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# Allister Frost

Future-Ready Mindset - thinker, writer, speaker

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://allisterspeaks.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [FROST News](https://allisterspeaks.com/blog/) - Latest updates, tips, tricks, ideas, and reflections, all from Allister Frost, motivational speaker and business transformation expert.
- [The Busyness Epidemic](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-busyness-epidemic/) - It feels like many professionals I talk to have perfected the art of the busy day. Their working routine appears to be a frantic rollercoaster of calendar Tetris (other time-draining distractions are available), multiple concurrent chat sessions, and endless email ping-pong. Even turning up to meetings five minutes late has become a perverse badge of
- [Don't quit in panic!](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-quit-in-panic/) - AI fears are prompting some professionals to make rushed career swaps, but I think there's a better way. In fact, my ReadyAlready Growth Cycle (aka The FROST Framework) is perfect for these times. Radical change should come from clarity and conviction – not panic. Here's a link to my recent interview with Zee at TechRound:
- [35% are doing WHAT?!](https://allisterspeaks.com/35-are-doing-what/) - Last week, an Edubrain survey of 3,500 Americans aged 18-60 uncovered something many of us have long suspected.Many adults, just like schoolchildren, are surprisingly willing to outsource thinking to anyone or anything that will do it for them.Yes, I'm talking about AI, and the damage it is already doing to our collective cognitive capability.The adoption
- [Forget the Futurist: Why I’m Planning My Future with a Very Talented Onion](https://allisterspeaks.com/forget-the-futurist-why-im-planning-my-future-with-a-very-talented-onion/) - I recently considered hiring a high-priced strategy coach to help me navigate the ever-shifting Motivational Speaking industry, but I’ve decided to go in a different direction. I’m taking up cromniomancy. For the uninitiated—and I assume that is most of you—this is the ancient and noble art of interpreting the sprouting pattern of an onion to
- [Why ‘Change Management’ Almost Always Fails (and How to Make It Irresistible)](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-change-management-almost-always-fails-and-how-to-make-it-irresistible/) - “If ever there is a misnomer, it’s change management. It rarely causes change—and it’s almost always mismanaged.” That cutting observation comes from Phil Gilbert, the former head of design at IBM. If, like me, you’ve sat through a ninety-minute "vision deck" presentation, only to go back to your desk and carry on exactly as before,
- [Why Your Team Isn’t Afraid of Change (They’re Just Terrified of Losing Their Pot Plant)](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-your-team-isnt-afraid-of-change-theyre-just-terrified-of-losing-their-pot-plant/) - We’ve all heard the old chestnut: "People don't like change." It’s the go-to excuse whenever a new system rollout goes belly-up or the team looks at you with sheer horror when you suggest throwing out the half-dead office pot plant. But I don’t buy it. If we truly hated change, we wouldn't take holidays, we’d
- [Change and Hyenas](https://allisterspeaks.com/change-and-hyenas/) - Why does change at work trigger the same brain response as being chased by a pack of hungry hyenas? It’s just biology. A natural survival instinct. When leaders announce a change programme, the employee’s amygdala (the brain’s irrepressible drama queen) can light up like an emergency beacon. It doesn't see "improved efficiency"; it sees a
- [The People Strategy Forum Podcast](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-people-strategy-forum-podcast/) - I've really been getting into podcasts recently. Not just listening whenever I can, but appearing on them too. The podcasts I enjoy the most give me a feeling like I'm eavesdropping on an interesting, intimate chat between friends. That's when it works best. When the conversation just flows and you feel part of it, but
- [Are You Leading Your Team the Wrong Way? (Spoiler: Probably)](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-you-leading-your-team-the-wrong-way-spoiler-probably/) - Let’s be honest: trying to force change in an organisation sometimes feels like trying to herd squirrels. Angry, stubborn squirrels who have been diligently doing things the same way for 20 years and see no reason to start storing their nuts tidily in some fancy Tupperware box. I've seen it many times, and I'm sure
- [The Professional Cost of Holding Onto Obsolete Skills](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-professional-cost-of-holding-onto-obsolete-skills/) - Years ago, I was sent on a two-day training course to learn how to use an overhead projector. That probably dates me a bit, but back then, it felt like a genuinely valuable skill. We were taught how to layer transparencies, adjust the light without blinding people, and how to keep eye contact with the
- [How to Regain Your Confidence in a Rapidly Changing Workplace](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-regain-your-confidence-in-a-rapidly-changing-workplace/) - I remember the moment it first hit me – that feeling as though things were starting to change faster than I could keep up with. I was in a meeting at Microsoft: one of those long, back-to-back days where the agenda keeps shifting and no one seems to know what problem we’re solving anymore. A
- [What if Resilience isn't the Answer?](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-if-resilience-isnt-the-answer/) - Plenty of experts tell us that being resilient is vital for career success. So much so that "Resilience" (now with a capital R) has become one of those sought-after traits."You've got to be able to tough it out," they tell us, "so you can cope with the highs and lows, and whatever shiz life throws
- [How to attract a great speaker](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-attract-a-great-speaker/) - When I speak to event organisers, they sometimes tell me they only book speakers from their town or city. And while supporting local talent is always a great thing, don't let that limit your choices. I think you might be surprised who's available when you look properly! Here are some top tips from the speaking
- [Make The Leap](https://allisterspeaks.com/make-the-leap/) - People often tell me that change at work feels risky, scary, maybe even a little dangerous.But there's a massive difference between scary and dangerous. Very little of what most of us do at work is actually dangerous. It's just another day at work. Stressful maybe, tiring certainly, challenging too, but it's anything but dangerous.So, why
- [You can't update people like they're software](https://allisterspeaks.com/you-cant-update-people-like-theyre-software/) - Another Monday, another "Transformation Project" destined for the corporate graveyard. You know the one. It comes with a 63-slide PowerPoint deck and the faint whiff of dread and disappointment.Here's why a staggering 70% of change initiatives fail: Leaders try to force-feed change on people who have eaten enough already. They roll out "synergies" and "paradigms,"
- [Creating a culture that embraces change](https://allisterspeaks.com/creating-a-culture-that-embraces-change/) - "Know the limitations of your comfort zone" It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we've got life and work licked, that we're doing OK. But the minute we get comfy is the moment we may start to be left behind.Because everything outside of your comfort zone is changing all the time.And if you
- [Why horses hate change](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-horses-hate-change/) - I believe that people only change when they want to change. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it implement a 17-step change management programme and feedback cycle."That's part of my carefully considered response when Speakers Associates asked me "What are the key components of a comprehensive change management plan?"You see,
- [Stop waiting, just start](https://allisterspeaks.com/stop-waiting-just-start/) - Stop waiting for a "big bang" innovation to transform your working life. It's either not coming, or if it does it won't live up to your inflated expectations. We've all been through that so-called "improvement" cycle before...Here’s a truth that most busy professionals get wrong: They treat innovation as a project. A structured, off-site, whiteboard-filling,
- [The Speaker's Life](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-speakers-life/) - I fired up my camera on a recent trip to Birmingham to speak for a longstanding client in the construction industry. Here's a little of my day as a speaker. It's all very glamorous, enjoy!
- [The Minty Way to Future-Readiness](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-minty-way-to-future-readiness/) - Change is easy when you start with toothpaste!Being future-ready means doing something today because you believe it may benefit your future. But that doesn't mean you have to kick-off a massive change project.What's one teeny-tiny change you can make today to make tomorrow easier? The best changes are often the smallest. So maybe you could
- [Making Babies with AI](https://allisterspeaks.com/making-babies-with-ai/) - I'm old enough to remember when Dancing Baby was state of the art: But, three decades later, that pixelated, jerky .gif image looks painfully outdated and amateurish. It got me wondering, what might a computer-generated baby look like in 2025... So, to begin, I uploaded this photo of me to ChatGPT: Then I asked ChatGPT
- [Laughter is the best... lesson](https://allisterspeaks.com/laughter-is-the-best-lesson/) - The best bit of my job as a motivational speaker is learning from truly great speakers. I always learn from watching talented performers who can hold the audience in their hands and fill the stage with their presence.I'm referring, of course, to stand-up comedians. And that's why I recently found myself in a small venue
- [Are your HIPPOS holding you back?](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-your-hippos-holding-you-back/) - Predicting the future is famously difficult. Mostly because it hasn't happened yet. But, I'm reliably informed, it will. With this in mind, preparing for the future sounds like a smart strategy right now.In business, we often hand responsibility for our future to the leaders. Their task is to see the big picture, set the strategic
- [Knowing My Luck](https://allisterspeaks.com/knowing-my-luck/) - Unlucky Alf: "See this? It's an FA Cup final ticket, though *knowing my luck* they'll probably cancel the game. So, I've decided not to risk it. I'm just goin' t' sit here, wi' a nice glass o' beer, and watch it on t' telly."[he picks up the remote, presses a button and the TV explodes,
- [The Old Curiosity](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-old-curiosity/) - I often talk about curiosity being one of our most powerful AI-defeating human superpowers. Having the ability to question the status quo, to naively ask "Why?", helps us better understand the present and make space in our minds where new possibilities can bubble up. Much of working life—processes, systems, rules— seems fixed, constant, nailed down.
- [Use Your Imagination](https://allisterspeaks.com/use-your-imagination/) - Creativity is a curious beast. When I talk about the miracle of human creativity, and how much better it can be than suggestions from A.I., I often sense a real unease building in the audience. "What? You want me to be creative? At work? Oh no, I don't do that sort of thing." "We have
- [But is it what it is?](https://allisterspeaks.com/but-is-it-what-it-is/) - I've never cared much for the phrase "it is what it is." I'm sure I've said it a few times, and heard it many more. But it never sat well with me. It smacks of resignation, reluctance, and self-suffering. Maybe even a little victimhood. We proclaim "it is what it is" when something is not
- [Two questions for busy event organisers](https://allisterspeaks.com/two-questions-for-busy-event-organisers/) - We jokingly called them the “Croissant Department” at Microsoft.The Events Team put on dozens of conferences each month. They were stunningly good at their job. Real legends of the industry.But occasionally even they got caught up in the event management hamster wheel, churning out events because someone wanted an event, not because that was the
- [Business Lessons from Leicester](https://allisterspeaks.com/business-lessons-leicester/) - In a normally quiet, mid-sized city in central England a seismic revolution just took place. Leicester (pronounced "Lester" for you non-Brits) City Football* Club (LCFC) has just won the English Premier League title, arguably the most prestigious national club league trophy in the world. If that strikes you as unremarkable, consider these: Last season, LCFC won
- [Railway Strikes - You Are Part of the Solution](https://allisterspeaks.com/railway-strikes-part-solution/) - Today, as millions of commuters in the UK experience travel chaos caused by an RMT railway strike, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a much smarter way to work and travel. The industrial action comes after conductors for the Southern Rail network, which operates train routes through heavily-populated parts of South England and London,
- [A Festive Message](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-festive-message/) - Giant thanks to everyone who kept me wildly busy in 2024. Here are a few brief words from me as I prepare to leave for my festive break: I'll see you again in 2025, when I'll have exciting news about: my new book, coming soon! shiny new talks and workshops and lots of great new
- [How to Rehearse Like a Pro](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-rehearse-like-a-pro/) - Need to rehearse a talk or presentation? Here's my 8-step process to make rehearsals for a keynote, speech, or workshop more productive and effective
- [Adventures in Improvisation for a Keynote Speaker](https://allisterspeaks.com/improvisation-adventures-keynote-speaker/) - How improvisation classes help me be a better keynote speaker
- [The Minimum Age to Use Facebook (and more)](https://allisterspeaks.com/minimum-age-use-facebook/) - One of the key messages I used to teach parents at Internet Safety School was the age their children should be before they can legally use popular sites online. It's little known that most social networking sites require users to be at least 13 years old before they can sign up. And for e-commerce sites
- [Celebrity or Anonymity?](https://allisterspeaks.com/celebrity-or-anonymity/) - In one British newspaper, there's a regular celebrity interview column that always asks a question I love: "Celebrity or Anonymity?" Without exception, every famous person answers this question with 'Anonymity'. It seems those who are most famous would rather they weren't. And yet, the opposite seems true for many others, where achieving fame or notoriety
- [What's in your email signature?](https://allisterspeaks.com/whats-in-your-email-signature/) - I’ve always thought an email signature says a lot about a person. What’s up with these people who don’t include their phone number or anything helpful for their readers? Isn't that the point of an email signature? To leave the recipient in no doubt about who you are and what makes you tick... Mind you,
- [How motivational speakers avoid continuity errors](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-motivational-speakers-avoid-continuity-errors/) - “Sell the sizzle, not the sausage.” As a young brand manager at Kimberly-Clark in the 1990s, they drummed that marketing maxim into me. It reminds us that the sizzle of a sausage is often more appealing to a potential buyer than the sausage itself. Years earlier, the Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt captured the
- [Change is Inevitable](https://allisterspeaks.com/change-is-inevitable/) - Did anyone say it better than John C Maxwell? “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Change, whether or not you like it, will happen. Just as sh*t happens. And most change in your life will be for the better. That's how the world moves forwards towards better times. Without change, you'd be staring at your
- [Millican's Law - you're not as bad (or good) as you think](https://allisterspeaks.com/millicans-law-youre-not-as-bad-or-good-as-you-think/) - Recently, I was helping a client think about the pros and cons of failure. I invited them to imagine a world without failure: it would be a dull, predictable, unchanging place. Failure rocks! But some people still view 'failure' as something to avoid, not promote. This is silly, because being open to try (and potentially
- [How to be more curious](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-be-more-curious/) - Curiosity is an essential step in the ReadyAlready cycle that helps busy people rapidly develop a Future Ready Mindset. It's also a skill that some humans excel at, but that computers find virtually impossible to master. Even the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools struggle to show humanlike curiosity. And perhaps they never will. For
- [Go for the quick wins](https://allisterspeaks.com/go-for-the-quick-wins/) - I love a quick win. Who doesn’t? Compared to those tiring, drawn-out, long-term successes, quick wins seem to have everything in their favour. I’m a big fan. In fact, I don’t know why we even have slow wins anymore. Except I do. Slow wins are usually just the culmination of lots of quick wins. Those
- [Embrace your Inner Idiot](https://allisterspeaks.com/embrace-your-inner-idiot/) - We're all flawed. None of us are perfect. And I was reminded of this while reading Pippa Evans' excellent book ‘Improv Your Life.’ Towards the end of the book, Pippa shares a “post-revelation poem” entitled ‘The Glorious Idiot,’ where she lays bare the realisation that it’s OK to be yourself. For reasons I cannot fully
- [Is future-proofing a magic trick?](https://allisterspeaks.com/is-future-proofing-a-magic-trick/) - I sometimes meet people at conferences and events who are frustrated in their job, but confident working life will soon be a lot easier . They talk about improvements that are coming, new IT systems or simpler processes that will eliminate many of their daily struggles. Work will be smoother, better, more fun. The business
- [How to book a motivational speaker](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-book-a-motivational-speaker/) - Booking a motivational speaker for a business conference or industry event can be a nerve-wracking task. You don't want to make a mistake by booking a clown who can barely string a sentence together (unless a mute clown is what you're really after), nor do you want to spend over the odds to hire a
- [How to make friends with your LinkedIn QR code](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-make-friends-with-your-linkedin-qr-code/) - LinkedIn is the world's biggest professional social networking tool. So it's a great way to find interesting people and follow their news. But it's also pretty handy for when you meet interesting people in real life... Once upon a time, the LinkedIn app had a groovy "Find Nearby" feature that allowed you to connect with
- [The Wild Orange Media Caper and Something New](https://allisterspeaks.com/wild-orange-media-caper-something-new/) - Since starting the company five years ago, the one question I've been asked more than any other is: "Why is your business called Wild Orange Media?" And since 2012, I've responded with a fairly uninteresting explanation, all the time quietly wishing I had dreamt up a more creative, inspiring backdrop to the company's inception. In
- [Windows Live SkyDrive - now even better](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-live-skydrive-now-even-better/) - I've blogged before about SkyDrive, but this week it got even better. Users now get a full 5GB of free storage in the cloud. And because the service is now out of beta you should feel extra confident that this is very secure place to store the stuff you need. All you need to get
- [Please Stop Treating Us Like Idiots](https://allisterspeaks.com/please-stop-treating-us-like-idiots/) - Dear Social Media Marketers, I can imagine how tough it must be finding something interesting to say about your products, day in, day out. And I can forgive you when your advertising or promotional materials don’t always make me smile or laugh or think. But please could you stop treating me and my fellow consumers
- [Whose job is it to ready us for the future?](https://allisterspeaks.com/whose-job-is-it-to-ready-us-for-the-future/) - Here's a question: who should have the job of building the future technology-readiness of your organisation's employees? In most medium to large companies, the leadership team tends to look to IT and the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) for strategic direction. After all, they're dealing with all the computers and data and techno-stuff; it makes sense
- [Why we're Ready Already!](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-we-are-ready-already/) - A recurring theme in several of my recent keynote talks has been the pressing need for organisations to support and encourage employees and partners on their journey to leveraging new technology in their work. I've frequently observed that it's rarely new technology itself that creates issues in business, but the way staff and colleagues react
- [Purpose Platitudes vs. Brand Activism](https://allisterspeaks.com/purpose-platitudes-vs-brand-activism/) - Earlier, I posted about the much-hyped topic of brand "Purpose", and called on marketers to go beyond platonic statements of intent to embrace full-on activism in pursuit of their brand beliefs. In this article, we'll explore two related examples of brand purpose, one done with absolute conviction and good intent and the other with, perhaps,
- [Activism over Purpose](https://allisterspeaks.com/activism-over-purpose/) - There's a lot of buzz in marketing and PR circles about the importance of businesses having "Purpose", usually with a capital P. Generally speaking, this leads companies to identify ways they can be seen to stand for something more useful to society than simply making vast amounts of profit. At best, this translates into organisations
- [How to Book a Professional Speaker](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-book-a-professional-speaker/) - Here's a short video I just filmed to share some tips on how to book a professional speaker for an event or conference. I distilled my advice into 10 easy, fool-proof steps. Hope you find this helpful :-) https://youtu.be/aSoS2ovgRz0
- [Lessons from Seven Years of Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work](https://allisterspeaks.com/lessons-from-seven-years-of-good-old-fashioned-hard-work/) - Seven years ago I left Microsoft to start a crazy experiment, to start my own company and help others achieve more in our digital world. As I look back on all that's happened since April 2012, I wanted to share a few words of advice for others thinking of branching out on their own. Thanks
- [Keynote Talk Topics - New Video Guide](https://allisterspeaks.com/keynote-talk-topics-new-video-guide/) - I've just put together a one-page summary of some of the hottest keynote talk topics I'm often asked to cover. If you're trying to decide which speaker topics to include in your next conference or event, this is a good place to start. Each of the images links to a short YouTube video where I
- [In Conversation with Roger Edwards](https://allisterspeaks.com/in-conversation-with-roger-edwards/) - I recently chatted to Roger Edwards on his Marketing & Finance podcast where we talked about the sorry demise of marketing strategy, the flaws of the efficiency bubble, and how to do content marketing well. You can listen to our conversation in the player below, or read more and subscribe to Roger's podcast here. Enjoy!
- [Being a Good Influence(r)](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-a-good-influencer/) - I'm often asked what the rules are governing promotional activities carried out by influencers, whether a hired-in celebrity or members of staff or partner firms. Until recently the guidance has been quite vague, but some recent publications from the ASA and CMA have clarified things a bit, at least here in the UK. Back in
- [Thank you](https://allisterspeaks.com/thank-you/) - Wherever possible I love to collect feedback from clients to help us understand how to improve. Last week we updated some sections of our website and refreshed a few dozen of the testimonials dotted across the site. Reading through so many kind words was a humbling experience. I was really touched by the gratitude expressed
- [Being A Digital Optimist](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-a-digital-optimist/) - I've long held the view that digital progress, however destabilising in the short-term, will lead to long-term benefits for humankind and Planet Earth. That's why I label myself a Digital Optimist. But, until quite recently, it's never felt like a minority opinion. With the global media and the public now scrutinising the activities of leading
- [The Misery of Multiple Messages](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-misery-of-multiple-messages/) - It's often the most long-in-the-tooth marketing principles that are the most misused or ignored. Who's got time these days for old-style thinking? It's the digital era, grandad! Surely fresh, breakthrough approaches are needed, not methods built on decades of wisdom and experience? A quick glance at any email inbox will illustrate how so many marketers
- [Two New Awards for Wild Orange Media](https://allisterspeaks.com/two-new-awards-for-wild-orange-media/) - In our work here at Wild Orange Media, the biggest reward we get is seeing the boost we can bring to our clients' work and performance. The proof of the pudding really is in the tasting, yum! But every so often we're honoured to receive recognition from other places, and it's especially touching when this
- [Latest Facebook Ad Targeting Options](https://allisterspeaks.com/latest-facebook-ad-targeting-options/) - We've once again updated our Precision Ad Targeting Planning Worksheet for Facebook (UK Edition) and many of the changes we predicted earlier this year have come true. As Facebook wrestles to restore its reputation and curtail inappropriate advertising activities like excluding certain people from offers, it has removed some of its more contentious demographic targeting
- [Channel Amnesia and Buyer Journeys](https://allisterspeaks.com/channel-amnesia-buyer-journeys/) - There's a powerful phenomenon developing that I've been observing in recent years. As our internet-connected devices become ever more intimate, the content they provide has to also become more personalised and tailored to our desires. We've grown used to getting near-instant answers to every question, often with little more than a few keystrokes or a brief
- [How Digital Fuels Disloyalty (and what you can do about it)](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-digital-fuels-disloyalty-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/) - Those of us who have been in the business world for some time have had it easy. It used to be a fairly safe bet that happy customers would, sooner or later, return to buy again. After all, we did a great job of winning those customers in the first place and by meeting—or occasionally
- [Latest Updates to Facebook Ad Targeting Options](https://allisterspeaks.com/latest-updates-to-facebook-ad-targeting-options/) - We've been monitoring Facebook's ad targeting choices for several years and our latest audit reveals a number of significant changes. As always, we've listed out all the available audience segmentation choices available in our Ad Targeting Worksheet which is now available for free download from here. So, what's changed for UK marketers in recent months?
