in this booming industry!
…..Today it’s back to business at the Bigfoot office!
Last week I shared an article that highlighted search engine optimisation as one of the most sought after skills in the tech industry. Admittedly, it’s a very attractive career choice which is both shrouded in mystery and in high demand at the moment. Oh, and did I mention that SEO managers can earn up to £47,000 a year. So what exactly does it take to land a job as an SEO specialist?
It’s important to understand what exactly is involved with the job; it’s not all heavy coding, nor is it all keyword analysis, so your experience should strike a balance between being tech savvy and having a firm grasp on communication. SEO specialists bridge the gap between the programmers and the average Joe web users.
Best degree for the job?
There isn’t really a ‘best’ option here, since the skills required are so varied. Marketing, Business, Communications, English, Maths and Computer Science would all give you a good starting off point for your career. Regardless of your degree choice taking the time to learn HTML and making sure you have a good grasp of social media will put you at a huge advantage.
Experience
To get a feel for the type of work you’d be doing, and to start building up your experience, you should try landing an internship. The key to getting the most out of an internship is to not worry so much about being offered a job at the end of it. Most of the time a job offer isn’t on the cards; so focus on impressing the boss, learning as much as you can and developing contacts.
If you intern with a small company you’ll probably get a more hands on experience as you’ll be needed in all areas of the business. If you intern with a larger company you’ll most likely be placed within a specific department, and get a more in-depth understanding of that particular area.
Getting Noticed
If you don’t manage to bag your dream job fresh out of university, don’t panic! Work on building up your experience and making your CV shine.
Try building a website to host your CV, contact details and an SEO industry blog. An SEO blog will demonstrate that you’re actively engaging in the industry. Once your website is set up you can give it a
sprinkling of magic SEO pixie dust and watch it shoot up in the rankings. (That’s how SEO works, right?)
Network; use social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn to communicate with people in the industry and build up a network of contacts.
Work freelance; everyone knows someone, who knows someone, who is looking for help with their website. It’s like, the rule of the universe or something. Build up an impressive portfolio of work by helping Uncle Andy get his fish food emporium website up and running.
Get a job in a related field; you know how the saying goes ‘it’s easier to find work when you’re in work’. An employed person is more employable. It’s cruel and unfair, but it’s true.
Never stop learning. SEO isn’t something you can learn once and be an expert for life, it’s always changing and adapting, so you should too. Keep up to date with news and take every opportunity to develop your skills further.
So this wraps up advice for the graduates, next week on “Bigfoot Career Wednesdays” I’ll focus on changing careers.
and fingers crossed for many more in the near future!
To get a feel for the type of work you’d be doing, and to start building up your experience, you should try landing an internship. The key to getting the most out of an internship is to not worry so much about being offered a job at the end of it. Most of the time a job offer isn’t on the cards; so focus on impressing the boss, learning as much as you can and developing contacts.
