Bring on Monday.

It's here, it's really here. Monday is the day that I start my new job.

I am sad to be leaving my old job, but equally excited to start something new.

I've had lovely few weeks since the appendix incident (started a staff night out in a bar, ended the staff night out in an operating theater) thanks to my wonderful friends and family and I just wanted to share some pictures.

Here's to the next step!

#MoreCampaignPorn

It happens every year; some of us look forward to it with anticipation, others dread the hype surrounding it.

Of course, I'm talking about the John Lewis Christmas advert.

Yea, I know it's only November, but Halloween is done and dusted, Bonfire Night has just gone, so all that's left to celebrate is good old Christmas.

I love this year's advert; it's now my second favourite of them all (beaten only by 2011's vid). Christmas through a child's eyes makes it that bit more exciting.

#CampaignPorn

You know sometimes there are just those campaigns that make you think "yep, that is f*cking clever, why didn't I think of that?!"

This week's #CampaignPorn is a rather simple yet incredibly clever stunt from Taco Bell to promote their new app.

Using the hashtag #ONLYINTHEAPP, Taco Bell's social media just went dark in an attempt to drive customers to their new app.

In a time when businesses are being almost bullied into having a complete social media presence (not that it's a bad thing), Taco Bell have completely rebelled by essentially wiping their entire social media presence.

They've even wiped all their previous tweets from their Twitter account (brave). Except they didn't really (clever).

Taco Bell's totally-real-not-fake Twitter account appears to have wiped all previous tweets. Their actually-real-deffs-not-fake account, however, is actually safe and sound, using the Twitter handle @totallynotthere.

Four for you Taco Bell, you go Taco Bell. 

Don't like where you are? Move.

When I first saw this quote on LinkedIn, I laughed.

"You're not a tree." It sounds absolutely ridiculous and cheesy.

But the sentiment it completely true - if you don't like where you are (whether that be where you're living, where you're working or just where you are in life) then just move.

You don't have to stay somewhere just because it's easier.

You don't have to stick something out just to prove a point.

You don't have to be somewhere just because it's where everyone thinks you should be.

Don't like it? Do something about it. 

It'll never be as bad as you think.

It's something my dad has said to me a lot recently, and is something that his dad always said to him. 

It never is as bad as I think it will be, but that doesn't stop me worrying every time. And it won't stop you worrying every now and then either. 

When it does feel like tomorrow is going to be an absolute disaster, Pooh and Piglet might make you feel a little bit better. Just remember: it might never happen. 

Your business should be using social media.

Social media is like the Marmite of digital marketing; marketers either love it or hate it.

I can tell you now that the majority of people who claim to 'hate' social media simply don't understand how to use it or aren't aware of the benefits that it can bring to your business. So I'm going to tell you, from my experience, why your business should be using social media.


It helps to reach people in a context they're familiar with.

It doesn't matter if your business is B2B or B2C, at the end of the day, you're communicating with another person. 

These people (your target audience) will probably get hundreds of emails every day, so perhaps one of the most effective ways to get their attention is on their home turf: social media. 

Your audience does a lot of the work for you.

Raising awareness for your brand is a lot easier when you let your audience do all the work.

If you create an interesting piece of shareable content, the impressions for the post can increase exponentially. 

Take Twitter for example; if I post a branded infographic, it's seen by all of my followers (let's say I have 100 for argument's sake). If just one of my followers retweets it, my post can then be seen by all of their followers (again, 100) as well as my own, meaning that my audience can double from just one retweet.

Everyone knows that peer recommendation is the most trusted source of information; by encouraging your audience to share your content, they are essentially recommending your brand to all of their followers.

You can use it to capture new audience data.

By using simple data capture forms (I hate that phrase, but there isn't really a better way to describe them!) you can create what is called 'gated content', meaning that your audience will have to enter details (such as name and email address) in order to access your content.

If you then distribute the content on social media and let your audience do the sharing, you have a much better chance of capturing new data for future campaigns.

You can use 'tailored audiences' to contact those who are just out of reach.

Platforms like Twitter allow you to create tailored audiences. 

This allows you to completely customise the way you use Twitter ads; from custom audiences (where you can target people that have visited your website or downloaded you app as well as people that fit your ideal customer profile) to lookalike audiences (target lists that are similar to audience lists you already have). 

This can be super useful to target those who are just out of reach; people that don't follow you, that haven't 'liked' your page and that haven't been on your website or downloaded your app.

No social presence, no control.

If you aren't active on social media sites and don't regularly post content, your brand's digital identity be created for you through other people's posts. 

You have no control over the content other people post, therefore if their content is about your brand and you have no digital activity of your own, then their content becomes your brand's entire digital identity.

This lists of reasons to use social for your brand is in no way exhaustive; there are a million and one reasons to get involved.

So do it. Set up Twitter; get a Facebook page; start posting on LinkedIn; create a company blog.

Happy tweeting :)

New home, new job, same old me.

I've had so many blogs over the years. I've written blogs for fun, I've written blogs for assignments, tumblr blogs, wordpress blogs; the list goes on. And they all have one thing in common: reading back through the posts makes me shudder, thinking "oh dear God did I really write that?!"

So what better time to start afresh than with a new home, an exciting new job and the same old me?

I'll keep it short.

New home: I've just moved back to the lovely city where I grew up and am living in a little flat in Kelham Island overlooking the river.

New job: I did a stupid thing - I quit my job with no new role lined up. I did it though, I start my new job in November.

Same old me: I'm still me; I love coffee, gin and pole fitness. I hate comic sans. I have a wonderful group of friends and family and am completely in love with an incredible guy. Life is good.

This blog will most likely be made up of my love of all things digital and of course a little bit about my life.

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