- [All The Cognitive Biases [infographic]](https://allisterspeaks.com/all-the-cognitive-biases/) - When I'm helping companies get their heads around behavioural economics and the psychological thinking that underpins great marketing communications, we often refer to cognitive biases to help explain the curious ways humans beings sometimes act. There's a great list of cognitive biases on Wikipedia, but, you know, it's Wikipedia... That's why I was very excited
- [Which is Better: A Website or a Facebook Page?](https://allisterspeaks.com/better-website-facebook-page/) - [This article was written for iedr.ie, the registry responsible for managing Ireland's .ie domains] Let’s try to end an old debate. Which is more important for a business: having a website or a Facebook page? Many small business owners are perplexed by this choice. Some complain about low visitor numbers to their website and a
- [Updates in the new LinkedIn desktop experience](https://allisterspeaks.com/updates-new-linkedin-desktop-experience/) - Microsoft secured final regulatory approval of its $26.2 billion cash-only acquisition of LinkedIn in December 2016, and the social network has already undergone some substantial changes. There’s an all-new look for desktop users. Out goes that tired, dated menu bar, and in comes a new, simplified iconography-based navigation bar. LinkedIn’s messaging tools also now
- [Two Billion People and Counting](https://allisterspeaks.com/two-billion-people-and-counting/) - When a young Mark Zuckerberg gave 'theFacebook' its debut at Harvard College in February 2004, few would have dared imagine it could ever turn a profit, let alone survive for more than a few years. Yet here we are, almost 5,000 days later, and Facebook, as it's now known the world over, has just steamrollered
- [The Vicious Circle of Social Media ROI](https://allisterspeaks.com/vicious-circle-social-media-roi/) - Convince & Convert has just released its 2017 State of Social Marketing report and it makes for an interesting read. The study questioned more than 2,700 social media marketers working both client side and in agencies in over 100 countries. It's important to keep this in mind, because the results presents an inside-industry view of the
- [On Knowing Millennials and Other Young Things](https://allisterspeaks.com/millennials-and-young-things/) - As you've no doubt seen, there’s a lot of guff written about millennials and the younger generations these days. Most published writers and social anthropologists have long since left those youthful, care-free days behind. Which means, just as our grandparents struggled to understand us, it’s sometimes difficult making sense of the ways that younger people
- [Why you'll love Audiense (formerly SocialBro)](https://allisterspeaks.com/youll-love-audiense-formerly-socialbro/) - Last week SocialBro, a Twitter and Instagram audience insight and monitoring platform, rebranded as Audiense. Once you get past the post-modern deliberate misspelling* of a well-known word, I think you're going to enjoy finding out more about this tool. First up, aside from the free Twitter Analytics tool, the best bits of Audiense have to be paid
- [Why You Should Quit Chasing Only 5-Star Reviews](https://allisterspeaks.com/quit-chasing-5-star-reviews/) - Savvy online marketers have long known about the power of the Blemish Effect, where a few poor reviews can actually increase the attractiveness of a product. A new study by Northwestern University sheds fresh light on this phenomenon and some fascinating details about the perfect average review score to secure the highest number of sales. Five is Too
- [Free Download - Planner for Facebook Advertising Targeting](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-download-planner-facebook-advertising-targeting/) - We wrote previously about the awesome power of ad targeting in Facebook. But things just got even better! With the recent addition of the Detail Targeting choices in Facebook it's now possible to direct adverts towards people who maybe have an interest in one thing (e.g. Bodybuilding) but not in another (e.g. Running). This creates opportunities for
- [Murder Games - help your children stay safe online](https://allisterspeaks.com/murder-games-help-children-stay-safe-online/) - Last night saw the first airing of a gripping and heart-wrenching BBC Three TV docu-drama about the life and death of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old Surrey schoolboy who was lured to his death after being groomed online. I'd urge all parents to make time to watch the TV programme; it's incredibly insightful and will open
- [Netflix Socks Mean You'll Never Miss A Show Again](https://allisterspeaks.com/netflix-socks-mean-youll-never-miss-show/) - We're pretty sure this is exactly what the Internet of Things was invented for. Simply (well, 'simply' if you're an electronics and computing wizard) by following the instructions you can now make yourself a pair of socks that will automagically pause Netflix if you doze off. Yes, really! Netflix recommends you knit your own socks,
- [Fighting the Online Bullies](https://allisterspeaks.com/fighting-online-bullies/) - At our Internet Safety School events we typically talk about online bullying as something that only schoolchildren do to each other. But, with ever-widening access to technology, adults are increasingly using digital platforms to troll, abuse and intimidate others. In Brazil, Criola, an organisation that works to defend black women's rights, decided to fight back by putting
- [The Beginning of the End for Apps](https://allisterspeaks.com/beginning-end-apps/) - The App Economy has been one of the stand-out successes of our burgeoning digital era. Companies like Apple and Google now generate billions of dollars of revenue from sales of mobile apps, and armies of clever developers have built entire businesses from releasing apps. But the need for apps has never been lower than today, and
- [Find Your Growth Hub](https://allisterspeaks.com/find-growth-hub/) - The opportunity to deliver a keynote speech at the excellent Enterprise M3 Annual Conference in Woking this month gave me cause to ponder the role of local government and business groups in promoting digital skills and capability development across the UK. With Wild Orange Media located just a few miles away in nearby Surrey, Enterprise
- [The Enduring Power of Moore's Law](https://allisterspeaks.com/enduring-power-moores-law/) - At Wild Orange Media we're often asked (and caught talking) about Moore's Law, the exponential growth principle first documented in 1965. Gordon Moore. then just a young engineer, made the far-sighted observation that technology, largely powered by silicon microelectronics, could repeatedly double in power in a fairly predictable way. It's a principle that has shaped
- [Is Your Chosen Career Heading for Extinction?](https://allisterspeaks.com/is-your-chosen-career-heading-for-extinction/) - A question from the future: "Grandad, is it really true that people used to fly planes and work in shops? We're learning about it at school." Change is everywhere in a technology-charged world. Many of the jobs people do have changed or disappeared completely in recent years, and some will be barely remembered a few years
- [The Definitive Planning Guide for Facebook Ad Targeting](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-definitive-planning-guide-for-facebook-ad-targeting/) - UPDATE: We've revised our Facebook Ad Targeting Planning Document to reflect ongoing improvements form Facebook. Get the updated information here. Targeting ads and posts on Facebook gets more interesting every week. I don't know of any other ways that marketers can precision target "single College Graduates who are away from their family working in the Healthcare and
- [Why Marketers are to Blame for the Demise of Customer Service](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-marketers-are-to-blame-for-the-demise-of-customer-service/) - A whopping 65% of social media users now think it's better to contact companies through social networking sites than to make a call to its call centre. The reasons are obvious: social media sites seem to attract a faster response, they're quick and easy to use and, er, remind me, how do I make an old-fashioned phone
- [Using LinkedIn Better and More Cheaply](https://allisterspeaks.com/using-linkedin-better-cheaply/) - Change is never easy, is it? But if there's one New Year's resolution I'm proudly sticking to, it's the one about making better use of LinkedIn to manage my personal brand and find like-minded people to support me in my work. And, for many smart people, using LinkedIn better takes little more than remembering to use the
- [McDonald's, Pink Slime, and Absolute Transparency](https://allisterspeaks.com/mcdonalds-pink-slime-and-absolute-transparency/) - McDonald's has been doing some excellent marketing in recent years. It's clear that the company understands the digital world and the need to operate more openly and transparently. Its excellent Our Food, Your Questions campaign is evidence of how much the company is changing. First launched in Canada, this is now one of my all time favourite social media
- [What Teenagers Really Think About Social Media](https://allisterspeaks.com/teenagers-really-think-social-media/) - Here are two posts that should be required reading for all parents of young children and teenagers, as well as all marketing professionals who would like to make their products appeal more to young people through social media marketing programmes. As we often discuss at Internet Safety School, it can be really difficult to see the world
- [Book List - Behavioural Economics and Persuasion Skills](https://allisterspeaks.com/book-list-behavioural-economics-persuasion-skills/) - I'm often asked for some recommendations of good books on behavioural economics and persuasion skills, so here's a quick list of some of my favourite reads. Click on the books to view each title on Amazon. Enjoy! Fun to read, a great starting point in bite-sized chunks. Frankly anything by Dan Ariely is guaranteed to
- [How to Live Without a Smartphone](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-live-without-a-smartphone/) - A recent camera fault on my HTC One M8 called for a warranty repair which—horror of horrors—meant I would be without my smartphone for a week. It turned out to be quite a sobering experience, and one that I'd recommend many people give a try. It's only when you are confronted by life without your
- [Buffer for Not for Profits (half price)](https://allisterspeaks.com/buffer-for-not-for-profits-half-price/) - I remain a big fan of Buffer, the social media posting tool that makes it easy to cue up posts to social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn , and then drips them out to your desired schedule. Having the ability to schedule posts like this is an important way to maintain posting momentum to selected channels
- [The Home Wi-fi for Safe Internet Access for Kids](https://allisterspeaks.com/home-wi-fi-safe-internet-access-kids/) - At Internet Safety School we're always on the lookout for simple ways that parents can help their children live their digital lives to the full, while staying safe and secure. So we're excited to be a backer of an innovative new product called Kidokey (also the first—and long-awaited—product we know that rhymes with okeydokey!). Kidokey
- [Become A Twitter Ninja](https://allisterspeaks.com/become-a-twitter-ninja/) - It's been quiet on our blog recently. That's because we've been really busy. But when times get hectic, as the old mantra goes, there's no point working harder, you need to work smarter. And that's why I loved revisiting a post from the Buffer Blog from earlier this year in which Neil Patel shared a collection of
- [[this subject line intentionally left blank]](https://allisterspeaks.com/subject-line-intentionally-left-blank/) - I love using Signals by Hubspot. It helps me see when people open my emails and how often they do so. And it's free for up to 200 notifications per month. You can sign up here. (my referral link) But that's not what this blog post is about. I'd like to share some findings that the team
- [Marketing Ethics Interview on Cambridge Marketing Review](https://allisterspeaks.com/marketing-ethics-interview-cambridge-marketing-review/) - Shortly after giving a recent keynote speech for the Chartered Institute of Marketing at their annual Digital Conference in Cambridge I was interviewed by Kiran Kapur of Star 107.9 FM. My talk had been about the importance of marketing ethics and transparency, and the CIM's Keep Social Honest campaign, and that's exactly what Kiran wanted
- [The Blemish Effect and Why Bad Reviews Are Good](https://allisterspeaks.com/blemish-effect-bad-reviews-good/) - Let's imagine you are looking to buy a book online. You are trying to choose between two books, neither of which you know much about, other than the information provided on the Amazon site where you are browsing. To help decide which book is best you scroll down to the review section. Based on these
- [Marketing Week Live presentations](https://allisterspeaks.com/marketing-week-live-presentations/) - I gave two keynotes at the recent Marketing Week Live event at London Olympia and am pleased to be able to share the slides with you here. The first includes some broad observations about the changing nature of marketing in the digital era with a focus on the demise of organic reach through social channels
- [Sexting and Young People](https://allisterspeaks.com/sexting-and-young-people/) - As part of our Internet Safety School community initiative here at Wild Orange Media, we've been delving into new research to examine some of the challenges facing young people online. The selfie is now a mainstay of our digital lives. But for some young people it can stray into darker areas where they may be encouraged to
- [LinkedIn To Withdraw Lead Collection on 15 July 2014](https://allisterspeaks.com/linkedin-withdraw-lead-collection/) - LinkedIn Ads includes a feature called Lead Collection that makes it easy for self-service advertisers to gather contact details, including email addresses, from people who engage with their ads. But this feature is set to be withdrawn on 15 July 2014, meaning you have just two weeks left to take advantage of it or withdraw
- [Google Removes Authorship Photos from SERPS](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-removes-authorship-photos-serps/) - Since 2011, writers and bloggers have had the option to have their photos displayed alongside articles and posts they have written that show up in Google's search results. But that's all about to change with alterations coming into effect over the next few days following an announcement by Google's Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller. Gradually taking effect across
- [What Pay To Play Means For You](https://allisterspeaks.com/pay-to-play/) - I've been asked a lot recently about 'Pay To Play,' the rhythmical phrase used to describe the requirement for brands to now pay for a presence on social networking sites. But I haven't posted about it here before, so here are a few answers to questions that marketers might have as they contemplate life in the Pay To Play
- [The Top 50 UK Marketing Blogs](https://allisterspeaks.com/top-50-uk-marketing-blogs/) - Don't panic, you're in safe hands, allegedly... We've been named one of the UK's Top 50 Marketing blogs in an exhaustive review by Contender Content. Which is nice... What's even nicer is the list of 49 other useful marketing blogs that you can find at http://contendercontent.com/uk-marketing-agency-blogs/. Among our favourite reads on the list are Distilled, Incisive Edge,
- [How to instantly add every World Cup match to your calendar](https://allisterspeaks.com/add-every-world-cup-match-calendar/) - I've spotted lots of web traffic coming through to an old blog post I wrote around the time of the last World Cup, where I shared advice on how to add the football matches to your Outlook calendar. This tells me this is still a popular thing to do, so here are the simple instructions you
- [Make Marketing Noble, Keep Social Honest](https://allisterspeaks.com/make-marketing-noble-keep-social-honest/) - I've been banging on for ages about the importance of making marketing an honourable, noble profession. And I'm delighted that my friends at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) have picked up this mission with their latest campaign entitled 'Keep Social Honest'. From research carried out in March and April this year by YouGov across
- [Correlation Does Not Imply Causation](https://allisterspeaks.com/correlation-causation/) - Last week's post about the ideal length for all kinds of different digital content sparked an offline debate about the differences between correlation and causation. Understanding the differences is crucial to many forms of analytics, and some people still get the two muddled up. In simple terms, a correlation implies a statistical relationship between two
- [Demystifying Digital Marketing in Dubai](https://allisterspeaks.com/demystifying-digital-marketing-dubai/) - Next week I'll be in Dubai, UAE, to deliver a new training programme entitled 'Demystifying Digital Marketing'. The open course is a two-day programme, designed to coincide with the Middle East Event Show and Mktg Live, and will feature brand new training content covering everything from search engines to email, mobile marketing to UI testing. I've written
- [Why Length Matters in Online Content](https://allisterspeaks.com/length-matters-online-content/) - The well-worn phrase "Size Doesn't Matter" has no place in the digital marketer's toolbox. Size, I'm slightly saddened to report, is everything. Get it wrong and your content simply won't get consumed. Get it right and you could give your content a precious extra lift, boosting clicks, conversions and, ultimately, sales. Kevan Lee at Buffer recently
- [You Need To See The Hottest Words in Viral Headlines](https://allisterspeaks.com/hottest-words-viral-headlines/) - Knowing how to write a killer headline, subject line or tweet can make the difference between success and failure for your content marketing efforts. The simple truth is, it doesn't matter how great your content is; if readers don't get past the headline they'll never know. Ripenn recently collated 2,616 headlines from four popular sites
- [Twitter Launches Editorial Calendar Tool](https://allisterspeaks.com/twitter-launches-editorial-calendar-tool/) - Shifting your social media marketing efforts from reactive, last minute posts to being pre-planned, proactive communications designed in advance to achieve a specific goal is an ambition that every social media marketer should aspire to. Twitter knows this and today rolled out a new service designed to help businesses and (it hopes, Twitter advertisers!) improve
- [Wi-fi Security 101 - secure your router from outsiders](https://allisterspeaks.com/wi-fi-security-101/) - Here's a top Internet Safety tip: Don't put your wi-fi router in the window with the wi-fi access code visible from the outside. Blindingly obvious perhaps, but it's surprisingly easy to spot homes and businesses who fail this most obvious security test. Instead, make sure you do the following: Change the router admin password to
- [A new HootSuite Ambassador for EMEA](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-hootsuite-ambassador-emea/) - I'm delighted to have recently been appointed a HootSuite Ambassador for EMEA. In this voluntary role I'll continue to support adoption and use of the popular social media management system that now boasts more than 8 millions users worldwide. HootSuite has played a leading role in my social media marketing toolkit for a couple of years
- [LinkedIn Withdraws Products and Services - what you must do now](https://allisterspeaks.com/linkedin-withdraws-products-services-must-now/) - LinkedIn has quietly announced that the 'Products and Services' page available on every Company Page on the social network will no longer be supported after 14th April 2014. This popular feature is being retired to make way for 'Showcase Pages,' but the potential impact on existing users could be significant. Don't panic! Here are our
- [Data Sharing and The Generational Divide](https://allisterspeaks.com/data-sharing-generational-divide/) - I wrote recently about the importance of 'Giving then Receiving', reminding marketers to give something to their audience before asking for personal data. It works, and I've been touched by the messages I received from you sharing your experiences of testing this approach. New data from Mintel in the USA should provide further encouragement if
- [Why Pizzerias Love You To Go Small](https://allisterspeaks.com/pizzerias-love-go-small/) - Friday night is pizza night! Or at least it is in my head right now! Everyone seems to love pizza these days. Economic recession or no recession, pizzerias have never been busier. Domino's, the world's largest pizza chain recently opened its 777th shop in the UK, and now operates in more than 70 countries. It
- [Little Delights and Why It Pays to Sweat The Small Stuff](https://allisterspeaks.com/sweat-small-stuff/) - My first boss drummed into me the importance of paying great attention to detail in everything I did. But little details, he told me, are especially important when working on designs for products and communications materials. So it was great delight that I was recently introduced to a lovely site called Little Big Details, which
- [The Power of Listicles and How To Make Yours Better](https://allisterspeaks.com/power-listicles-make-better/) - Journalists have known it for years and they've become a staple of headline writers and bloggers in recent years. But what's the science behind the listicle's remarkable success? For the uninitiated, listicle is a derived from the words list and article. It describes a ranked list of items with a snappy title like "10 Fun Ways to Eat
- [Why Infinite Scrolling May Be Bad For Business](https://allisterspeaks.com/infinite-scrolling-may-bad-business/) - In our multi-touch, high bandwidth digital world, the number of webpages with infinite scrolling is rising sharply. But it's not always a good thing as I'll try to explain in this short blog post. Infinite scrolling, where the page loads continuously as you scroll down, is an appealing feature for web designers looking to maximise
- [Escaping FOMO and Living in the Moment](https://allisterspeaks.com/escaping-fomo-and-living-in-the-moment/) - Valentine's Day is upon us. The annual opportunity to show how much we care for the people we love, usually through the medium of corny gift cards, flowers and chocolates. But it's also a good time to reconnect with the simpler things in life. Our fast-moving digital world constantly fuels a nagging fear of missing
- [There's No Such Thing as a Digital Marketer](https://allisterspeaks.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-digital-marketer/) - I've never felt very comfortable with the label 'Digital Marketer.' And to reflect this, I've been describing myself as "A Marketer in a Digital World" for about 5 years now, a badge I have worn with pride. But even this is starting to feel a little behind the times. The world is certainly digital, with
- [Delightful Creativity from Putpockets](https://allisterspeaks.com/delightful-creativity-from-putpockets/) - There's a very common mental state we experience every day of our lives that makes us greatly underestimate the likelihood of something bad happening to us. Psychologists call it the 'normalcy bias', and it's a pretty helpful thing. Without it, we would be less able to relax and enjoy our lives. Instead, we'd live in
- [Common Website Mistakes To Avoid](https://allisterspeaks.com/common-website-mistakes-to-avoid/) - We all see a lot of websites these days. But how often do you find yourself on a new site wondering what the company actually does or wants you to do next? It’s an all too common problem. In our haste to build websites, we often forget to look at the initial designs through our
