Collaboration is they key. As a musician I spent slot of my time alone writing music, through school and my 20s. It seemed an isolated career until I started to collaborate with other writers. I learnt from them, they (hopefully) learnt from me and an altogether fun and beneficial time was had by all! The same goes for business. Until the turn of the century, collaboration was an unknown entity and I still believe that businesses could benefit from working with others. Soci

So yesterday we spoke about your business allies therefore we have an idea of what their uses of Twitter and Facebook are. Another avenue to research is which networks and groups do these companies belong to? Have they any of their own? It seems obvious, but instead of picking up the latest best seller before you visit the land of nod, mooch around the groups of your comrades and interact. Introduce yourself as if you just walked into a room and offer helpful comments and a

I hate the word competitor. Although technically correct, I prefer using the term fellow industry worker or the like, much less abrasive and again endorses the overall philosophy of sharing and becoming better, together. Take our peers for example, the business’s that are on the next level and above to you. And the ones that aren’t as good as you, that are striving to be where you are. This is where the business karma will have a resounding effect. What you can do for those

At last! An app that allows you to manage your Facebook pages from your iphone. (Requiring iOS 4.2 or later and no Android yet) We’ve been waiting for this for ages and although in its infancy – I’m sure that when developed a little more, it shall make life a lot easier for us marketers! Now, I am not saying that it is as good as sitting at your lappy and sorting your pages out, don’t expect and all singing all dancing app, as you will be extremely disappointed – BUT at least

It will go a long way to boost awareness and create your reputation that eventually clients will trust. So here are OPT’s last minute tips on building an online presence and brand. Take note! 1. Research your audience and know whom you are selling to. Utilize Google’s many tools and resources to get facts and figures. 2. Based on your research, give you brand a voice. Whether it is someone in the company of note, or yourself, this will become the foundation and ‘human touch’

What does the future hold for branding online? We are in the cardinal age of utilising the digital branding concept. Ok, the big boys have been doing it far longer, but it has now reached ‘the streets’ and anyone can play. As it continues to evolve, it will be made easier with the tools available online to assess and develop a more sophisticated process. What we think will stay the same is the humane aspect of your brand. The listening, interacting and the ‘relationship’ wi

One Giant Leap into Social Media Marketing is the debut offering from Andrea Britton. Author of Online Pr Tips ( @onlineprtips ). A Book filled with up-to-the-minute content ideas and tips on how to best use social media platforms in 2012. “From tweets to writing content to filming content to posting on your Facebook wall there is always something to push out to the rest of the world and the more creative you are, the better. You need to think about timing, relevance and acc

We know that we have the internet in front of us, which connects us to the rest of the globe, BUT never forget that once your presence is set in stone, your brand is working, part of building it’s success, with relationships and ambassadors is connecting with people. Not just via the net but face to face and even better, on a one to one. Think local! (if possible with your business). Are there any events being held in your local city that you could get involved with? sponsor

Exactly. Just start with a ‘Please’ or “Thank You!’. They go a long, long way. INTERACTING with people and becoming your own living brand ambassador is the only way forward. You represent what you are selling/promoting etc and within your social media circles, you can start telling the story of what your brand is and where it is going. Take a look at your favourite children’s book… No – I’m serious! – Why did you like it? Did it have characters you particularly favoured? Ho

Easier said than done right? Wrong! Your company, your ideas, your vision! Simple! Ok – maybe you’re working for someone else’s company and brand, but you will think of it as your own if you have that job, right?! First of all I would advise you work our where you are at right now. An audit, if you will. Take an inventory or your online presence as is and see what other people are saying about you. There are plenty of social media monitoring services our there for you to

As we have already mentioned, the art of promoting oneself or ones business is entirely up to you. Are you a great party guest? Do you get inundated with Christmas cards? Do people come to you for advice often? If you answered yes to these questions then you will have a head start on marketing your product, brand or service. Chances are you won’t go steaming in and introduce yourself and what you are selling immediately, you will take into consideration the advice on the OPT

Writing an effective online press release is most definitely a learning curve but a well-written offering will continue to rank well in search engine results because folk will share something they actually wanted to read! The best way to hone this skill is by reading other releases online and remember its a news story not a sales pitch. Read Wiki’s definition before you start! It really helps put things into perspective! Following are OPT tips to get you started but I think