- [Friction Free Forms for Marketing Ninjas](https://allisterspeaks.com/friction-free-forms-for-marketing-ninjas/) - Happy New Year! I’ve written before about the dangers of asking too much of your site visitors before you have established a meaningful, value-based relationship with them. Now Lisa Margetis at Singlehop has reminded me of the importance of keeping any “asks” you must make of your customers as simple and pain-free as possible. In
- [A Tech-Free Festive Break](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-tech-free-festive-break/) - The Christmas and New Year festivities are almost upon us. And, as I pull down the shutters on another year of trading, I’m looking forward to switching off from the bustle and hustle of business life at Wild Orange Media and spending some quality time with family and friends. I’ll also be making a conscious
- [50 Things You Don’t Need in 2014](https://allisterspeaks.com/50-things-you-dont-need-in-2014/) - 50 Things You Don't Need In 2014 from Wild Orange Media Ltd As 2013 draws to a close, I thought it might be fun to take a look at some well-loved things that suddenly find themselves obsolete in our fast-changing world. I can’t pretend this is a comprehensive list of all-things-obsolete, but coming up with
- [The Basic Data Capture Mistake Almost Every Marketer Makes](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-basic-data-capture-mistake-almost-every-marketer-makes/) - As marketers, we know a large part of our job is to collect as much data about customers and prospects as possible. Feeding the database gives us leads to qualify and valuable data to mine. So it makes perfect sense when we have something of value to these people—like some great content or special offers—that
- [Introducing Internet Safety School for Parents and Carers](https://allisterspeaks.com/introducing-internet-safety-school-for-parents-and-carers/) - Our mission here at Wild Orange Media has always been to help everyone benefit fully and safely from all the good things that our digital world has to offer. Yet one of the greatest threats we see in our internet-fuelled world today is to the safety and wellbeing of children. Left unattended, with unrestricted access
- [Three Charms But Four Alarms](https://allisterspeaks.com/three-charms-but-four-alarms/) - We humans love seeing choices or lists presented in groups of three. Three gives a natural balance to things, as does five or seven. But three really is the magic number for marketers and copywriters. A recent study for the Make-A-Wish Foundation sought to find the messaging sweet spot for securing charitable donations. They randomly
- [Content 1 Advertising 0 – Why Great Content Wins Today](https://allisterspeaks.com/content-1-advertising-0-why-great-content-wins-today/) - (This post by Allister Frost was first published on the Emarketeers’ blog) Content, content, content... It seems everyone in marketing these days is talking about content. The stats prove it too with the number of Google searches for “Content Marketing” soaring 10-fold in the last two years. And I’m a believer. I believe great content
- [Selecting A College With Gen Z And Its Parents](https://allisterspeaks.com/selecting-a-college-with-gen-z-and-its-parents/) - While preparing for my keynote address at The Association of Colleges’ Annual Digital Engagement and Marketing Conference in December I’ve recently been pondering some of the digital challenges facing education establishments. Selecting a college and course to study is up there with the most important decisions of our lives. But what has the greatest influence
- [Mind The Gap – Consumers 1 v Marketers 0](https://allisterspeaks.com/mind-the-gap-consumers-1-v-marketers-0/) - We live in a fast-changing world. Which means the longer you’ve held an opinion, the greater the chances your views may have fallen behind the times. The latest fast.MAP Marketing Gap study (the 9th annual edition) shows once again how disconnected some marketers’ views are from those of their customers. Let’s take a look at
- [Visualise Anything - This Is the Average Man's Body](https://allisterspeaks.com/visualise-anything-this-is-the-average-mans-body/) - Technology is so powerful these days we can visualise almost anything we can imagine.But data visualisations don't have to be dull. Pie charts, graphs and flow diagrams all have an important role to play, but sometimes a picture truly does paint a thousand words.That's why I love this article from The Atlantic. From readily available
- [This Is Not An Insight at Social Media Week](https://allisterspeaks.com/this-is-not-an-insight-at-social-media-week/) - It’s Social Media Week (#SMW) in London and other cities around the world. And, like any social media conference, the microphone seems to attract more than its fair share of nonsense and misguided opinions masquerading as facts. Fortunately there’s a deliciously barbed anonymous Tumblr page to bring our attention to some of the most mindless
- [Why You Should Schedule Your Updates With Buffer](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-you-should-schedule-your-updates-with-buffer/) - Buffer has been a staple ingredient in my social media management workflow for a couple of years now. If you’ve not tried it yet, now’s the time! It’s a simple, free tool that allows users to schedule tweets and posts to other social networks including Facebook (pages and profiles), LinkedIn (profiles, groups and company pages),
- [How To Fly A Plane With A Hashtag](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-fly-a-plane-with-a-hashtag/) - It may be a barely veiled attempt to drive Twitter mentions, but you have to admire BA’s Race The Plane competition that’s running in the UK today. The campaign idea is simplicity itself. Twitter users can race (virtually) a BA jet flying from London to Toronto by tweeting with the hashtag #racetheplace. Presumably—although it’s not
- [Top Picks for Social Media Week London 2013](https://allisterspeaks.com/top-picks-for-social-media-week-london-2013/) - There’s just one week to go until Social Media Week hits cities around the globe, from Berlin to Mumbai and Bogotá to São Paulo. No prizes for guessing where I’ll be though: London! And this year I’ll be hosting a Content Cookery School breakfast briefing with Emarketeers where I’ll be exploring Content Marketing and the
- [Which UK Brands Are Winning On Facebook?](https://allisterspeaks.com/which-uk-brands-are-winning-on-facebook/) - Socialbakers has released its latest report into top brand performance in the UK and, no surprise, big names like Amazon, Coca-Cola and iTunes lead the league when ranked on their number of followers. But “as any fule kno” measuring the number of fans alone is a pretty pointless exercise. Having fans counts for nothing if
- [The State of Friendship in a Social Media World](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-state-of-friendship-in-a-social-media-world/) - I’d love to attribute this image to someone, but I have no idea where it first appeared. But it’s great and says a lot about the shifting meaning of ‘friendship’ and the inescapable shallowness of many of our daily interactions in a digital world: Many thanks to whoever created this. I’m sure we’d make great
- [Don’t get SWAMmed–How LinkedIn is Fighting Spam](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-get-swammedhow-linkedin-is-fighting-spam/) - Earlier this year LinkedIn quietly introduced a new featured called S.W.A.M. designed to reduce the volume of spam and unsolicited sales pitches on their platform. S.W.A.M. is short for Sitewide Auto Moderation and, in a nutshell, means that if one LinkedIn Group Manager blocks a person from their group, all future posts from that person
- [Free digital marketing advice–my summer gift to you](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-digital-marketing-advicemy-summer-gift-to-you/) - I had a great summer holiday break, and I hope you did too. Escaping from the world of work and spending time with family and friends helps me stay focussed on what life is really about. And it’s put me in a really good mood, even if I’m now back in the office putting out
- [Back To School - Time to Update Your Social Media Cover Photos](https://allisterspeaks.com/back-to-school-time-to-update-your-social-media-cover-photos/) - With the kids heading back to school in the UK today or very soon, now is the perfect time to polish up your social media profile pictures and cover photos. But knowing what size your images need to be has always been a time-consuming exercise. But not anymore, thanks to this nifty guide from the
- [Reasons to Unlike a Brand On Facebook](https://allisterspeaks.com/reasons-to-unlike-a-brand-on-facebook/) - (click image to enlarge) Take a close look at the image above. Need any more reasons why your brand should abandon its incessant pursuit for meaningless ‘Likes’ on Facebook? Of course, you don’t have to stop. No-one will issue you a ‘cease and desist’ letter. That’s the beauty of the free-flowing social web. But you
- [How to Write the Perfect Tweet](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-write-the-perfect-tweet/) - I’d say this infographic from Neomobile was almost perfect. But I wouldn’t recommend always placing your links at the end of the tweet as that’s the first bit that’ll get cut off if people do an old style retweet or append copy to the start of a reply. It’s safer to put your links in
- [Who’s Watching Webinars These Days?](https://allisterspeaks.com/whos-watching-webinars-these-days/) - Webinar presenters will find a host of fascinating data points in BrightTALK’s DataLeaks 2013 presentation. Did you know for instance?: On average, 90% of the audience has shown up 15% of the way into each webinar. So, if you’ve something interesting to say, best save it until you’re about 20% (one fifth) of the way
- [June 2013 – Top UK Facebook Performers Report](https://allisterspeaks.com/june-2013-top-uk-facebook-performers-report/) - The Socialbakers’ report for June is now out. In it we learn that ‘Amazon UK’ is the UK’s leading brand page on Facebook with almost 3.5million local fans, ‘Up Your Viva’ is the leading media brand page despite losing fans since its peak in mid-May, Michael Ball gets more engagement on Facebook than George Michael,
- [Hangout with MyWebPresenters](https://allisterspeaks.com/hangout-with-mywebpresenters/) - Here’s a video of a Google Hangout I recently recorded direct from Wild Orange Media Towers with Neil Davidson, MD of MyWebPresenters. We chatted about effective measures of success for online videos, the viral myth, producing content that people engaged with and share, and my thoughts on what’s next for Wild Orange Media. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sqjUZF-bS8
- [Being Creative Coffee Shop Style](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-creative-coffee-shop-style/) - Open plan office workers know how hard it can be to focus on work tasks when surrounded by the hustle and bustle of office life. But researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that working on creative tasks amidst ambient background noise can actually boost our creative ability. In scientific tests carried out on
- [Digital Marketing Personality of the Year](https://allisterspeaks.com/digital-marketing-personality-of-the-year/) - Well, this is an honour! I am delighted to have been named Digital Marketing Personality of the Year in the BOC Global Events Innovative Marketing Awards 2013. My thanks go to the judges for momentarily losing their senses and picking me, and to BOC Global Events for nominating me. I received my award at a
- [Durex Condoms In Social Media Flop](https://allisterspeaks.com/durex-condoms-in-social-media-flop/) - My friend Eileen Brown brought a delightful social media #fail to my attention today in her column on ZDNet. You’d have thought Durex Condoms would always play it safe, but their latest Facebook marketing campaign has turned into a bit of a flop thanks to a remarkable lack of planning (or should that be foreplay?)
- [What Social Businesses Can Learn from Improvisation](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-social-businesses-can-learn-from-improvisation/) - Many years ago I was privileged to learn improvisation skills at a week-long business retreat. My teacher, Neil Mullarkey of The Comedy Store, has remained a good friend to me over the years and the concepts he taught me have stayed fresh in my mind. The recent emergence of more social businesses—where staff can openly
- [3 Simple Steps to Creating Daily Content Gold](https://allisterspeaks.com/3-simple-steps-to-creating-daily-content-gold/) - We’ve all been there; it’s every community manager’s nightmare. Staring at that blank screen, racking your brain for fresh ideas about what to post to your social networks today. When writer’s block strikes sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away and formulate a new plan on how to avoid an idea logjam
- [Think Different](https://allisterspeaks.com/think-different/) - Is it just me, or does Apple’s current iPad advertising bear a startling resemblance to rival Microsoft’s “Life Without Walls” ad campaign of almost five years ago? Of course, not every idea can be completely new. But it does make me a little sad to see this, another example of Apple’s innovative streak fading away.
- [How to raise $500k for a start-up](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-raise-500k-for-a-start-up/) - I like Buffer. It’s a great tool for posting staggered updates to social media channels and, as of last week, you can even schedule retweets now too. I also like their great customer service. But what I like most of all is their openness and generosity; two key ingredients for start-up success on the social
- [Lessons From A Stiff Door](https://allisterspeaks.com/lessons-from-a-stiff-door/) - This is the entrance door to a bistro. What’s the easiest option for the bistro owner: fix the door so customers cam come in easily or put up a sign telling them how they should use it? I know which option customers would choose. And we all know which option the bistro owner should avoid.
- [When Privacy Policies Go Bad and How to Fix Them](https://allisterspeaks.com/when-privacy-policies-go-bad-and-how-to-fix-them/) - Hot on the heels of yesterday’s post about the importance of carefully selecting your positive and negative keywords, I’ve some remarkable online test insights to share from ContentVerve.com’s Michael Aargaard. Michael wanted to find out what impact adding a privacy statement alongside a registration form would have on sign-up rates. I think you’ll agree, the
- [7 Steps To Turning Negative Keywords into Positives](https://allisterspeaks.com/7-steps-to-turning-negative-keywords-into-positives/) - Search engine marketers know how important it is to think about the words that they don’t want their company or brands to be associated with. But few people apply the same keyword rigour when posting to social networks. In this post, I’ll explain why this is important and how you can turn negative keywords into
- [How to Ask for Help On Twitter (Please Read This!)](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-ask-for-help-on-twitter-please-read-this/) - It’s well known that if you ask people to retweet something on Twitter they’re more likely to do so than if you don’t ask. But exactly how much more likely has never been quantified before. Step forward Hubspot’s Dan Zarella, author of The Science of Marketing, and a huge dataset from social update scheduler Buffer.
- [Who Needs a Social Command Centre Anyway?](https://allisterspeaks.com/who-needs-a-social-command-centre-anyway/) - The Social Command Centre—a kind of NASA Ground Control for social media hub teams in organisations—is an increasingly common sight these days inside large organisations. Here’s a snap of Microsoft’s latest prototype, which I saw running on a visit this week to their UK Campus: The big idea behind command centres like this is to
- [Myth-busting: Calls-to-action Must Be Above The Fold](https://allisterspeaks.com/myth-busting-calls-to-action-must-be-above-the-fold/) - The longer you work in any specialist field the more susceptible you become to placing trust in tried-and-tested rules and principles. Take the well-known fact that content placed on a website above the fold (that is in the top portion of the screen, visible to all when the page loads) performs better than stuff below
- [Cut-To-The-Chase Help When You Need It](https://allisterspeaks.com/cut-to-the-chase-help-when-you-need-it/) - I’m occasionally asked if it’s possible to book a short consulting session with me to collect some quick answers or get help tackling urgent issues. This has always been difficult to arrange in the past but I’m pleased to announce a new way for you to get personal, cut-to-the-chase help from me over the phone.
- [Colour and Brands Through The Ages](https://allisterspeaks.com/colour-and-brands-through-the-ages/) - (see what I did there?!) In the UK we call it ‘colour’ while our American cousins prefer ‘color’. However you write it, having an appreciation of how seeing different colours affects our mood is a great skill for every marketer. With a hat tip to my former Microsoft colleague Steve Clayton, here’s a delightful little
- [100km In The Dark for Macmillan Cancer Support](https://allisterspeaks.com/100km-in-the-dark-for-macmillan-cancer-support/) - In around seven weeks’ time I’ll be attempting to cycle 100km (62 miles) overnight around the cold, dark streets of London to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. My nan died last month after battling cancer for much of her life so this feels like a nice way to remember her and help others who
- [The Worrying Truth About Cart Abandonment](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-worrying-truth-about-cart-abandonment/) - Cart abandonment, where an online shopper adds items to their basket but then fails to complete the checkout process, is one of the most common and frustrating issues facing ecommerce retailers. Carrying out a forensic investigation into why potential buyers leave before completing their transaction can yield valuable insights to streamline the shopping process and
- [The Little Changes That Make All The Difference](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-little-changes-that-make-all-the-difference/) - I’m indebted to ContentVerve.com for just publishing an outstanding collection of ten user interface design case studies that illustrate how the smallest changes can sometimes result in the biggest improvements. In one A/B test, simply changing one word on a call to action on a PPC landing page resulted in a 90% increase in conversion.
- [The Science of Facebook Engagement (infographic)](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-science-of-facebook-engagement-infographic/) - I’m often asked how companies can increase the engagement levels of their posts on Facebook. Sadly, there’s no silver bullet or one-size-fits-all solution, but there are plenty of studies that show the value of experimentation. And while it doesn’t offer any universally applicable answers, the infographic below may give you some fresh ideas for what
- [5 Tips To Ensure Your Business Shows Up In Facebook Graph Search (eye tracking study)](https://allisterspeaks.com/5-tips-to-ensure-your-business-shows-up-in-facebook-graph-search-eye-tracking-study/) - Facebook’s powerful new “Graph Search” feature is now being rolled out to users. To jump the queue you can join the waitlist at https://www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch. I’ve written previously about the rich—and sometimes disturbing—insights that the tool search feature will bring, but a new study by Mediative sheds light on how new users are actually using the
- [What a Difference Eight Years Make](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-a-difference-eight-years-make/) - I just had to share this. Photo by nbcnews • Instagram
- [Having Your Cake And Eating It](https://allisterspeaks.com/having-your-cake-and-eating-it/) - A recent survey by GI Insight shines a light on our love-hate relationship with commercial messages within social media platforms. An overwhelming 92% of British consumers surveyed stated their wish to “keep advertising very separate from real chat”, while 82% said that they use social media a lot but don’t want it invaded by advertising
- [How Your Facebook Likes Can Expose The Real You](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-your-facebook-likes-can-reveal-the-real-you/) - If you like the iPod page on Facebook you’re probably more dissatisfied with your life than someone who likes Sarah Palin. That’s just one of the findings from a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge that shows how much of our personality we share through our Facebook Likes, whether we realise it
- [Happy Valentine’s Day](https://allisterspeaks.com/happy-valentines-day/) - Happy Valentine’s Day, dear reader. You already know, but here’s what fills my heart every time I think of you. xxx (with thanks to the excellent Tagxedo for making this lovely heart from some of the words on this blog)
- [Reasons to be Fearful - Facebook Graph Search](https://allisterspeaks.com/reasons-to-be-fearful-facebook-graph-search/) - Facebook’s new Graph Search (currently in Beta testing to limited users only) will eventually allow anyone to search data across the platform and precisely identify people with common interests. For example, if looking for a a companion for a lunchtime snack you will be able to instantly search for “friends who work at my company
- [Top UK Online Marketing Bloggers](https://allisterspeaks.com/top-uk-online-marketing-bloggers/) - People often ask me to recommend great digital marketing blogs they should read. I have my own favourites, hand-picked over the years according to the usefulness of the content they share. For every blog I keep following there are usually two or three I ditch because they fail to blog regularly or to a consistently
- [Why’s Social Media Managers Go To Iceland](https://allisterspeaks.com/whys-social-media-managers-go-to-iceland/) - It’s a longstanding campaign, but it still stands out in my mind as one of the most delightful ways that social media has been put to proper and effective use. Back in 2009, Takk Takk, a small marketing and communications agency in Iceland, was tasked by the Icelandic Tourist Board with finding ways to promote
- [Digital Marketing Investments Set To Rise in 2013](https://allisterspeaks.com/digital-marketing-investments-set-to-rise-in-2013/) - Digital marketers should take heart from new data from Gartner that suggest investment levels in digital marketing at large companies are likely to increase across many disciplines in 2013. No surprise, social media is the area where most companies plan to increase their investment, with mobile apps close behind. Tablets apps look set to receive
- [The Recession-Busting Vending Machine](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-recession-busting-vending-machine/) - Are you depressed about the world’s economic woes? Well, here’s a vending machine that puts a novel spin on bad news. Spotted at the recently opened Open Data Institute in London UK, this vending machine has been reprogrammed to automatically dispense free snacks every time recession-related terms make the headlines on the BBC News RSS
- [The Best Annual Report Ever?](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-best-annual-report-ever/) - Warby Parker is an eyewear retailer based out of New York , USA. They have recently released the first Annual Report I’ve actually enjoyed reading. See for yourself at http://www.warbyparker.com/annual-report-2012. What a great way to engage an audience. Good work!
- [How to Escape The Events Management Cycle of Despair](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-escape-the-events-management-cycle-of-despair/) - I’ve written previously about the importance of carefully selecting which business conferences to attend and – more importantly – which to avoid. With an ever-tightening squeeze on marketing budgets and mounting pressure to “do more with less”, some event management companies face tough trading months ahead. But not every player in the conference business needs
- [My new video showreel](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-new-video-showreel/) - Dear Reader, I’ve a new video showreel which features a brief selection of clips from some of my recent talks. Thought you might like to see it. All the best, Allister [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6kftfinonw]
- [The Science of Persuasion Video by Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-science-of-persuasion-video-by-robert-cialdini-and-steve-martin/) - I often speak at conferences on the fascinating topic of behavioural economics, much of which is rooted in understanding the psychological triggers that our simple human brains find irresistible. Dr Robert Cialdini is one of the world’s leading experts in this field and has recently teamed up with Steve Martin (no, not that Steve Martin)
- [Powerful Data Visualisation from Autodesk’s Organic Org Chart](https://allisterspeaks.com/powerful-data-visualisation-from-autodesks-organic-org-chart/) - Data, data, data. It’s the fuel behind a new world of discoveries and possibilities. Take this video from AutoDesk that vividly illustrates how the company’s organisational chart has evolved over 4 years from May 2007-June 2011. It’s not, perhaps, the most user-friendly way to present the data, but in the hands of an experienced observer
- [Microsoft’s clever “small demonstration”](https://allisterspeaks.com/microsofts-clever-small-demonstration/) - Some ideas just smack you between the eyes and make you wonder “why didn’t I think of that?” That’s how I feel watching this cute, short video from Microsoft Portugal. What better way to prove that a computer is really easy to use? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ODFvy1mjoY&w=448&h=252&hd=1] Nice marketing! Thanks to my friend Faiz Rehman at Microsoft in
- [Reflections On 2012, A Year of Extraordinary Change](https://allisterspeaks.com/reflections-on-2012-a-year-of-extraordinary-change/) - As the calendar year draws to a close and our attention turns to spending time with family and friends over the festive break, I like to take a moment to look back on the 12 months past to reflect on how much has changed. Most progress is gradual, it takes time to build, leaving many
- [Free video webinar: B2B Buyer Engagement Through New Technology](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-video-webinar-b2b-buyer-engagement-through-new-technology/) - Yesterday I joined B2B Marketing’s Joel Harrison and co-founder of BrightTALK, Charlie Blackburn, in their London studio to talk about the challenge of securing buyer engagement through new technology channels. If you missed the live broadcast, the webinar recording is now available to view at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/1166/62437 I'd love to hear your feedback. And yes, I
- [Free webinar 6 Dec on B2B Marketing through New Technology](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-webinar-6-dec-on-b2b-marketing-through-new-technology/) - Join me and Charlie Blackburn, co-founder of BrightTALK, on a special live webinar on 6 December at 10am (UK). To register, go to https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/1166/58431. With Joel Harrison, Editorial Director of B2B Marketing, to guide the debate we’ll be discussing how buyer behaviours are changing and what it now takes to properly engage your customers and
- [Beware the hidden costs of online shopping](https://allisterspeaks.com/beware-the-hidden-costs-of-online-shopping/) - Today is Manic Monday, expected to be the busiest online shopping day of the year, and this seems a timely moment to issue some advice. While the Internet can be a great place to buy goods at some highly attractive prices you need to stay alert to the risk of hidden charges that may negate
- [Dan Ariely’s The Honest Truth about Dishonesty](https://allisterspeaks.com/dan-arielys-the-honest-truth-about-dishonesty/) - I’ve been speaking a lot about making marketing noble, not least because if you don’t you are virtually guaranteed to be found out sooner or later in our increasingly transparent and open society. Technology that has given us easier access to information lies at the root of this societal shift but my favourite behavioural economist
- [Outstanding Customer Service by Buffer](https://allisterspeaks.com/outstanding-customer-service-by-buffer/) - I’m a bigger fan of Buffer today than I was yesterday. Which is quite something because I already liked it a lot. I didn’t hesitate to drop them an email when their newsletter asked me for feedback and signed off with this genuine plea for feedback: P.S. We meant that whole "hit reply" bit. We
- [Killed by Tech](https://allisterspeaks.com/killed-by-tech/) - Eric Qualman writes some good books. His latest is out now and he’s plugging it, as ever, with a video that I know you’ll enjoy. But, before you watch, have a think about some of the things that have been killed off by technology in the last 20 years. Now watch the video and see
- [Stop! Your marketing strategy is showing](https://allisterspeaks.com/stop-your-marketing-strategy-is-showing/) - It’s the business equivalent of going out with your skirt tucked in. That time when your marketing efforts are so obviously focussed on a single goal, you fail to leave anything to the customer’s imagination. And instead of joining in, your customers just feel pity that your sorry attempts to steer them towards your business
- [What is (Cyber) Black Friday?](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-is-cyber-black-friday/) - Today, 23 November 2012 is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day in the USA. It’s a great day to do some online shopping for the Christmas holiday season as many retailer run one day only promotions to try to win your valuable festive custom. People here in the UK often ask me what it’s
- [Which content work on Facebook?](https://allisterspeaks.com/which-content-work-on-facebook/) - Here's a fact-packed infographic giving hints about what content types and strategies work best for brands on Facebook. Keep in mind that your brand and its audience are unique, so it's unlikely that these generic data points derived from a B2B study in Germany will be perfectly accurate for your business. Useful food for thought
- [Where the Internet lives](https://allisterspeaks.com/where-the-internet-lives/) - They are some of the most awesomely powerful places on Earth. Yet most of us will never get to visit them, even though many facets of our everyday lives depend upon them. Google has recently opened the doors, giving a peek into some of its datacenters. At the Where the Internet Lives site you can
- [Police Nicked for Marketing Dishonestly](https://allisterspeaks.com/police-nicked-for-marketing-dishonestly/) - If there’s one thing that gets sniffed out quickly in our social media age, it’s inauthenticity. An investigation by the Daily Record, Scotland’s best selling daily newspaper, has shown that even the Police can occasionally stoop to act dishonestly in their marketing campaigns. When Deputy Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police posed in front of 10
- [Breaking News - Some People Don’t Own A Tablet](https://allisterspeaks.com/breaking-news-some-people-dont-own-a-tablet/) - [I originally wrote this article for Silicon Beach 2012; this is the first time it has appeared online] This is an extraordinary time to be in business. The economy is all over the place, international trade is threatened by collapsing currencies and we’re constantly bombarded with new technology inventions that promise to improve our lives.
- [On Making Marketing Noble](https://allisterspeaks.com/on-making-marketing-noble/) - I believe that marketing doesn’t have to be one of the world’s most hated professional. Done correctly, I believe it plays an essential role in helping people live their lives to the full. Here’s a short talk I gave recently at Silicon Beach sharing my views on the responsibility sitting on every marketer’s shoulder to
- [So much has changed](https://allisterspeaks.com/18371-2/) - Typesetting and paste-up, 1970 If we want to understand the future, it helps to appreciate the past. Check out the painstaking efforts required to create a page of newspaper or magazine print in the 1970's. Today anyone can complete this task in a matter of minutes with a low cost computer and home printer, but
- [It’s time to Get Safe Online](https://allisterspeaks.com/its-time-to-get-safe-online/) - It’s Get Safe Online Week and a timely reminder to all of us to think again about how we protect our personal data and identities on the Internet. If you’ve ever had to change a password because you realised or feared it had been compromised in some way you’re not alone. A new study shows
- [How not to do Social Media by Thomas Cook](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-not-to-do-social-media-by-thomas-cook/) - This is a lesson in how not to do social media marketing. Thomas Cook (the mammoth holiday tour operator) was too wrapped up in itself to spot a glaring opportunity right before its eyes. Read through the following screenshots from Facebook and keep going to the end where you’ll see the stark difference another travel
- [When prices don’t look like prices](https://allisterspeaks.com/when-prices-dont-look-like-prices/) - What do you make of the prices on this bar menu? The most obvious thing you’ll have spotted is that there’s no currency symbol against the prices and the amounts are shown to only one decimal place or none at all if a round number. It’s a strange phenomenon, but presenting your prices in a
- [Free guide - 8 rules for the social web](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-guide-8-rules-for-the-social-web/) - We've just published a new document entitled '8 Rules for the Social Web'. It summarises 8 key principles that we think are universally important for any organisation looking to unlock more commercial value from social media sales and marketing programmes. Take a look and please let us know what you think. [googleapps domain="docs" dir="viewer" query="url=http%3A%2F%2Fwildorangemedia.squarespace.com%2Fstorage%2Fshared-documents%2F8%2520rules%2520for%2520the%2520Social%2520Web%2520by%2520Wild%2520Orange%2520Media.pdf&embedded=true"
- [Are you affected by recent Facebook Edgerank changes?](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-you-affected-by-recent-facebook-edgerank-changes/) - To help ensure you see content you’re most likely to interact with, Facebook uses an algorithm called Edgerank to determine which posts users see by default on their wall. I’ve written previously about the basic mechanics of Edgerank, explaining how it works and how to use it to your advantage, but Facebook continues to routinely
- [New book: Webs of Influence](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-book-webs-of-influence/) - I joined Nathalie Nahai for the Chinwag hosted launch of her new book Webs Of Influence last week. It’s a really good book, packed full of insights from psychology studies and new ideas to enhance your online impact. My only criticism of the book is that it almost contains too many ideas; it will take
- [Social Media Engagement–free whitepaper](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-engagementfree-whitepaper/) - I recently took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by social media agency Yomego exploring the issue of how to attract and measure engagement through social media channels. The write-up of the discussion is now available in a free whitepaper which you can download from here (.pdf). Securing engagement—by which I mean getting the recipients
- [Reading List: Neuromarketing](https://allisterspeaks.com/reading-list-neuromarketing/) - The phrase ‘neuromarketing’ is only around ten years old so it’s no surprise that most marketers have yet to study it extensively. It’s a fascinating topic, blending the latest findings from behavioural economics with breakthroughs in neuroscience. Today’s digital communication platforms give us the perfect test site for putting some of the new theory into
- [Social Media Week in a City Near You](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-week-in-a-city-near-you/) - Next week is Social Media Week in 14 big cities around the world, including my home city of London. It’s a fantastic showcase of talent and brains, giving everyone the chance to hear from some fascinating people at dozens of very different events throughout the week. I’ll be speaking at the EMarketeers’ Breakfast Briefing on
- [Breakthrough Thinking from Zero-based Budgeting](https://allisterspeaks.com/breakthrough-thinking-from-zero-based-budgeting/) - It’s September, which means those of you with business plans that follow the calendar year may well be turning your attention to the annual marketing budget process. Your mission, as in all previous years, is to firstly secure the same amount as last year then grab as much incremental budget as possible at the expense
- [Work from the heart](https://allisterspeaks.com/work-from-the-heart/) - There’s only so much enthusiasm any human being can show for something they don’t really believe in. And while most employees can muster interest in almost anything for a short period of time, maybe one or two years, few are able to sustain credible warmth towards their work without being motivated from the heart. Your
- [Spanning the Digital Divide](https://allisterspeaks.com/spanning-the-digital-divide/) - This is an interesting time to be in business. On the one hand there’s a constant stream of new shiny objects, gadgets and apps to play with, presenting exciting new ways to reach your customers. But on the other hand there are still plenty of traditional routes to market that generate vast reach, even if
- [Digital Marketing Conferences To Avoid](https://allisterspeaks.com/digital-marketing-conferences-to-avoid/) - There are so many digital marketing conferences these days. When I was working at Microsoft I think I could pretty much have spent my entire working week moving from one event to another, sometimes as a delegate, sometimes as a speaker. But the quality difference between one conference and another was extraordinary, and it was
- [Lots of love for SMS texts for customer alerts](https://allisterspeaks.com/lots-of-love-for-sms-texts-for-customer-alerts/) - Sending SMS texts containing sales and marketing messages is widely derided as intrusive and unwanted. But this criticism should be reserved solely for those companies who abuse this communication channel to shout advertising and promotional messages instead of thinking how they can use this channel more sensitively and opportunistically. A new study by ExactTarget shows
- [In the battle between Chicken and Egg, Social Networks win](https://allisterspeaks.com/in-the-battle-between-chicken-and-egg-battle-social-networks-win/) - There’s a classic chicken and egg conundrum happening here. Do people who already buy from a company tend to interact with them more on social networks, or do people who ‘like’ brands on social networks then go on to buy more of those brands? Without extensive lab-based research we’ll probably never know the answer as
- [Being Remarkable with Crap Wrap](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-remarkable-with-crap-wrap/) - Twisted Twee is that rarest of online things: a delightful shopping experience. We’ve been fans of their esoteric designs for some time, but their email shot yesterday made us love them just a little bit more. Like all great marketing, this really doesn’t need a lot of introduction. Take a widely held consumer insight (most
- [On nipping things in the bud](https://allisterspeaks.com/on-nipping-things-in-the-bud/) - Things happen faster today than ever before, largely thanks to technology advances that allow ideas to move from one person to another at the speed of light. That’s why almost every business has a responsibility to invest in staying on top of the conversations that are happening around them, and monitoring them in real-time wherever
- [Thoughts for those still in denial](https://allisterspeaks.com/thoughts-for-those-still-in-denial/) - Smart businesses run by smart people get it. They know that learning to be great at using social media channels is the key to their near-term (and possibly long term) success. They’ve long since figured out that the societal changes hastened by the rapid, widespread adoption of online communication platforms have ushered in an urgent
- [A new (test) home for our blog](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-new-test-home-for-our-blog/) - Here at Wild Orange Media, we're always exploring new ways to do things better, faster and smarter. That's why we've decided to put the blogging platform on our Wild Orange Media site (which, by the way, is hosted on Squarespace.com) to the test. Over the coming weeks we'll be posting new blog posts both to
- [Social data mining for successful copy](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-data-mining-for-successful-copy/) - There’s rarely any need for guesswork these days. If you’re writing marketing or sales copy and wondering what’s the best phrase to use, you would be well-advised to consult ‘The Internet’. Free search marketing tools like Google Adwords can give you great insights into the relative appeal of different terms, even highlighting how their usage
- [The CMO’s Guide to Inbound Marketing](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-cmos-guide-to-inbound-marketing/) - Inbound marketing is a fancy-shmancy term that describes the way that consumers can now find companies before they buy through personal engagement with content on the social web. It’s fundamentally different to traditional marketing (AKA “Shouting!”) in that it requires continuous efforts from content creation teams and relies more on your ability to attract and
- [Productivity tip: Neat little email reminder service](https://allisterspeaks.com/productivity-tip-neat-little-email-reminder-service/) - I started blogging in 2003 when I was Marketing Manager for Microsoft’s email technology. I used to write a lot about how to become highly proficient with email, calendaring and tasks in Microsoft Outlook. Some of my early posts are still accessible via Microsoft TechNet and, even today, every now and then I see a
- [Don’t make Life Difficult for your Customers](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-make-life-difficult-for-your-customers/) - It’s all too common. We build online content and expect visitors to register before they can gain access. Aside from the fact that asking for personal data before giving away some free content typically halves the amount of data you collect, some organisations insist on making things even more difficult than they need to be.
- [Sneak Peek: CIM Social Media Benchmark Wave 2](https://allisterspeaks.com/sneak-peek-cim-social-media-benchmark-wave-2/) - [You’re invited: register for the free live webinar on Thursday] This week will see the release of new research from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) that confirms marketers’ unremitting appetite to make greater use of social media channels. But not all platforms are equal and some, like Google+, continue to struggle to attract
- [The web changes everything, even how you design your CV](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-web-changes-everything-even-how-you-design-your-cv/) - I’ve always been a great believer in the power of good design. And in a digital world filled with endless infographics and stylised images, the humble CV has been long due a thorough reinvention. That’s why I’m impressed by a new service out of the US of A that promises to help your CV standout
- [Implied Consent could be all you need for Cookie Compliance](https://allisterspeaks.com/implied-consent-could-be-all-you-need-for-cookie-compliance/) - With the 26 May deadline for compliance now behind us, the latest guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has raised a few eyebrows. The requirement for explicit consent before a site can store cookies on another user’s device has been relaxed with the assumption of “implied consent” now being accepted as a valid
- [Why too much choice paralyses your business](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-too-much-choice-paralyses-your-business/) - There’s an old adage, “you can never have too much choice”. Like most old sayings it’s starting to sound absurd, but many marketers still believe that giving customers more choice is always a good thing. The truth is very different. Too much choice can paralyse your customers, slowing or preventing their purchase. Choice often engenders
- [All publicity is not good publicity](https://allisterspeaks.com/all-publicity-is-not-good-publicity/) - When broadcast media channels still ruled the roost, we used to say that all publicity is good publicity. Simply put, by getting your name in front of a mass audience, no matter whether this was for good or bad reasons, you could often generate more business on the back of the free publicity than you
- [How to infographicise your Twitter profile](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-infographicise-your-twitter-profile/) - Is this useful or not? Probably not, but it’s harmless, good fun. A tool from Visual.ly allows you to “Twitterize Yourself!”, essentially creating a near-instant infographic of your Twitter persona. Quite what you’ll do with the resulting diagram I’m not sure. Maybe impress your mum or print it out to stick above your desk to
- [Big Brands Always Win, Get Over It](https://allisterspeaks.com/big-brands-always-win-get-over-it/) - SEOMoz has built a well-earned reputation as the source of expert advice for anyone looking to improve their search engine marketing. While its focus has always laid primarily with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), the team has never shied away from offering broader advice about using paid ads in search or exploiting other digital channels. But
- [Add a little drama to your day](https://allisterspeaks.com/add-a-little-drama-to-your-day/) - This is viral video genius. Little more explanation needed other than to say this stunt was created to promote the launch of a new TV Channel in Belgium. What a great way to bring to life the experience of this new station! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw] [Hat tip to @Waltonman for sending me this]
- [No, this “INSANE Graphic” will not make you a better social media marketer](https://allisterspeaks.com/no-this-insane-graphic-will-not-make-you-a-better-social-media-marketer/) - When Business Insider Advertising posted a story about an “INSANE Graphic” about social media marketing last week I simply shrugged and moved on. Since then, the post has attracted huge amounts of attention online, amassing over 500,000 views and around 9k shares on each of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. And with LinkedIn reporting that the
- [The Evil Web Lunatic Award goes to…](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-evil-web-lunatic-award-goes-to/) - Bad marketing is everywhere on the internet. Hopefully this example will encourage you to check that your company doesn’t commit the same mistakes. This month’s Evil Web Lunatic Award goes to www.archant.co.uk, trading under the www.subscriptionsave.co.uk name. They work in a dying industry, producing and selling printed magazines, so perhaps it’s understandable that they are
- [Stop wasting attention, it's in short supply](https://allisterspeaks.com/stop-wasting-attention-its-in-short-supply/) - In my childhood years, my mum used to tell me “If you haven’t got anything useful to say, don’t say anything at all.” And now she wonders why I don’t phone her as often as she’d like... ;-) But it was good advice that many marketers would do well to follow. We live in an
- [Customers live in the present, not the future](https://allisterspeaks.com/customers-live-in-the-present-not-the-future/) - In our efforts to stay up-to-date and on top of the latest opportunities we sometimes forget that customers only really care about what they can get now, not what we might have to offer at some point in the future. Take this press ad for instance. I’m sure the advertiser is really excited about their
- [Become a site usability guru with Usabilityhub](https://allisterspeaks.com/become-a-site-usability-guru-with-usabilityhub/) - I’ve been playing with fivesecondtest on Usabilityhub.com today, a free tool that allows web designers and site managers to test different design options free of charge. It’s a neat service; by signing up and taking a few tests you earn “karma points” that eventually allow you to commission your own test. Of course, if you
- [A new chapter: Wild Orange Media](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-new-chapter-wild-orange-media/) - Three weeks ago I left my role as Head of Digital Marketing Strategy at Microsoft to start a new chapter in my career. For some time I’ve harboured a dream of running my own company, being more in control of my own destiny and, crucially, being able to help a wider variety of businesses solve
- [Measuring the half-life of your links](https://allisterspeaks.com/measuring-the-half-life-of-your-links/) - Understanding the concept of the “half-life” of different types of online links is important. “Half-life” a term most often associated with measuring radioactive decay where it helps describe: “the period of time is takes for the amount of a substance undergoing decay to decrease by half.” (source: Wikipedia) In digital marketing terms the ‘substance’ we’re
- [Don’t make marketing promises you cannot keep](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-make-marketing-promises-you-cannot-keep/) - It’s so easy when you’re designing a website or crafting a marketing campaign: “I know, let’s publish every customer retweet on our website!” “I know, let’s offer an instant messaging service so customer can chat online!” “I know, let’s start a Twitter account and answer customer questions in real time!” In the heat of the
- [The trouble with Groupon–it’s all push and no pull](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-trouble-with-grouponits-all-push-and-no-pull/) - Groupon, briefly the darling of Wall Street, is in trouble. After IPO’ing in November 2011 at $20 a share, the stock briefly rocketed to $31, before beginning its depressing descent back to a bubble-bursting $11. Yesterday’s trading saw the price close at $11.85 after a 6.5% day rally. So what’s the problem with Groupon? Like
- [Anything is possible if you put your mind to it](https://allisterspeaks.com/anything-is-possible-if-you-put-your-mind-to-it/) - The creative opportunities available on social networking sites never cease to amaze me. Take Twitter for example. We all know there’s no way to place animated content on a user’s Twitter homepage, don’t we? Except you can. If you use a bit of left brain thinking and can find someone with the patience of a
- [One competition, three great marketing lessons](https://allisterspeaks.com/one-competition-three-great-marketing-lessons/) - Copyblogger.com recently ran a competition with MarketingExperiments inviting people to submit email subject line ideas to help them promote a conference. First up, their approach is really clever because it engaged the community with their message at very little cost or effort. Entries were made through the comments section of a blog post which included
- [How to kill your business: know all the answers](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-kill-your-business-know-all-the-answers/) - Recently a conference speaker from a huge national company concluded their talk by saying: “We surveyed our customers and not one of them had an original or useful idea about how to improve our service.That’s when we realised that we have far better experts in-house and shouldn’t rely on help from the outside.” I was
- [Social Media World Forum Europe –The Measurement and Engagement Debate](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-world-forum-europe-the-measurement-and-engagement-debate/) - I recently joined a panel debate on stage at Social Media World Forum Europe in London to discuss the merits and challenges of measuring engagement in social media channels. Thanks to the team at MyNewsdesk UK, the video is now available for online viewing. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of the
- [Social Media Measurement–our journey so far…](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-measurementour-journey-so-far/) - At this week’s Social Media World Forum Europe I joined a panel to debate the merits of measuring engagement in social media activities. It was a friendly panel, with few areas of harsh disagreement, and we all agreed that we’ve not yet cracked the search for meaningful social media ROI metrics. Here’s my take on
- [The CMO’s Guide to The Social Landscape](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-cmos-guide-to-the-social-landscape/) - With thanks to Dr Kelly Page for sharing this, here’s a handy ‘ready reckoner’ from CMO.com that summarises some of the benefits of 15 of the big social networks, categorised against their value for Customer Communication, Brand Exposure Traffic (generation potential) To Your Site, and SEO. Of course, like any summary of this kind, it’s
- [Ad Placement: a matter of life or death (almost)](https://allisterspeaks.com/ad-placement-a-matter-of-life-or-death-almost/) - Placing digital display ads has never been easier. You create your ads, pay your money, and a nice computer will automagically push them out across whichever networks you choose. But all this automation means fewer human eyeballs checking ad placements actually make sense. And most marketers I meet think about where they’d like to see
- [How to Assess the Impact of Stopping Search Advertising: a Google Study](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-assess-the-impact-of-stopping-search-advertising-a-google-study/) - It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to root out the motivation behind Google’s latest research finding that advertisers who stop buying paid ads on Google’s search engine lose lots of search engine clicks. So, in this post I’ll take a look at the research to help you navigate your way through the data. First up, Google’s
- [Pinterest: the ideal home for my social web infographics collection](https://allisterspeaks.com/pinterest-the-ideal-home-for-my-social-web-infographics-collection/) - Pinterest has sparked fevered excitement amongst marketers in recent weeks. The pinboard-based photo-sharing website first launched quietly in late 2009 but was only recently opened up to invitation only registration. But since late last year, the site’s traffic has grown on a near-exponential curve. ComScore recently recorded monthly unique visitors in the US at 11.7 million, making Pinterest the
- [Site Design: How Removing Choice can Double Conversion Rates](https://allisterspeaks.com/site-design-how-removing-choice-can-double-conversion-rates/) - Having an insatiable appetite to test, retest, and test again is an essential quality for any digital marketer. Because it’s only through testing your ideas, hunches and, sometimes, gut instinct that you can truly understand what works for your business and your customers. The team at VisualWebsiteOptimizer has shared details of a fascinating test they
- [A Day in The Internet: Just One of 200 Million Blog Posts Written Today](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-day-in-the-internet-just-one-of-200-million-blog-posts-written-today/) - Our digital world moves fast. So, here for your weekend delectation, is a thought-provoking infographic that shows just how much stuff happens each day on this thing we call The Internet. Enjoy!Created by: MBA Online
- [A Day Made of Glass 2 – Unpacked](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-day-made-of-glass-2-unpacked/) - Corning makes glass, but not just any old glass, the type of glass we see on screens and displays all around us these days. I really admired their February 2011 ‘A Day Made of Glass’ video which instantly positioned Corning as a thought leader whose glass you would be happy to find in any device
- [EU Cookie Law – just 80 days to comply](https://allisterspeaks.com/eu-cookie-law-just-80-days-to-comply/) - Websites which target citizens of the UK (and, more broadly, the EU) have just 80 days to comply with the complex Privacy and Electronics Communications Regulations (also known as the e-Privacy or Cookies Directive) that requires prior user consent to be given before any data (e.g. cookies) can be stored on a remote user’s equipment.
- [Social Media: “I kind of hate it. I think it’s awful”](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-i-kind-of-hate-it-i-think-its-awful/) - I still enjoy watching US comedian Louis CK’s famous “Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy” TV clip where he lambasts people for not appreciating the simple things (and the amazing things) in life. His appearance on the Conan chat show became an online viral hit with 5.4 million viewings on YouTube alone. This weekend, Joe Higgins
- [#FAIL: The 50 Greatest Social Media Screw-ups](https://allisterspeaks.com/fail-the-50-greatest-social-media-screw-ups/) - Hot off the e-press is a fabulous new e-book that I’m very happy to recommend. Written by Bernhard Warner and Matthew Yeomans* of SMI, #FAIL catalogues the 50 most disastrous social media gaffes the world has seen. But, crucially, it also provides invaluable advice on what marketers should do to avoid finding themselves at the
- [The curse of new shiny objects: QR Code Lunacy](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-curse-of-new-shiny-objects-qr-code-lunacy/) - As any good workman will tell you, just because a tool it exists doesn’t mean you have to use it. So why is it that so many in the marketing industry insist on jumping onto every passing bandwagon without first assessing if it’s the best ride in town? Need proof? Visit the delightfully focussed and
- [If you have a wart…](https://allisterspeaks.com/if-you-have-a-wart/) - I love this quote which reminds me, as I hope it may you, that no matter how much we sometimes doubt ourselves, no matter how self-conscious we may feel, things are never the same from the other person’s point of view. Or, as someone wise once said to the young marketer: “Just remember, you are
- [My Capital Cardiff keynote presentation](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-capital-cardiff-keynote-presentation/) - I had a wonderfully frenetic few hours at Capital Cardiff today where I gave the keynote presentation and some media interviews. Much of the discussion centred on helping businesses, large and small, understand where to start with their social media exploration and seemed rather timely following my post earlier today about how many marketers remain
- [CIM Report Shows Many Marketers are Ill-equipped for the Social Web](https://allisterspeaks.com/cim-report-shows-many-marketers-are-ill-equipped-for-the-social-web/) - The UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) recently teamed up with Ipsos ASI and Bloomberg to carry out new research to assess how businesses are adapting to our social media fuelled world. The results appear largely consistent with previous studies, although do provide a valuable benchmark for comparison with other data sources. And while many
- [Get a short URL for your Google+ account](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-a-short-url-for-your-google-account/) - Opinions across the marketing industry remain divided over whether Google+ is the most fantastic development since manned space missions or the most pointlessly misguided invention ever. And I, for one, am firmly rooted somewhere between the two camps: I just can’t make up my mind. That’s why my personal presence on Google+ is fairly minimalistic.
- [The Future of Sharing: Social Media Week Panel Debate](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-future-of-sharing-social-media-week-panel-debate/) - I joined a panel debate on the topic of “The Future of Sharing” as part of Social Media Week on Thursday. You can see the on-demand video at the SMW Livestream site to find out what my fellow panellists Ash Choudhury of Nokia, Trevor Johnson of Facebook, Mark Jones of Reuters and host Gordon MacMillan
- [Get A Career Timeline: your work-life infographic by Re.vu](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-a-career-timeline-your-work-life-infographic-by-re-vu/) - Re.vu is a relatively new online service that helps you present your career history in a more engaging, graphical way than sites like LinkedIn. With the ways people find and consume information changing as we embrace new digital communication channels, the ability to present a visual resume (CV) is increasingly valuable. Re.vu does this in
- [Webinar: Doing Marketing in a Digital World](https://allisterspeaks.com/webinar-doing-marketing-in-a-digital-world/) - I gave a webinar today, hosted by BrightTalk, as part of their Social Media Summit. I’d welcome your comments and feedback. Here’s a link to the on-demand show: View Here
- [Improved Free App for Windows Phone: Bing Get Me There](https://allisterspeaks.com/improved-free-app-for-windows-phone-bing-get-me-there/) - The Bing team here at Microsoft has just released a great free app upgrade for Windows Phone users in London. Bing Get Me There v.1.3.0.6 has everything you need to navigate around London on foot or public transport including London Buses, Docklands Light Railway, and Underground and Overground train services. You can now pin your
- [The Future of Customer Service and the Rise of the Social Customer](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-future-of-customer-service-and-the-rise-of-the-social-customer/) - First Direct is that rarest of breeds: a well-loved British bank. And their customer service, at least in my experience, is second to none. So it makes perfect sense for them to have co-authored a report, released today in partnership with It’s Open, that discusses how customer service departments need to evolve to keep pace
- [My Figaro Digital Conference interview](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-figaro-digital-conference-interview/) - I’ll be giving a talk at Figaro Digital’s Social Media Marketing Conference on 5 April at The International Coffee Organisation in London. Tickets are now on sale here. Ahead of this, I recently gave an interview on the current state of social media marketing, tackling questions about the ROI of social media, the most common
- [New videos: The CIM’s Social Media Benchmark Report](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-videos-the-cims-social-media-benchmark-report/) - On 15 February, the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) will release the findings of its latest Social Media Benchmark study. In advance of this, I shared some thoughts with them on how I see the social media world evolving. Find out more and book tickets to the launch event at http://www.smbenchmark.com/. And let me
- [Marketing Failure: Entry Deadline Extended](https://allisterspeaks.com/marketing-failure-entry-deadline-extended/) - The cover of this week’s Marketing Week (UK) magazine screams “Entry Deadline Delayed” with the sub heading “The entry deadline [for the Engage 2012 Awards] has been extended to 31st January 2012”. Your first response may match mine: “So what, who cares?” But, in my case at least, this quickly shifts to “Oh, so you
- [Sorry, you are not as influential as the Internet told you](https://allisterspeaks.com/sorry-youre-not-as-influential-as-the-internet-told-you/) - A wise man once taught me there are just two rules in business: (1) only work with people you like and (2) never believe your own hype. And that’s not as easy as it sounds. Working with 100% nice people and remaining grounded can be tricky amidst the hyperbole that often permeates the marketing profession.
- [The demise of the company man: job tenure in free-fall](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-demise-of-the-company-man-job-tenure-in-free-fall/) - The February 2012 edition of Fast Company has a fascinating article (now available online here) about the ways career patterns are shifting in our rapidly changing world. And this state of flux has profound implications for marketers, not only as they plan out their own careers, but also as they consider how to reach and
- [The 2 minute rule that will stop you sending bad emails](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-2-minute-rule-that-will-stop-you-sending-bad-emails/) - Some tips are just too good to share only once. You know that that “Doh!” moment you get after you press ‘Send’ on an email and instantly realise you forgot to include someone or something? Way back in July 2005, when blogging had barely been invented, I shared my top tip to eliminate it. So,
- [Are you a Geek or a Nerd? You decide.](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-you-a-geek-or-a-nerd-you-decide/) - I think this makes me a, er, “Gerd”. Or should that be a “Neek”? (click to enlarge) Want more? You'll find the full infographic here, courtesy of the team at Daily Infographic.
- [Why you probably don’t need a digital marketing strategy](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-you-probably-dont-need-a-digital-marketing-strategy/) - Dave Chaffey, over at his Smart Insights site, has posted a neat summary this morning of 5 reasons why you don’t—and 10 reasons why you do—need a digital marketing strategy (DMS). In my experience, there’s one common reason why some companies still need a DMS: if your marketing approach is still stuck in the pre-digital
- [Untick this box to not opt out to not receive stuff you might not want](https://allisterspeaks.com/untick-this-box-to-not-opt-out-to-not-receive-stuff-you-might-not-want/) - Opt-out and opt-in boxes have been a regular feature of marketing promotions since laws came into effect giving consumers the right to control the types of communication they receive by giving what the regulations call “prior consent”. In the UK it’s the Privacy and Electronics Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 that lay out the rules
- [Web 2012: YOU are the product](https://allisterspeaks.com/web-2012-you-are-the-product/) - Just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, when a shiny online experience is free to use, you are the product. Everything you do and say, everything you share, in fact everything of everything that happens through that experience becomes the property of the people who provide the shiny online experience. And the way
- [Social Media: it’s holding us back](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-its-holding-us-back/) - When someone says “Social Media”, what do you think of? For most people, tools like Facebook and Twitter spring to mind but this preoccupation with the big networks does a disservice to the socio-cultural shifts we’re seeing as outlined in my post yesterday. And this problem afflicts me too. In recent months I’ve found it
- [2012: The Year Social Media Changes](https://allisterspeaks.com/2012-the-year-social-media-changes/) - This is the year that the late majority will join the early risers in recognising that social media is far more complicated than “just another channel” yet simpler than many in the industry have been trying to make out. You see, at its heart, social media is nothing more than people having conversations online, all
- [One Way To Get Retweeted: “Act Normal”](https://allisterspeaks.com/one-way-to-get-retweeted-act-normal/) - I enjoyed reading Pam Moore’s latest article on Social Media Today that lists 55 ways to get retweeted. But what struck me most was that nearly all of the tips relate to one simple principle: “be a nice human being”. Sure, there are some techniques like sharing ‘how to’ advice that often work well but,
- [My presentation - Doing Marketing in a Digital World](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-presentation-doing-marketing-in-a-digital-world/) - Please find below a copy of my slides presented last week to the Digital Surrey community. [slideshare id=10367144&doc=final-digitalsurrey241111printreadyversion-111128084625-phpapp01] Thanks for all the feedback. I hope you find these useful. (UPDATE 1: SlideShare doesn't always render nicely here on Wordpress.com. If the fonts in the presentation above look a bit ugly, hit the SlideShare link at
- [Digital Surrey and some things I love to share](https://allisterspeaks.com/digital-surrey-and-some-things-i-love-to-share/) - I had great fun last night at the Digital Surrey event where I was their guest speaker, talking about how society is changing as a result of the social web and what this means for marketers. Whenever I give a talk or lecture, I'm sometimes surprised by what captures people's attention the most. One free
- [New video site: Technology Marketing in Mind](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-video-site-technology-marketing-in-mind/) - I was recently filmed for a new marketing industry initiative aimed to help technology marketers hear from their peers about critical issues facing our sector. The new Technology Marketing in Mind site is launched today at www.tmim.co.uk. It’s a project by Marketing Options International, an agency I’ve not dealt with previously, but they were a
- [There’s No Such Thing as an Awareness Campaign](https://allisterspeaks.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-an-awareness-campaign/) - Yesterday, at the annual UK IAB Engage event, there was much debate about the role that digital marketing can play in brand-building, as opposed to direct-response, marketing. The assembled agency experts were broadly in agreement that digital still falls short when it comes to brand-building work, although its value is growing as consumers spend more
- [LinkedIn Company Pages: a no-brainer for your business](https://allisterspeaks.com/linkedin-company-pages-a-no-brainer-for-your-business/) - LinkedIn has long had a feature called Company Pages, where approved company personnel can post information and updates about their organisation. This is a particularly useful feature for researchers and can help people learn key facts about your business without having to leave the LinkedIn site. Adding a basic company page to LinkedIn costs nothing;
- [Please Retweet, or rather, don’t…](https://allisterspeaks.com/please-retweet-or-rather-dont/) - Chris Brogan writes today that “asking for a retweet or mention of something – that isn’t cause related – isn’t cool”, and urges his readers to stop asking for retweets. Chris is right, to a degree. People who blindly ask others to "RT” their messages often betray their social web naivety. Their constant pleas for
- [Social Media ROI and Life Insurance](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-roi-and-life-insurance/) - Too many business people I meet are still chasing instant returns on the investments they make in social media. This is naive at best; communities take time to create and nurture before eventually becoming self-sufficient. Perhaps a better way of thinking about today’s investments in social media is to compare it with your life insurance.
- [When social media goes wrong: The Guardian and 9-11](https://allisterspeaks.com/when-social-media-goes-wrong-the-guardian-and-9-11/) - The Wall Blog has an insightful analysis into why UK newspaper The Guardian found itself in such hot water yesterday after launching the @911tenyearsago Twitter account. Too right, they got it badly wrong. But this story provides essential insights for any social media marketer about the fine line that divides success and mass finger-pointing abuse-hurling
- [Understanding EdgeRank in Facebook: great podcast](https://allisterspeaks.com/understanding-edgerank-in-facebook-great-podcast/) - I posted recently about the often misunderstood topic of Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm and many marketers I meet still don’t appreciate the crucial role it plays in determining which of your fans will see your updates in their Facebook news feed. Quite simply, if you don’t understand EdgeRank, all your Facebook marketing efforts could be going
- [Promoted Tweets–do they work?](https://allisterspeaks.com/promoted-tweetsdo-they-work/) - I’ve previously shared some stats on the top performing Promoted Tweets and, no surprise, the one thing they all have in common is that they all say something remarkable or newsworthy. With clickthrough rates as high as 52%, advertisers could be forgiven for thinking Promoted Tweets are the Holy Grail they’ve been longing for. But
- [Shock news: Over 90 percent of conversations happen offline](https://allisterspeaks.com/shock-news-over-90-percent-of-conversations-happen-offline/) - It’s a wake-up call for any digital marketer who’s spent too long supping the intoxicating brew delivered through their ADSL line: More than 9 in every 10 conversations take place offline. Yes, offline, in the real world, where human beings apparently talk to other human beings via a one-to-one interface. I know, unbelievable, but true.
- [Marketing Essentials: The Psychology of Sharing](https://allisterspeaks.com/marketing-essentials-the-psychology-of-sharing/) - In case you hadn’t noticed, we live in a sharing economy. Thanks to innovations on the social web and advances in our internet-connected mobile devices, we think nothing today of sharing the content and information we discover. Of course, we’ve always shared information, that’s not new. But the speed and ease with which sharing now
- [Daft Ideas for Social Media: Post each update everywhere](https://allisterspeaks.com/daft-ideas-for-social-media-post-each-update-everywhere/) - It’s tempting when using social media networks to want to simultaneously post each update to lots of networks. It’s a great time-saver and applications like Tweetdeck and Seesmic can even automate this task for you completely. But are you sure you want to post the exact same update to lots of networks? While this might
- [Why women are easy and size matters for men](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-women-are-easy-and-size-matters-for-men/) - In the categories labelled “Gross Generalisations” and “Blindingly Obvious” I present to you, dear reader, proof of what you may have suspected all along: men and women are very different, and women crack sooner under the advertiser’s spell. A study by comScore of 292 television ad copy tests shows that women are more likely to
- [How to deal with negative reviews](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-deal-with-negative-reviews/) - Business people I meet often complain to me that they are wary of the social web because it makes it too easy for people to leave negative reviews. That’s true, but if your stuff stinks, what did you really expect? People have always complained about bad experiences. It’s just a whole lot easier and much
- [7 tips for winning attention online](https://allisterspeaks.com/7-tips-for-winning-attention-online/) - If you want your online content to be found, you need to make it attractive to both humans and search engines. One or the other is good, but both is close to awesome. Because, the fact is, no matter how wondrous you think your online creation is, it only becomes truly great when people find
- [There’s more to life than consumerist fulfilment](https://allisterspeaks.com/theres-more-to-life-than-consumerist-fulfilment/) - I don’t recognise the British towns and cities being beamed into my living room on rolling TV news bulletins and websites. As I type, the violence and criminality sweeping densely-populated parts of England is continuing this evening. It’s deeply saddening to see parts of our small island being torn apart by mindless thugs. Technology, most
- [“Things we’ve learnt about Communication” NEW Microsoft Research report](https://allisterspeaks.com/things-weve-learnt-about-communication-new-microsoft-research-report/) - An insight-packed report from the Socio-Digital Systems group of Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK landed on my desk today. In reading it, I rediscovered why communicating means so much more than simply transferring information from one entity to another. I was reminded that sometimes communicating over a distance is preferable to talking face-to-face, and I
- [Getting to ‘Like’: 20 Great Places to do it](https://allisterspeaks.com/getting-to-like-20-great-places-to-do-it/) - In my last post, I wrote about the importance of gaining ‘Likes’ from people on social networking sites and highlighted how not to do it. But many other businesses are also guilty of failing to attract ‘Likes’ in the right way. Consider, for example, this pieces of copy I saw recently on a direct mail
- [Getting to ‘Like’: why being liked really matters and how not to do it](https://allisterspeaks.com/getting-to-like-why-being-liked-really-matters-and-how-not-to-do-it/) - Social networks like Facebook have transformed the ways people connect with friends, businesses and much of the world around them. In the early days of online marketing, businesses used to fret about how to get people to their website and stay there. Nowadays, getting someone to ‘Like’ your brand on a social networking site is
- [Everything you need to know about Social Media](https://allisterspeaks.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-social-media/) - This says it all. Memorise this and you can legitimately claim to be a Social Media Guru: Tip o’ the hat to Wall blog
- [New Digital Marketing Podcast: “The Frost Personality Continuum”](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-digital-marketing-podcast-the-frost-personality-continuum/) - I regularly listen to The Digital Marketing podcast by Target Internet on my commute to and from work, and recently recorded a guest interview for them which has been released today. You can download the MP3 of this podcast from here: The Frost Personality Continuum I recommend: subscribe to The Digital Marketing podcasts if you’re
- [LinkedIn: very different to other social networks [plus infographic]](https://allisterspeaks.com/linkedin-very-different-to-other-social-networks-plus-infographic/) - LinkedIn has firmly established itself as the world’s leading professional social network, used by around 100 million people around the world to promote their work and life experiences and network with likeminded individuals. But the way people use LinkedIn differs dramatically to the behaviours we see on Facebook, Twitter and many other networking forums. Most
- [EdgeRank in Facebook: How it works and 9 tips to improve it](https://allisterspeaks.com/edgerank-in-facebook-how-it-works-and-9-tips-to-improve-it/) - Visitors to Facebook pages will be familiar with the options above that appear when viewing their News Feed. By default, Facebook displays the ‘Top news’ stories as determined by an algorithm called EdgeRank. By clicking the ‘Most recent’ option Facebook users can switch back to the original view which shows everything posted by your
- [Klout Perks: Higher Klout doesn’t equal More Perks](https://allisterspeaks.com/klout-perks-higher-klout-doesnt-equal-more-perks/) - With the social web going crazy for influence metrics like Klout and PeerIndex, I still feel quite uncomfortable with the idea of marketers targeting people based purely on their assumed online influence. The Klout Perks programme, where people with a certain Klout score or influence profile receive discounts or free gifts, has drawn as much
- [Is it Twitter o’clock?: When is the best time to tweet?](https://allisterspeaks.com/is-it-twitter-oclock-when-is-the-best-time-to-tweet/) - Twitter’s great when people can see what you’re sharing, but the harsh reality is that most of your twitter followers won’t ever see or read your latest tweet. Only those that are online and paying attention to Twitter when you send it are likely to see your musings. Plus, of course, anyone who finds your
- [Being remarkable: Rethinking the receipt](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-remarkable-rethinking-the-receipt/) - We produce billions of them every day and I’ll bet most people reading this will have at least one in their pocket or bag right now. But the humble sales receipt has barely evolved in recent years, despite the power inside most cash registers having increased exponentially. Cue London-based design studio, BERG, who have carried
- [UK population mapped: It’s true, we Brits retire to the coast](https://allisterspeaks.com/uk-population-mapped-its-true-we-brits-retire-to-the-coast/) - Data, data everywhere, but not a drop to drink… Like most marketers, I love a good dataset. And the latest batch from the Office of National Statistics shows how the UK population has changed in recent years. The DataBlog team at The Guardian have mapped some of the key stats, including this interesting view showing
- [Google +1 data now in Google Analytics](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-1-data-now-in-google-analytics/) - Much has been written about Google’s recently announced +1 service but now Google has added advanced analytical features that could help prove or disprove the value of this new tool. But first, what is Google +1? At it’s core, +1 is much like Facebook’s ‘Like’ feature. Website owners can add +1 icons like this: to
- [Digital Cleverness: OCD Foundation](https://allisterspeaks.com/digital-cleverness-ocd-foundation/) - Watch his video. As the title says, ‘You May Need To Press Play More Than Once…’ [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAdfSMNFAz8&w=448&h=252&hd=1]OCD digital marketing brilliance! How simple and effective was that? Brilliant thinking by www.ocfoundation.org! Armed with little more than a powerful insight into the disorder they represent, they used a free digital video service to get their message across
- [Klout.com: Now with added LinkedIn](https://allisterspeaks.com/klout-com-now-with-added-linkedin/) - Klout users will soon see the option to add their LinkedIn profiles to their Klout.com accounts, allowing Klout to take your LinkedIn network into consideration when assessing your online influence. While headline Klout scores are unlikely to change significantly in the short term, you should expect to see some variations in your reach and influence
- [Facebook Promotion Guidelines](https://allisterspeaks.com/facebook-promotion-guidelines/) - Many marketers don’t realise that there are strict rules about what you can and cannot do when running promotions on Facebook. Read on to ensure you stay on the right side of the rules! The rules changed on 11 May 2011 – your promotion may already be in breach, read the following carefully: Promote in
- [Just released: free Microsoft Analytics for Twitter](https://allisterspeaks.com/just-released-microsoft-analytics-for-twitter-free/) - Here’s a powerful new way to compare activity on up to five different Twitter accounts, care of the team who created PowerPivot for Excel. Microsoft Analytics for Twitter allows you to create powerful visualisations of the last four days’ activity for up to five Twitter accounts or other search terms (e.g. your company name). The
- [Microsoft FUSE Labs–Social Gadgets](https://allisterspeaks.com/microsoft-fuse-labssocial-gadgets/) - Not new, but worth trying out if you like dynamically updated visualisations of what’s happening on the social web. Here are four free social gadgets from Microsoft for you to play with: Tag Cloud – See a visual tag cloud with the time and volume of their mentions Timeline – See related terms over a
- [Presentation: HP Business Forum](https://allisterspeaks.com/presentation-hp-business-forum/) - Here are my slides from the recent HP Business Answers forum meeting where I talked about how to grow a small/medium business in our digital world: HP Business Answers Forum - Allister Frost Keynote http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/8234204 To join the forum head over to this group on LinkedIn.
- [Tagxedo: it’s like Wordle on steroids](https://allisterspeaks.com/tagxedo-its-like-wordle-on-steroids/) - Tag clouds are a great way of synthesising lots of content into a readily digestible graphic but until now they’ve been rather lacklustre and dull. That’s why I love Tagxedo which, as the name suggests, is a great way to show off your content in all its finery. You can create a word cloud from
- [Cricket and a broken window: how search engine advertising can be remarkable](https://allisterspeaks.com/cricket-and-a-broken-window-how-search-engine-advertising-can-be-remarkable/) - [image credit: Getty Images]I think I owe Lee Williams a beer or two as this is the second consecutive blog post I’ve written from a tip-off he passed my way. And this time, we’re talking about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on search engines… Every marketer wants their brand and web site to appear high up in
- [How we use Twitter to get answers to questions [infographic]](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-we-use-twitter-to-get-answers-to-questions-infographic/) - Thanks to Lee Williams for bringing this one to my attention. Click the image below to reveal a really informative infographic that shows how Twitter users go about getting answers to their questions. No surprises, the more followers you have the more likely you are to get answers to your questions and be happy with
- [Interactive mapping: ethnic breakdown of England and Wales](https://allisterspeaks.com/interactive-mapping-ethnic-breakdown-of-england-and-wales/) - We’re a very fortunate generation, in many ways. And one of life’s riches that we tend to overlook is the remarkable access we get to information and data about things our grandparents could never have dreamed of knowing. Take, for example, this interactive map by UK newspaper, The Guardian, which uses data from the Office
- [Living in the Bubble: startup guys video](https://allisterspeaks.com/living-in-the-bubble-startup-guys-video/) - I'm sure I've had these guys in my office before... http://www.collegehumor.com/moogaloop/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6507690&use_node_id=true&fullscreen=1
- [Peer Index–creating a Twitter League of your followers](https://allisterspeaks.com/peer-indexcreating-a-twitter-league-of-your-followers/) - Peer Index has rolled out some neat innovations to help people who manage multiple social media accounts or perhaps monitor several on behalf of their company or clients. One example is the new group feature, which allows you to create a league table showing each account’s relative performance according to its PeerIndex score. The example
- [Sunday Times launches The Social List](https://allisterspeaks.com/sunday-times-launches-the-social-list/) - [See author's note below for update] The Sunday Times is well known for its annual Rich List. So, what better way to inject a little 21st century than by inventing The Social List, an automated league table that lists the most social-web-connected people in the world? Anyone can sign up to join. The Social List
- [Awesome Twitter Application list](https://allisterspeaks.com/awesome-twitter-application-list/) - Regular Twitter users know how many quirky (and occasionally useful!) 3rd party applications exist to help you get the most out of the Twittersphere. Over the years I’ve amassed a huge collection of bookmarks and, frankly, things are getting out of hand… Step forward Eric Goldstein (@ericsgoldstein), who has compiled a giant list of Twitter
- [How to successfully use Promoted Tweets on Twitter](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-successfully-use-promoted-tweets-on-twitter/) - An interesting article on AdAge Digital prompted me to pen this. Twitter’s new advertising format, Promoted Tweets, is largely unproven and has delivered mixed results. Some advertisers have even received ‘flame tweets’ in response to their efforts to exploit the community-based conversations that take place 24/7 on Twitter, but a few have been successful in
- [20 Tips for a successful Twitter Chat](https://allisterspeaks.com/20-tips-for-a-successful-twitter-chat/) - Twitter Chats (sometimes called Twitter Tweet Chats) are gaining in popularity because they provide a convenient way for organisations and groups to interact in real time with other people. Even pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is getting in on the act, and so could you. But there’s no guidebook to steer you through your first Twitter Chat
- [What is #FollowFriday and how to do it correctly?](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-is-followfriday-and-how-to-do-it-correctly/) - Every Twitter user is familiar with the often used hashtag #FollowFriday or #FF which appears with weekly predictability on Fridays. But what is #FF about and how can you use it to promote people on your network and discover new people to follow? Follow Friday emerged in the early days of Twitter as a way
- [Correlation explained](https://allisterspeaks.com/correlation-explained/) - Hopelessly off topic, but you dog-owning statisticians out there may enjoy this: Thanks to http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=2723
- [The facts: Mac vs. PC People](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-facts-mac-vs-pc-people/) - According to Hunch, Mac people are 80% more likely to be vegetarians than PC people, while PC people are 26% more likely to prefer fitting in with others than being different. Whodavthoughtit? More obscure data points in a fact-packed infographic to help you decide if you’re a Mac or PC person: [click image to enlarge]
- [Social Media Monitoring – massive infographic](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-monitoring-massive-infographic/) - Social media monitoring and measurement is a complicated beast at the best of times. This infographic from KISSmetrics and oneforty does little to remove the complexity, but it does help clarify who are the major players and which tools, free or paid, are best for certain requirements. Click image to expand: Hat tip to The
- [8 tips for boosting your Klout](https://allisterspeaks.com/8-tips-for-boosting-your-klout/) - Love it or loathe it, Klout has been making major inroads into the emerging social media measurement business. And, with other third party tools like CoTweet, Radian 6, and Seesmic now pulling in Klout data, a growing audience of social network users are discovering and exploring what Klout means to them. But first, for the
- [New self-regulation for online behavioural advertisers in the EU](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-self-regulation-for-online-behavioural-advertisers-in-the-eu/) - The ePrivacy Directive that requires user’s to expressly opt-in to receiving cookies when viewing online advertising is due for implementation throughout EU member states by 25 May 2011. In anticipation of this new law, the UK online advertising industry has agreed to a self-regulation framework for behavioural advertising. Under this framework, a new icon will
- [What sort of person uses social networking sites in the UK?](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-sort-of-person-uses-social-networking-sites-in-the-uk/) - I’ve been crunching data to get a picture of what sort of people visit the leading social networking sites. Here are three charts I created to show the distribution of age, education and income of users of the UK’s top 18 social networking sites in March 2011: (click any chart to enlarge) I last ran
- [Proof that Search and Display Ads work best together](https://allisterspeaks.com/proof-that-search-and-display-ads-work-best-together/) - The major search engines have long argued that paid listings can help boost brand awareness and recall. However, data from iProspect and comScore, Inc. shows that search listings alone may have very little, if any, impact on recall. If you really want to boost your brand recall online, you’ll need a more integrated approach, embracing
- [List: Where’s Microsoft UK on Twitter?](https://allisterspeaks.com/list-wheres-microsoft-uk-on-twitter/) - This is a bit off my normal topic, but I’m often asked for this. Here’s a list of Microsoft UK’s major accounts on Twitter. Click any link to find out more: TechNet: http://twitter.com/AskTechNetUK Internet Explorer: http://twitter.com/IE_UK Microsoft Education: http://twitter.com/Microsoft_Ed_UK Microsoft Business: http://twitter.com/MicrosoftBizUK Microsoft Small Business: http://twitter.com/MicrosoftSB Microsoft Wave: http://twitter.com/MicrosoftWave Microsoft Hosting: http://twitter.com/MSHosting Microsoft Partners: http://twitter.com/mspartnersuk
- [Get over yourself: things real people don’t say about advertising](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-over-yourself-things-real-people-dont-say-about-advertising/) - I just had to share this Tumblr collection. The site name speaks for itself. If you cannot see the funny side to this, perhaps you’ve been in the marketing biz for a little too long. Check it out here. Wonderful stuff!
- [Frost’s First Rule of Social Media Marketing: “Know Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing”](https://allisterspeaks.com/frosts-first-rule-of-social-media-marketing-know-why-youre-doing-what-youre-doing/) - There’s something about the social media gold rush that makes otherwise intelligent people seem to lose their heads. They race off, with the cart firmly attached before the horse, and find themselves doing all kinds of crazy stuff before stopping, exhausted, to try to figure out why things aren’t working. I see this issue so
- [Superb diagram: Quickstart Guide to Social Media for Business](https://allisterspeaks.com/superb-diagram-quickstart-guide-to-social-media-for-business/) - There are three reasons I love this diagram by the gang at B2BENTO.com: It shows all of the major stages in any well-planned social media programme, it’s a fool-proof checklist for everyone from the most experienced “guru” to the complete novice, and, it’s free and shared with the world under a Creative Commons licence Click
- [Loading… creativity into every inch of your site](https://allisterspeaks.com/loading-creativity-into-every-inch-of-your-site/) - Everything we create for the web has the capacity to be both remarkable and remarked upon. Take the humble ‘loading’ screen for instance. Once a staple of any rich media website, fast broadband connections have made the loading screen increasingly rare, if not quite extinct. But there’s still so much scope to use this fleeting
- [Infographic: Who’s using LinkedIn?](https://allisterspeaks.com/infographic-whos-using-linkedin/) - With LinkedIn having recently pushed through the 100 million members barrier, this is a timely infographic showing the demographic breakdown of its users. No surprise, those in hi-tech industries are most represented, as well as those working for very large organisations (>10,000 employees). A staggering six million people in the UK are registered on LinkedIn,
- [Video: Jack your Strat in the Internet](https://allisterspeaks.com/video-jack-your-strat-in-the-internet/) - Too funny! I’m sure this web guru’s been in to present to me before... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykXkmfdYxIk&w=448&h=252&hd=1]Strat: How to Win in Business by Jacking It on the Internet
- [Six proven paths to Social Media Denial](https://allisterspeaks.com/six-proven-paths-to-social-media-denial/) - This social media thing is causing problems for many businesspeople. Acknowledge it and you’ll have to learn a load of hard-to-master skills; ignore it and you could find yourself on the unfit-for-purpose pile at your next annual review. Even so, denying that this social web thing is happening seems a popular choice for many. Here
- [6 tips: Put an end to writer’s block on the web](https://allisterspeaks.com/6-tips-put-an-end-to-writers-block-on-the-web/) - We’ve all done it. Stared at our blog or favourite social networking site and wondered what on earth we could write that the world would want to read. With so much information at our mouse-fingertips, writing on the web should be easy, but it isn’t. That empty screen with a flashing cursor can be just
- [Being remarkable: Ebay Wetsuit for sale](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-remarkable-ebay-wetsuit-for-sale/) - Everyone can be remarkable online. It just takes a bit of imagination and creativity. Take this listing for a second hand wetsuit that d_h_morgan is selling on ebay. Through some entertaining copy, amusing photos, and healthy charitable generosity he’s attracted the attention of the people who make the wetsuits and been given a new suit,
- [Social Media: now the single biggest activity online](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-now-the-single-biggest-activity-online/) - Social media is now both the biggest and fastest growing sector online in the UK, according to new data from online intelligence service, Hitwise. Traffic to social networks accounted for 12.4% of all Internet visits in January 2011, amounting to over 2.4 billion (yes, billion!) visits during the month. That’s a 17% growth year-on-year and
- [Search and Social Media: inextricably linked for buyers](https://allisterspeaks.com/search-and-social-media-inextricably-linked-for-buyers/) - Search and Social Media marketing are increasingly intertwined, and for good reason: both serve as highly efficient vehicles to connect what you have to say with people who might want to hear it. And while search is still the dominant tool used by people who want to buy something online, social media is starting to
- [Social Media Management: don’t f*** up](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-management-dont-f-up/) - News broke overnight that Chrysler has fired their agency New Media Strategies after they accidentally sent an offensive tweet from the @ChryslerAutos account. The story goes that the agency employee intended to post to his personal account but somehow published this on behalf of one of the world’s largest brands: This sort of mistake is
- [Japan Tsunami Appeal: you can help](https://allisterspeaks.com/japan-tsunami-appeal-you-can-help/) - I’ve been deeply touched by the tragic events in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami. Even the harrowing images beamed into our homes and offices cannot do justice to the pain and suffering that the Japanese people must be feeling right now. My heart goes out to them in their time of greatest need. There
- [10 free media channels every business can use](https://allisterspeaks.com/10-free-media-channels-every-business-can-use/) - In our digital age, marketers are getting used to thinking about three types of media: Paid: the media placements you buy with cold hard cash, like newspaper ads, sponsorship and ye olde Yellow Pages ads Owned: the media channels that are within your direct control like your website, newsletters, packaging and delivery vehicles Earned: the
- [UK 1st March: New digital marketing regulations](https://allisterspeaks.com/uk-1st-march-new-digital-marketing-regulations/) - Attention all digital marketers covering the UK! Important new regulations came into force at midnight on 1 March 2011 designed to give consumers more comprehensive protection online. In short, the Code of Advertising Practice (CAP) has been extended to cover digital channels including websites and social media channels. This means that the same rigorous rules
- [Video: Social Media Etiquette](https://allisterspeaks.com/video-social-media-etiquette/) - Here’s some good advice for you and your colleagues. It’s blindingly obvious common sense, but sometimes it’s common sense that’s, er, less commonly used. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNnLMkg9R3c&w=448&h=252&hd=1]Social Media Etiquette
- [Porsche: Linkbaiting with Delightful Creativity](https://allisterspeaks.com/porsche-linkbaiting-with-delightful-creativity/) - I’m not a true fan of Porsche cars, mostly because I cannot imagine ever being able to afford one. But I am now a fan of their marketing thanks to a very clever bit of social media marketing that brilliantly pushes many of the psychological buttons that today’s consumers respond to. It all started with
- [Advice for Marketers: How not to be unliked](https://allisterspeaks.com/advice-for-marketers-how-not-to-be-unliked/) - Many online marketers spend their days obsessing about attracting new fans and followers, but new research from ExactTarget and CoTweet suggest that they might be wise to spend more time thinking about how to stop people ‘unliking’ their brands. The top reasons people cite for unsubscribing from emails is that they come too frequently, are
- [BBC Podcast: The Secret History of Social Networking](https://allisterspeaks.com/bbc-podcast-the-secret-history-of-social-networking/) - It’s not much of a secret to those us in “the business” but I’ll bet even you will learn something new by listening to this three-part podcast series from the BBC, presented by their technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. I really enjoyed this short series. Have a listen. LINK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/shsn
- [How Facebook follows your every online move](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-facebook-follows-your-every-online-move/) - A colleague shared a blog post with me today that shows how Facebook can collect data about your online movements, even if you don’t click a ‘Like’ button or log in to Facebook. It’s a scary scenario, but one that may be being played out right now on your computer. Of course, we should also
- [Cherry-picking great ad placements online](https://allisterspeaks.com/cherry-picking-great-ad-placements-online/) - No doubt about it, Facebook offers some of the most precisely targeted banner advertising placements available on the web today. But, while Facebook may be getting all the headlines, it’s worth remembering the immense value you can also get from cleverly placed banner adverts. The example above is from my company, Microsoft, and illustrates how
- [Breakfast at Twitterville: why you should use Twitter](https://allisterspeaks.com/breakfast-at-twitterville-why-you-should-use-twitter/) - The most common reason people give me for not using Twitter goes something like “why would anyone want to know what I had for breakfast?” It’s one of those beliefs that’s taken on near-mythological proportions, that everyone on Twitter is talking endlessly about what they’ve just eaten while everyone who’s not is clearly more sane
- [UK, GB, England… Confused? Watch this!](https://allisterspeaks.com/uk-gb-england-confused-watch-this/) - This has very little to do with digital marketing, other than being a lovely online viral video, but for anyone whose life and work has anything to do with the UK, watching this should be compulsory: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10&w=448&h=252&hd=1]The difference between UK, GB and England
- [Data Privacy Day 2011 – are you location-savvy?](https://allisterspeaks.com/data-privacy-day-2011-are-you-location-savvy/) - Today is Data Privacy Day, a day designed to raise public awareness of privacy and data protection issues. Microsoft is a leading supporter of the campaign and recently commissioned research to gauge public awareness of how location-based services work and how the data collected is used. The vast majority (94%) of people who are aware
- [Conversion Rate Optimisation for Beginners](https://allisterspeaks.com/conversion-rate-optimisation-for-beginners/) - I’m a regular in-car listener to the Digital Marketing Podcast from Target Internet in which Ciaran Rogers and Daniel Rowles wax lyrical about a hot marketing topic. It’s a good listen and I recommend you add it to your MP3 player of choice. The guys at Target Internet also have a blog where I found
- [Social commerce: How to use Facebook, by ASOS](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-commerce-how-to-use-facebook-by-asos/) - I thought you might enjoy these fascinating data points that Hitwise’s Robin Goad shared on his blog today. ASOS is an online fashion retailer, and a pretty successful one at that. They are planning to launch a store within Facebook very soon and Robin decided to take at look at their site traffic to see
- [Facebook: through the 600 million barrier](https://allisterspeaks.com/facebook-through-the-600-million-barrier/) - Social media audit site, Socialbakers, is today reporting that Facebook’s global user base has now crept above 600 million. The fastest gains are coming from relatively untapped markets like India, Indonesia and Philippines. Here in the UK, there are now around 27.5 million registered Facebook users. Socialbakers is a great free tool for anyone wanting
- [Planely: the new social network for air travellers](https://allisterspeaks.com/planely-the-new-social-network-for-air-travellers/) - The team at It’s Open shared details of a new social networking service called Planely on their blog yesterday (and yes, that is me staring out of the video clip preview on the right, yikes!). Planely is a new service that aims to help people flying by air to network with their fellow passengers before,
- [News Flash: our news habits are changing](https://allisterspeaks.com/news-flash-our-news-habits-are-changing/) - Gosh, these data bring things into sharp focus! We all know that our information discovery and consumption habits are going through some pretty seismic changes, but new data from the Pew Research Center in the US show how rapidly this change has come about. In 2010, the Internet surpassed TV as the main source of
- [1. Here’s a list. 2. Here’s another list](https://allisterspeaks.com/1-heres-a-list-2-heres-another-list/) - Two things are certain about the New Year for me: (1) it’s a lousy time to make bold resolutions for the year ahead* and (2) the Internet will be awash with amateur futurologists sharing lists of predictions for the year ahead. Some lists are better than others. My personal favourite comes from JWT, a perennial
- [Facebook overtakes Google in the UK](https://allisterspeaks.com/facebook-overtakes-google-in-the-uk/) - Happy New Year, dear reader! 2011 promises to be another fast-paced, roller coaster ride for marketers as the social web tightens its grip on ever-broader parts of our lives and the commercial competition to win our dwindling attention reaches boiling point. Last year we talked about social media, this year we’ll all be doing it.
- [Being Remarkable: How even a dull ink cartridge can win you business](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-remarkable-how-even-a-dull-ink-cartridge-can-win-you-business/) - Marketing wizard Jeremy Epstein is always banging on about how important it is to be remarkable. If you want your message to stand out in our frenetic digital age, says Jeremy, you’d better be remarkable. And he’s right, as usual. Being remarkable means people will notice what you’re doing, maybe pause for a moment, and
- [The One Ronnie sketch: My Blackberry is Not Working!](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-one-ronnie-sketch-my-blackberry-is-not-working/) - Thanks to young Mr Lee Williams for sharing this most entertaining clip from a show soon to be shown on the BBC. The furious pace of our technologically-fuelled world is brought into vivid focus by this joyful reminder to enjoy the simple pleasures in our lives. This should make you :-) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI&w=448&h=252&hd=1]The One Ronnie: My
- [Career choices for the corporate social strategist](https://allisterspeaks.com/career-choices-for-the-corporate-social-strategist/) - If, like me, your work calls on you to provide guidance and insights into the directions the social web is taking us, you may wish to spend a little time this festive season pondering where your career could take you. Jeremiah Owyang of http://www.web-strategist.com recently posted a thought-provoking piece on the two career paths open
- [Future Fail: The Superbowl Social Media frenzy](https://allisterspeaks.com/future-fail-the-superbowl-social-media-frenzy/) - Former Microsoftie, Bruce Lynn, sent me this news story from USA Today heralding the launch of two new US-based social media campaigns around the Superbowl (6 Feb 2011). Both Mercedes and Audi have unveiled plans to reward their most active social media supporters with high value prizes including cars and “glitzy trips” in an effort
- [Timing is everything: when to blog](https://allisterspeaks.com/timing-is-everything-when-to-blog/) - I don’t get many comments here on my blog, but I do enjoy a growing volume of retweets and backchat on Twitter, and email. So I was interested to see the graphic below from HubSpot Blog that illustrates, based on empirical data from 170,000 blog posts, how many views, links and comments a post is
- [Twitter: who’s in the class of 2010?](https://allisterspeaks.com/twitter-whos-in-the-class-of-2010/) - Hot on the heels of Google’s Zeitgeist 2010 study, comes a quirky tree infographic showing ‘Who’s New On Twitter in 2010’. We all know that Twitter’s been in rude health these last few months, but this sapling-like diagram serves as a well-grounded reminder that it’s still far from universally adopted. Amongst the biggest names to
- [Google unveils: what we searched for most in 2010](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-unveils-what-we-searched-for-most-in-2010/) - Today Google released the findings of its annual study into how we used their search engine over the last 11 months. It presents some fascinating insights into the things that mattered most to us, from Chatroulette to Justin Bieber, and Twitter to Ash Clouds. The list of the most popular searches is once again dominated
- [The perfect festive gift: Connectedness](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-perfect-festive-gift-connectedness/) - This is a lovely idea, and one that deserves your support. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a pretty Internet-savvy person. But I’d like you to stop for a moment to ponder what life must be like without all the benefits that the Internet brings. Things like being able to easily and cost-effectively stay
- [Wake up Adobe: Free Shipping is not an offer](https://allisterspeaks.com/wake-up-adobe-free-shipping-is-not-an-offer/) - Most companies have moved on from expensive direct mail shots, realising that more precisely targeted and immediate digital marketing efforts often yield better results. Adobe, however, seems stubbornly committed to posting dead trees to its customers. One on level, this is perhaps understandable seeing as Adobe’s design software is widely used to create printed materials
- [The dark side of Facebook email: phishing](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-dark-side-of-facebook-email-phishing/) - Facebook’s been in the news this week with the announcement of their new messaging capabilities which will allow their users to email each other with new @facebook.com email addresses. The new features will also help surface priority messages from ‘friends’ and other people you interact with and will bring some clever capabilities that bring together
- [Social media marketing idiocy by Turkish Airlines](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-marketing-idiocy-by-turkish-airlines/) - Every week I see dozens of attempts by marketers looking for quick ways to grow their fan base on social media networks. Many of these activities stem from misguided pressure from senior managers to “exploit the reach of social media” or, my personal favourite, “make sure we’ve got more friends than our competitor”. I have
- [What sort of Twitter user are you?](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-sort-of-twitter-user-are-you/) - [click image to enlarge] Thanks to the Wall Blog for sharing this.
- [View London: clocking up new traffic](https://allisterspeaks.com/view-london-clocking-up-new-traffic/) - I love case studies like this because it shows just what you can achieve with a little lateral thinking. On its site, Hitwise Intelligence tells the story of a clever campaign by View London to capture new site visitors at the time of the recent UK clock change. Instead of buying paid-for sponsored listings on
- [Twitter says: “you can only Tweet with Twitter”](https://allisterspeaks.com/twitter-says-you-can-only-tweet-with-twitter/) - Important new advice was issued by ISBA to its members today which highlights the requirement to respect Twitter’s trademarks. I’ve reproduced the guidance, which ISBA’s Director of Public Affairs, Ian Twinn, describes as “probably fairly commonsense (sic) stuff”, below: Companies may promote their own Twitter pages by using the phrase "Follow us on Twitter" or
- [All reviews welcomed!](https://allisterspeaks.com/all-reviews-welcomed/) - Every once in a while you read something and think “why didn’t I write that?” I just had one of those moments reading Steve Olenski’s excellent riff on why marketers have to embrace the customer review culture with open arms. As those of you who know me will understand, I don’t always have the wisdom
- [Google Instant: How paid search has changed](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-instant-how-paid-search-has-changed/) - The jury’s still out on the long term usefulness and practical implications of Google Instant, the new feature rolled out in early September that shows search results as you type. Many have described the feature as an unwanted distraction, while others have heralded its launch as the death of SEO. New data from Marin Software
- [Age and Education charts for the leading Social Networks](https://allisterspeaks.com/age-and-education-charts-for-the-leading-social-networks/) - I’ve been compiling data from Google AdPlanner to see how the demographic make up of the leading social networks varies in the UK. What emerges is a fascinating picture full of insights for marketers looking to reach their target audiences through these channels. First up is the age distribution of the leading social networks. I’ve
- [Mega-list: 50 time-savers for web designers](https://allisterspeaks.com/mega-list-50-time-savers-for-web-designers/) - Top 10 lists are so old school. These days, top 50 lists seem to be all the rage, and when someone’s invested the time to collate really good things you can be glad there’s 50 of them. So, here’s a really outstanding list of time-savers for Web Designers from the ever-lovely Smashing Magazine. Many of
- [SEO for images: good advice](https://allisterspeaks.com/seo-for-images-good-advice/) - Many SEO novices limit their optimisation efforts to the words on their web site, but the images on your pages can be, to coin a phrase, worth a thousand words. At the most basic level adding Alt Text for every image on your site helps. But there are host of extra considerations you may wish
- [Google’s guide to SEO](https://allisterspeaks.com/googles-guide-to-seo/) - Any attempt to manipulate natural Search Engine (SE) results listings is frowned upon by the major SE’s. But that doesn’t mean that all SEO is bad; most of it is just plain common sense. There’s no point having a great site that a search engine crawler cannot “see”. Step forward Google, and their “Search Engine
- [B2C vs. B2B: Social Media is for everyone, even humans](https://allisterspeaks.com/b2c-vs-b2b-social-media-is-for-everyone-even-humans/) - I often speak with marketers from B2B companies who question the role that social media can play for them in their “dull, grey, suited, corporate sales world” (their words, not mine). My response is always to ask who they’re selling to. If it’s people (as in ‘human beings’) then social media may have a role
- [What to do without Facebook](https://allisterspeaks.com/what-to-do-without-facebook/) - I enjoyed this neat little list of things every digital marketer should be making time to do, even when Facebook is up. I think I’d add an eleventh item: Step outside and get some fresh air and reconnect with the real world!
- [Social Search: Charlene Li’s take on Bing’s new tricks](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-search-charlene-lis-take-on-bings-new-tricks/) - Here’s a link to a great summary from Altimeter’s Charlene Li on the impact that last week’s Bing/Facebook announcement could have on the ways we find information online. My key take outs: The value of your social network increases dramatically when it can positively influence (speed up, increase accuracy/relevance, etc.) your search results Facebook’s all
- [State of our Social Media World: superb ‘Wave 5’ study by UM](https://allisterspeaks.com/state-of-our-social-media-world-superb-wave-5-study-by-um/) - I’ve long been a fan of Universal McCann’s ‘Wave’ studies which analyse how we’re using the web in our daily lives. Now in it’s fifth instalment, Wave is the largest and longest-running dedicated social media study in the world, and it’s a goldmine of fascinating facts that helps us understand how our use of social
- [New Facebook Groups feature](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-facebook-groups-feature/) - Earlier this week Facebook announced a new ‘Groups’ feature which greatly simplifies the process of managing the messages you send and receive to friends on the social networking site. This feature is now enabled for all users and presents a host of new opportunities for marketers. I was going to write a collection of tips
- [Crowd-sourcing: Driving down the price of a Skoda](https://allisterspeaks.com/crowd-sourcing-driving-down-the-price-of-a-skoda/) - I’m a Skoda driver, and proud of it. So it comes as no surprise to me to see Skoda doing some clever digital marketing to promote one of their cars. Skoda Belgium is currently running a crowd-sourcing promotion to sell a Skoda Fabia car via Facebook. The starting price of the car is 12,950 euros,
- [Social Media usage: the slowdown continues](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-usage-the-slowdown-continues/) - More evidence emerges of the slowdown in social media adoption, this time in the form of SocialMediaToday’s 3Q Update which uses Google AdPlanner data to assess the reach and age profile of the users of the most popular social networks. Highlights: Facebook active user count falls from 550 to 540 million Age group 55yrs+ shrinks
- [75 percent choose Wi-Fi over tea and coffee](https://allisterspeaks.com/75-percent-choose-wi-fi-over-tea-and-coffee/) - A new survey sponsored by the Wi-Fi Alliance reveals that 75% of Americans aged 17 to 29 would find a week without Wi-Fi worse than a week without tea or coffee. And more than two-thirds of respondents claim to spend more time on Wi-Fi devices than watching television. If your job is trying to attract
- [Protect your online identity or risk being impersonated](https://allisterspeaks.com/protect-your-online-identity-or-risk-being-impersonated/) - TechCrunch reports that a number of high profile business executives cluelessly accepted a Facebook friend request from someone impersonating Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, this weekend. The report also highlights privacy issues arising from the lack of e-mail authentication required to create a new account on Facebook. An unrelated study shows that 82% of babies
- [Cadbury’s Hip Hamster – a YouTube first](https://allisterspeaks.com/cadburys-hip-hamster-a-youtube-first/) - Here’s a sweet bit of creativity from Australia: the world’s first round YouTube video. This just goes to show that nothing’s sacred on the web. If you can dream it, it can happen! How could this have been better? It took me several minutes to figure out that this came from the Cadbury’s team in
- [Clever marketing: PILOT pens help you create your own font](https://allisterspeaks.com/clever-marketing-pilot-pens-help-you-create-your-own-font/) - (click image to enlarge) Discover PILOT’s clever marketing for yourself at www.pilothandwriting.com.
- [Infographic: the B2B social media landscape](https://allisterspeaks.com/infographic-the-b2b-social-media-landscape/) - The team at InsideView have published another eye-catching infographic that highlights how big companies are steadily embracing the social web. (Click image to enlarge) It’s great to see adoption levels steadily rising but these raw statistics mask a multitude of sins. It’s one thing to use social media, it’s quite another to use it well.
- [Social media: comparing results with expectations](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-comparing-results-with-expectations/) - eMarketer.com recently published findings from a study of US small businesses comparing the results of social media tactics with expectations. The chart below speaks for itself; it’s encouraging to see that, in the most part, the accomplished results are broadly on a par with expectations. No surprise that the biggest shortfall lies in “identify and
- [Social media usage: have we peaked?](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-media-usage-have-we-peaked/) - New data released today by Forrester shows that the ways we use the internet today are largely unchanged compared to six months ago. This is in stark contrast to previous studies which have always shown our usage patterns shifting. Now, it seems, the profile of internet users may be starting to reach a mature state,
- [We’re all grappling with Facebook](https://allisterspeaks.com/were-all-grappling-with-facebook/) - I attended a very informative presentation from Marcus Wareham, Head of Planning & Strategy EMEA at Facebook this morning. We saw the usual stats showing how big Facebook has become (half a billion users, 700 billion minutes every month, 50% log on every day etc.) and this gave me a chance to reflect on how
- [10 gaffes to avoid in social media marketing](https://allisterspeaks.com/10-gaffes-to-avoid-in-social-media-marketing/) - Everyone is a “Social Media Expert” these days. Most you’ll meet have made lots of stupid mistakes. Importantly though, the wisest people will have learned from their gaffes and won’t crash and burn the same ways again. If you’ve never made a social media mistake, you’re probably not doing it right. Here’s my quick list
- [Bullets do no good. Not even in presentations.](https://allisterspeaks.com/bullets-do-no-good-not-even-in-presentations/) - I stirred up a debate this week at Microsoft by saying “I hate bullet points in presentations. Whoever invented them should be shot. Preferably with a bullet.” What for me was just a cheap gag, with a side-serving of mild annoyance at lazy presenters who use bullet points instead of a smattering of visual creativity
- [A direct mail that worked](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-direct-mail-that-worked/) - I received a direct mail letter today. In an envelope. Delivered by the postman. Now, this isn’t that uncommon an event; getting junk mail is a price you expect to pay when you’ve been in the marketing industry as long as me. What was less common was that I both opened and acted on the
- [Not-Quite-Maslow’s Hierarchy of Internet Needs](https://allisterspeaks.com/not-quite-maslows-hierarchy-of-internet-needs/) - While Abraham Harold Maslow spins furiously in his grave, Internet marketers are busy adapting his legendary hierarchy of needs for our new digitally-connected era. No surprise that the framework of Maslow’s thinking still stands the test of time today and we can draw reasonable parallels between the ways we express ourselves online and the more
- [Two wonderful marketers on video](https://allisterspeaks.com/two-wonderful-marketers-on-video/) - We digital marketers are not above needing to combine clever creative thinking and the sort of profound psychological insights that our marketing forefathers mastered long before Tim Berners-Lee made his incredible discovery. So, today I share with you two of my favourite marketing presentations, both courtesy of the wonderful TED. First up, Rory Sutherland, with Life
- [Internet Explorer 9 Beta – the start of something big](https://allisterspeaks.com/internet-explorer-9-beta-the-start-of-something-big/) - The web tonight is awash with news of the release of the beta of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). At the risk of being accused of cronyism, this is a major development for web design and designers. IE holds over 60% share of browser usage (source: Wikipedia) and the release of IE9 beta therefore signals
- [Google Instant: advice for search marketers](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-instant-advice-for-search-marketers/) - Google recently announced Google Instant, a new feature in their search engine which delivers immediate search results as you type. The Instant experience is available to everyone in the USA, as well as in selected other countries including the UK if you are signed in to a Google account. As you can see from the
- [Free e-book: Internet Safety](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-e-book-internet-safety/) - The roads are getting congested, which can mean only one thing: the new school term has just begun. And with the start of a fresh academic year comes a new season of evening presentations that I’ll be giving to parents at schools across Surrey, Kent, and Berkshire to help them understand the importance of internet
- [How we search for stuff: Slidecast for marketers](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-we-search-for-stuff-slidecast-for-marketers/) - A short presentation, narrated by Allister Frost, that explains new insights we have into how people use search engines and what this means for marketers.
- [The Online Police: Understanding the ASA’s new digital media remit](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-online-police-understanding-the-asas-new-digital-media-remit/) - Last week saw confirmation that the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will have a significantly extended remit to protect consumers from misleading or otherwise inappropriate online advertising from 1st March 2011. The ASA already polices all paid-for digital marketing activities; its extended remit gives it the power to monitor and highlight non-compliance of advertisers’ marketing
- [Tipp-Ex Shoot a Bear – viral analysis of the first few days](https://allisterspeaks.com/tipp-ex-shoot-a-bear-viral-analysis-of-the-first-few-days/) - Last week, the BIC Group launched a clever campaign to promote Tipp-Ex on YouTube designed to coincide with the ‘back to school’ period. Looking at the reach figures, it’s been an astonishing success. The teaser entry video, produced by the BUZZMAN agency, has already been viewed over 4.3 million times and shared more than 120,000
- [Google Unveiled: how much the top brands spend](https://allisterspeaks.com/google-unveiled-how-much-the-top-brands-spend/) - A revealing leak out of Google to AdAge shows just how much the top brands are spending on paid search with Google. No surprise that the top spenders are mostly transactional based companies looking to pick up online sales. One obvious anomaly in the top ten is BP which pumped $3.59million into paid search in
- [Mark Ritson is wrong: social media is for people and brands](https://allisterspeaks.com/mark-ritson-is-wrong-social-media-is-for-people-and-brands/) - Associate Professor of Marketing, Mark Ritson, believes that “social media is for people, not brands” as explained in his latest weekly column for Marketing Week. I think he may be starting to lose the plot. Ritson begins his argument by showing that five of Britain’s biggest brands, including retailer Morrisons and banking giant Barclays, don’t
- [When two tribes go to war: B2B vs. B2C](https://allisterspeaks.com/when-two-tribes-go-to-war-b2b-vs-b2c/) - Recent days have seen a flurry of debate about the differences between B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) marketing and arguments about which is more sophisticated. Having worked on both sides of the fence I guess I’m qualified to have an opinion but, to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s worth
- [SEO tip: link building through online generosity](https://allisterspeaks.com/seo-tip-link-building-through-online-generosity/) - It’s Monday, but I only just had time to watch this nice little ‘Whiteboard Friday’ video from SEOmoz. The first tip from Rand Fishkin is very close to my heart and relates to one of my recent posts on this blog. As Rand explains, giving testimonials to others can be a great way to boost
- [How we search for stuff: Insights for marketers](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-we-search-for-stuff-insights-for-marketers/) - If I asked you to find out about something today, maybe booking a restaurant or choosing a washing machine to buy, chances are you would start your journey online at a search engine. That’s why it’s essential that all marketers understand how search engines work so they can optimise their sites and paid for search
- [Being social at work: it’s a must-do](https://allisterspeaks.com/being-social-at-work-its-a-must-do/) - I’m often asked by owner-managers of small and medium sized businesses whether they should allow their employees to access social networks while at work. In the past my answer might have been that if social networking was not central to their work then it would be reasonable to block these sites on the company network
- [TweetPivot – get to know your followers and followees](https://allisterspeaks.com/tweetpivot-get-to-know-your-followers-and-followees/) - Twitter users will delight in being able to use Microsoft Live Labs’ funky Pivot tool to explore their Twitterverse at http://tweetpivot.com/. Thanks to Steve Clayton for spotting this one; it’s a peach! Go pivot today![tweetmeme only_single="false"]
- [Do unto others… Why online generosity matters](https://allisterspeaks.com/do-unto-others-why-online-generosity-matters/) - Why it pays to be generous online
- [Future state: Games will be everywhere](https://allisterspeaks.com/future-state-games-will-be-everywhere/) - _ Jesse Schell is CEO of Schell Games and a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. In this video he presents a fascinating view of how social gaming cleverly taps into some of our deep-rooted psychological needs and shares a thought-provoking view of how humans will interact with technology in the future. It’s a fascinating video.
- [Risky business: ignoring social media](https://allisterspeaks.com/risky-business-ignoring-social-media/) - The list of pros and cons of social media grows longer every day but it would be a brave marketer to still claim that social media has no role to play in supporting their business goals. Whether you’re selling toothpaste or helicopters, having a clear strategy for how your brand can use social media is
- [Why so many Social Media projects fail](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-so-many-social-media-projects-fail/) - With thanks to Eileen Brown for bringing this to my attention, here’s a great little presentation that highlights why so many social media projects fail. Recognise any mistakes you’ve made? I do… Why Social Media Projects Fail?! – A European Perspective View more presentations from BSI.
- [Bringing fans together with virtual experiences](https://allisterspeaks.com/bringing-fans-together-with-virtual-experiences/) - This weekend I’ll be at a beer festival sampling the contents of a few, but not quite all, of the 60+ casks of real ale on display. Previous experience has taught me to take along a pen and paper as I’ve no chance of remembering which beers I enjoyed the following day! As I look
- [Facebook reach set to surpass Google within 18 months?](https://allisterspeaks.com/facebook-reach-set-to-surpass-google-within-18-months/) - Jacques Mattheij has been drawing graphs and today predicts that Facebook’s worldwide reach will overtake Google sometime in the next 9 to 18 months. Facebook’s spectacular growth has been widely publicised with active users now above 500 million worldwide, 50% of whom log on to Facebook on any given day. That all adds up to
- [Every screen presents an opportunity](https://allisterspeaks.com/every-screen-presents-an-opportunity/) - I love my bedside Logitech Squeezebox Radio. It makes it really easy for me to listen to all kinds of internet broadcasts including my favourite podcasts and radio stations from anywhere in the world. And, because it’s an internet-connected device, I can access it from any web browser to change settings, add stations and apps,
- [How big?! Watch the Social Media UK video](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-big-watch-the-social-media-uk-video/) - We’ve all seen Erik Qualman’s excellent Socialnomics videos (original and refresh) but much of the data presented is global or biased to the USA. Step forward the folks at Simply Zesty and, hey presto, you have a short video packed full of UK specific facts and figures. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZHSZY8S9mA]Simply Zesty measures up the UK social media
- [The end of an era](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-end-of-an-era/) - I started up the UsefulTechnology blog way back in April 2005. In those days computers hadn’t been invented, everything was black and white, and I hadn’t even been born. Back then, my work was focussed on technology, but mostly clever things like Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook 2003, so that’s what I wrote about and
- [Social Marketing brilliance: The Last Exorcism](https://allisterspeaks.com/social-marketing-brilliance-the-last-exorcism/) - With almost 300,000 views already on YouTube, here’s a truly clever bit of social media marketing, this time using ChatRoulette. If you’re not yet familiar with Chatroulette, it’s a site which simply connects you on your webcam to another random person anywhere else in the world so you can chat and exchange instant messages. As
- [Twitter Parade](https://allisterspeaks.com/twitter-parade/) - How’s your Japanese? Mine’s lousy, but I can still enjoy this entertaining new way to follow the Twitter stream. You can either follow a Twitter user’s stream or a keyword of your choice. Start your own parade at http://www.isparade.jp/.
- [20 of the best social media campaigns ever](https://allisterspeaks.com/20-of-the-best-social-media-campaigns-ever/) - Thanks to Fuel Lines for spotting Forbes’ recent article on the world’s best buzz-generating social media campaigns. It’s a fascinating list, which I’ve repeated below, and it’s worth reminding ourselves how much ground we’ve covered as a marketing profession. So many of these successful campaigns started out as a test, a pilot, a trial to
- [Is Facebook stagnating in the UK?](https://allisterspeaks.com/is-facebook-stagnating-in-the-uk/) - Hitwise is one of my favourite sites for valuable new insights into the UK social networking sites. In a recent post by their Research Director Robin Goad, Hitwise unveiled that Facebook accounted for a staggering 7.14% of all UK Internet visits in June 2010 and well over half (54.48%) of all social networking activity. But
- [Welcome to my world](https://allisterspeaks.com/welcome-to-my-world/) - It's time for a fresh start. That's why you've found me here at an all new blog which, over time, will become the home to my musings about marketing, brands, digital media, and, more than anything, the incredible transformation the marketing world is going through as we shift from shouting to conversing. I hope that my regular
- [Using Outlook Rules to ease e-mail overload](https://allisterspeaks.com/using-outlook-rules-to-ease-e-mail-overload/) - Rules are instructions you set up in Microsoft Outlook to have certain e-mails managed and delivered in a special way. For example, you might want all e-mails from a certain person delivered to a specified folder, or perhaps you’d like to hear an alert sound whenever you receive an e-mail with certain words in the
- [Facebook connector for Outlook, and more!](https://allisterspeaks.com/facebook-connector-for-outlook-and-more/) - Outlook users who dabble in Social network sites like Facebook and LinkedIn (and, let’s face it, who doesn’t dabble these days?) will be delighted with the hot Outlook Social Connectors released yesterday. With these add-ins you can connect your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Windows Live accounts to Outlook, allowing you to see updates and recently posted
- [Archive and analyse Tweets–new free tool from Microsoft](https://allisterspeaks.com/archive-and-analyse-tweets-new-free-tool-from-microsoft/) - Twitter fans listen up! Today Microsoft released a great new tool called The Archivist which allows you to create archives of Twitter topics for saving, exporting, and analysis. Why might you need this? If you’re interesting in monitoring your own Twitter activity to see what you tweet about, when, and from where, The Archivist can
- [How to disappear: deleting yourself from online sites](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-disappear-deleting-yourself-from-online-sites/) - I'm often asked what's the best way to set up your privacy settings on social media and other online sites. It's a complicated area and one that's evolving rapidly. Facebook recently bowed to public and media pressure and simplified their privacy settings (if you haven't reviewed your Facebook settings yet, do it now) and other sites
- [Free World Cup application for Windows Mobile phones](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-world-cup-application-for-windows-mobile-phones/) - Breaking news: there's a FIFA World Cup tournament this year, and it starts on Friday! Yay! Footy fans all over the world will be willing their teams on. And what better way to keep up to date with all the latest news, scores, injuries, and penalty kick disasters, than with a free application from
- [Stop making excuses, start measuring](https://allisterspeaks.com/stop-making-excuses-start-measuring/) - Time flies when you're busy or on holiday. And I've been both over the last few weeks. Sorry for the radio silence. In my bulging RSS sack I found this article from Everything PR which rightly shines a light on an increasingly common complaint about social media: "I don't know how to measure it".
- [Microsoft Office 2010 – ready for launch](https://allisterspeaks.com/microsoft-office-2010-ready-for-launch/) - Like many, I was delighted to hear the news that Microsoft Office 2010 has been Released To Manufacturing (RTMed), a curiously dated IT phrase that means the software is ready to be burned onto DVDs ready for sale in the shops. I’ve really enjoyed using the various Microsoft Office 2010 applications through the pre-launch testing
- [Awesome photo editing in Microsoft Office 2010](https://allisterspeaks.com/awesome-photo-editing-in-microsoft-office-2010/) - I love the photo editing capabilities baked right into Microsoft Office 2010. It used to take so long to tweak a picture to match its surroundings, usually involving a costly trip into a photo editing package like Adobe Photoshop, but with Microsoft Office 2010 powerful photo editing tools are included within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
- [Add 2010 FIFA World Cup fixtures to your Microsoft Outlook calendar](https://allisterspeaks.com/add-2010-fifa-world-cup-fixtures-to-your-microsoft-outlook-calendar/) - The UK TV schedule for the first stages of this summer’s FIFA World Cup tournament is now available and football fans can quickly add the all-important dates to their Microsoft Outlook calendar with this simple technique courtesy of the UsefulTechnologyBlog: Click here to download this Excel file. Save the file to your desktop. [optional step]
- [Tangled Cables: an urban survival guide](https://allisterspeaks.com/tangled-cables-an-urban-survival-guide/) - They’re the bane of many digital lives: those pesky cables that are both completely essential and universally unloved. Anyone who’s ever carried a laptop, a mobile phone or a music player has experienced cable chaos, that moment when an impenetrable tangle makes you want to hurl the jumbled mess out of the train window. I’ve
- [Discover the new Schedule View in Microsoft Outlook 2010](https://allisterspeaks.com/discover-the-new-schedule-view-in-microsoft-outlook-2010/) - I could never understand why the calendar in Microsoft Outlook insists on showing the times down the left of the screen, even when you’re viewing multiple calendars belonging to different people. Trying to find a spare slot for a team meeting like this is next to impossible; our eyes just don’t work efficiently like this.
- [No more belated birthday greetings](https://allisterspeaks.com/no-more-belated-birthday-greetings/) - Do you find it hard to remember birthdays? Even with Facebook and my trusty kitchen wall calendar I seem to make a habit of missing special days. And my excuse that we each share our birthday with over 18 million other people around the world (except for the tortured minority who were born on 29th
- [Every laptop needs one](https://allisterspeaks.com/every-laptop-needs-one/) - Every Brit who has ever travelled knows how cumbersome our UK plugs can be. Now, British student Min-Kyu Choi, has invented the Folding Plug, and scooped the prestigious Brit Insurance Design of the Year award too. There’s a similar mini-plug in development at www.thinplug.com too, all of which can only be good news for British
- [Swiss Railway Clock for Windows](https://allisterspeaks.com/swiss-railway-clock-for-windows/) - I’m a big fan of Swiss design and SwissMiss today posted links an iPhone app and Mac OS X widget so you can add a distinctive Swiss Railway Clock to your Apple devices. Thankfully those of us with Microsoft powered devices needn’t miss out: there’s a gorgeous Windows taskbar add-on and a desktop gadget available
- [Custom Shapes in PowerPoint 2010 – Fantastic!](https://allisterspeaks.com/custom-shapes-in-powerpoint-2010-fantastic/) - This has just made my day. No, make that my week, or maybe even my month! The PowerPoint Team Blog has announced that custom shapes can now be created in PowerPoint 2010 (get the free beta here) with the new ‘Combine Shapes’ feature hidden deep within the application. If you’ve ever struggled to recreate a
- [Bing Maps – loving it!](https://allisterspeaks.com/bing-maps-loving-it/) - Bing Maps just get better and better! Larry Larsen of Channel 10 has reminded me of the new Map Apps feature that allows you to add customised overlays onto Bing maps. Head over to http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/ to discover a handy map overlay. I love the ‘What’s Nearby’ app that helps you find useful places like restaurants,
- [Adobe PDF Preview Handler fix for 64-bit Windows](https://allisterspeaks.com/adobe-pdf-preview-handler-fix-for-64-bit-windows/) - If you run a 64-bit version of Windows and find that you are unable to preview Adobe Acrobat files you’ll be relieved to learn there’s now a fix available from pretentiousname.com. The tool also works for 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office 2010 and fixes some erroneous registry entries. So, stop waiting for Adobe to fix
- [Windows Live Experience Pack](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-live-experience-pack/) - This is a nice bit of fun from the Windows Live team. Check out the brand new Experience Pack that allows you to customise Windows 7 and Windows Live Messenger with some quirky (or should that be creepy?!) personalised avatar images based on a photo you upload or take on your webcam. Installation is a
- [UsefulTechnology: White Balance Lens Cap](https://allisterspeaks.com/usefultechnology-white-balance-lens-cap/) - Every so often something appears leaving you wondering “why didn’t I think of that?” Or, in this case, why didn’t Nikon, Canon, or any other camera manufacturer think of this, it’s so blindingly obvious! If you own an SLR camera and have ever had to colour correct a load of photos because you either forgot
- [The Digital Divide in action](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-digital-divide-in-action/) - With a hat tip to The Next Web, I enjoyed reading about a new survey by Lewis PR that graphically demonstrates Britain’s digital divide. Amongst the 1,000 survey respondents 20% have no idea that Steve Jobs is the CEO of Apple, with one in 20 thinking he’s a second division footballer. Five per cent thought
- [Sticky Notes – free productivity tool in Windows 7](https://allisterspeaks.com/sticky-notes-free-productivity-tool-in-windows-7/) - Fed up with all those Post-it notes cluttering your desk? Wondering why you’re spending more at the stationery store than ever before? Maybe you’ll be pleased to discover the Sticky Notes magic in Windows 7! To get started, just type Sticky Notes in the program launch bar under the Start button. A blank sticky note
- [A thing I love: Windows 7 Snap](https://allisterspeaks.com/a-thing-i-love-windows-7-snap/) - If you’ve seen the TV ad you’ll no doubt already know about the invaluable ‘Snap’ feature in Windows 7 that helps you arrange windows by simply dragging them to the edge of the screen. Once you’ve used this feature, you never want to go back. I accidentally discovered a new twist on Windows Snap today:
- [The face of 24 years in computing](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-face-of-24-years-in-computing/) - I thoroughly enjoyed scrolling through this interesting article on Tech Radar which catalogues the many faces of the Microsoft Windows brand over the last 24 years. The packaging and indeed the whole computing experience have gone on quite a journey. I never owned a copy of Windows 1.0 but I fondly recall traipsing half the
- [Don’t tweet your heart out](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-tweet-your-heart-out/) - I enjoyed this excellent article which first appeared in last week’s Marketing magazine in the UK. With social media channels changing the way we search for and interact with information of all types, it’s clear that marketers like me must now figure out how they’ll manage and segregate their personal and professional brands within online
- [Eight ways to kill an idea](https://allisterspeaks.com/eight-ways-to-kill-an-idea/) - Hat tip to the ever so talented Scott C. How many of these crimes will you commit today?
- [Why donating to political parties sucks](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-donating-to-political-parties-sucks/) - We don’t do political commentary on the UsefulTechnology blog, but we’re always happy to share tips to help you save money. And, with a general election on the UK horizon any time soon, our advice today would be “never donate money to a political party”. They’ll only wizzle your money up the wall doing moronic
- [Are you a Social Media Idiot?](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-you-a-social-media-idiot/) - Working in Marketing at Microsoft I’m contacted by more than my fair share of experts telling me they have the answer to my business challenges. In fact, since the economic downturn began my phone’s never tring-a-linged so often with calls from consultants hunting for new business. Sadly, my budgets are under pressure as much as
- [Who knew shopping could be so…](https://allisterspeaks.com/who-knew-shopping-could-be-so/) - I guess it was only a matter of time. Yes, the oh-so-predictable fusion of “must-have gadgets” and “sex sells” has finally happened with the arrival of Swaxy.com. So now you can lust after that gorgeous new gadget with tiny buttons, while also admiring a fake-tanned dolly with enormous… Health and Safety Warning: Never store darts
- [Drive a lot? Here’s an interesting read](https://allisterspeaks.com/drive-a-lot-heres-an-interesting-read/) - Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About Us) If you’ve ever wondered why other people are always such bad drivers, this book could help. And perhaps it’s you who’s the problem, not them. Having read this book I have a much better appreciation of why we drive the way
- [Nice new Microsoft Wave site](https://allisterspeaks.com/nice-new-microsoft-wave-site/) - Just launched by my chums in the Microsoft online team, a new site to showcase some of the interesting things that Microsoft gets up to. And no, we’re not trying to sell you anything here; we just thought it would be neat to package up some of our more funky stuff into one place. See
- [Ah, those were the days!](https://allisterspeaks.com/ah-those-were-the-days/) - Enjoy this ad, dating from around 1977, when "Electronic Mail" was truly terrifying to most people. With thanks to Gizmodo: http://i.gizmodo.com/5220568/holy-crap-email-was-scary-in-the-1970s
- [It’s not easy being green: the Microsoft MPG Challenge](https://allisterspeaks.com/its-not-easy-being-green-the-microsoft-mpg-challenge/) - I took the Microsoft MPG Challenge at work today. The basic idea was to learn how to drive a car more fuel efficiently and see how much of an improvement I could make to my MPG (miles per gallon) score. On my first drive around the residential mile-long course in a tinny little Seat car
- [Outlook add-ins messing up your life?](https://allisterspeaks.com/outlook-add-ins-messing-up-your-life/) - If you’ve installed an add-in to Outlook 2007 that you now suspect to be causing Outlook to misbehave, you can disable it quite simply using the Trust Center. However, if you’re also using Windows Vista, or some another OS, you may encounter a curious error message telling you “The connected state of Office Add-Ins registered
- [My Twitter friends](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-twitter-friends/) - What a curiously attractive bunch you are. Get your twitter mosaic here.
- [Compère beyond compare](https://allisterspeaks.com/compere-beyond-compare/) - Drat! I have to compère (that’s French for ‘make a fool of oneself’) an event at work on Friday so it’s time to dust off the lame jokes collection. The brief is, well, loose to say the least, but I think I’ll be in charge of introducing each presenter, making semi-coherent connections between topics, and
- [Disabling stubborn add-ins in Office 2007](https://allisterspeaks.com/disabling-stubborn-add-ins-in-office-2007/) - A top tip from My Digital Life just saved my bacon. If you run add-ins in Outlook, Word, or Excel that you are unable to disable in Tools > Trust Center with this cryptic error message: “The Connected State of Office Add-Ins Registered in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Cannot Be Changed” then you simply need to restart the
- [Why I succumbed to Twitter](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-i-succumbed-to-twitter/) - I’ve toyed with Twitter in the past but I never really got into it. There just weren’t enough people that I knew on there, and I didn’t much fancy hanging out with some of the Tweeting pioneers. But things are different now. There are just so many people using Twitter that it’s nearly impossible to
- [ElfYourself – it’s back!](https://allisterspeaks.com/elfyourself-its-back/) - Yes, it’s back, for a third consecutive year! The ElfYourself web site, now a mainstay of the December festivities, makes a spectacular viral return, with the enhanced option to create up to five elves and choose from four different dances. Great fun and proof positive that a strong viral marketing idea can stand the test
- [Bring on the Bubble Calendar](https://allisterspeaks.com/bring-on-the-bubble-calendar/) - Completely random post: Fans of bubble wrap now have 365 reasons to look forward to next year. The immensely desirable Bubble Calendar is a handmade poster sized calendar with a finger sized bubble to burst every day! A truly novel way to count down the days until 2010; popping bubbles certainly beats chalking on the
- [Remembering your IP addresses](https://allisterspeaks.com/remembering-your-ip-addresses/) - If you occasionally need to change settings on devices connected to your network like your modem router or other computers, you’ll know it’s difficult to remember their IP addresses. One way is to write all the IP addresses down on a chart and pin it above your desk. Another, slightly higher tech way, is to
- [Get Me Out Of Here](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-me-out-of-here/) - Have three months really flown by since my last blog post? So it would seem. And for that I apologise. I've been rather busy creating this and some TV ads and much more. But the pace of useful technology developments never slows. If only I'd known about http://www.getmooh.com/ sooner; I could have pre-booked interruptions to excuse me
- [Get minimised](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-minimised/) - Got Windows Live Messenger? Want a new display picture? Try this, it’s free: www.minimise-me.com.
- [New downloads for Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-downloads-for-outlook/) - Hot off the press this month, two new must have add-ons for Outlook: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta (with added ooomph!)With Microsoft Office Outlook Connector, you can use Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to access and manage your Microsoft Windows Live Hotmail or Microsoft Office Live Mail accounts, including e-mail
- [Customise your Microsoft Word Status bar](https://allisterspeaks.com/customise-your-microsoft-word-status-bar/) - Microsoft Word 2007 can report a wealth of information in the status bar that adorns the bottom of the screen. To change what you have on display simply right click on the status bar and you’ll see this: Just switch settings on and off until your status bar reports only the information you care about.
- [Rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated](https://allisterspeaks.com/rumours-of-my-demise-are-greatly-exaggerated/) - Sorry for the woeful lack of posts recently. Life has been busy on all fronts. However I was reminded this evening of the importance of maintaining one’s blog by an old friend in France who called me wondering what had become of me. So, for all my fans around the world, yes both of you,
- [Is RSS making Outlook run slow?](https://allisterspeaks.com/is-rss-making-outlook-run-slow/) - Following on from yesterday's post about shutting down (or rather not shutting down) Outlook, I'm reminded of these performance enhancing tips. If, when you look at the outlook.exe process in Task Manager (SHIFT+CTRL+Escape, then Processes tab), you see that the memory in use is very high (say, greater than 100,000KB) there may be things you can do
- [Shutting down Outlook properly](https://allisterspeaks.com/shutting-down-outlook-properly/) - Ever seen one of these messages? If your computer reports that a data file did not close properly the last time you used Outlook the chances are you may have interrupted the normal shut down routine of your outlook.exe process. This could have happened for a multitude of reasons: maybe your laptop battery ran flat,
- [BigPockets Bag O' Crap Winner Announced](https://allisterspeaks.com/bigpockets-bag-o-crap-winner-announced/) - You're not going to believe this. After mentioning BigPockets.co.uk's clever 'Bag O' Crap' promotion several times on - this - blog, I decided to enter my own video. And it only went and won the top prize of £200! Fancy that! My son, the real star of the video and undoubtedly the only reason my
- [Indiana Whips Up A Searching Frenzy](https://allisterspeaks.com/indiana-whips-up-a-searching-frenzy/) - There's no such thing as a free lunch. But there is such a thing as a free search and an Indiana Jones whip thrown in for good measure! If you take Windows Live Search for a 'spin', you could win one of over 1,000 prizes including a private screening of the movie for you and
- [Videos: Windows Live Search](https://allisterspeaks.com/videos-windows-live-search/) - Just released: 7 funny little viral videos for Windows Live Search. If you've not yet tried Live Search, take it for a spin and decide for yourself if it's better than your current search engine. If you're still not sure, why not put a metasearch engine to the test to instantly compare the results of
- [Tales from Windows Vista reinstallations](https://allisterspeaks.com/tales-from-windows-vista-reinstallations/) - I've reinstalled Windows Vista on my main home computer this week. Things had become decidedly sluggish, due in no small part to the massive amount of junk software I've tested over the last year. Having upgraded the PC from Windows XP over a year ago, I was dreading having to find suitable drivers to get
- [Xobni now free to download](https://allisterspeaks.com/xobni-now-free-to-download/) - This just in from Xobni HQ: Dear Xobni Beta User, Today is an exciting day for Xobni. After seven months of invite-only beta, we're proud to announce that Xobni is now publicly available for anyone to download. Your feedback has been essential in helping us improve the performance and features of Xobni during this period.
- [See things differently in Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/see-things-differently-in-windows-vista/) - The Organize drop down box in Windows Explorer (accessed via the Windows Key + E shortcut) hides a little known feature of Windows Vista. Under the Layout option you'll find the ability to switch on the Menu Bar from Windows XP plus two handy new panes: the Search Pane and the Preview Pane. Here's
- [It's time to vote](https://allisterspeaks.com/its-time-to-vote/) - With the local elections upon us today here in the UK, here's a timely reminder of the nifty voting feature in Microsoft Outlook. Whenever you wish to poll your email recipients on their preferences, you can save them and yourself time by using voting buttons as follows: Create your email in Microsoft Outlook Tick the
- [How to Print by Dragging](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-to-print-by-dragging/) - Did you know that you can print documents simply by dragging their file onto a printer icon? This is a great shortcut if you don't want to have to open a document before printing. Of course, to make this really convenient you need a way to quickly access your printers folder. You could maybe add
- [Transferring your Outlook settings to Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/transferring-your-outlook-settings-to-windows-vista/) - I received a handy reminder yesterday from Diane Poremsky's excellent Outlook Tips web site that it's best not to rely on the Windows Easy Transfer (WET) tool when moving your Outlook settings to a new Windows Vista computer. In fact, using WET can sometimes cause problems including a corrupt profile. It's far safer, and quicker
- [Save ink, money and the planet](https://allisterspeaks.com/save-ink-money-and-the-planet/) - I've noticed more and more email signatures carrying a 'Think before you print' reminder. And that's a good thing, because the less we print, the less damage we do to our fragile planet. Or course, if you do want to add a reminder to people to discourage them from printing your email, I suggest you
- [Gadget Population Explosion](https://allisterspeaks.com/gadget-population-explosion/) - One of the things I like about gadgets for Windows Vista is that you're not limited to a single instance of each gadget. So, for instance, if you'd like to see the time in more than one time zone, simply add another instance of the clock gadget and give each clock a name like this:
- [Disastrous logo for Office of Government Commerce](https://allisterspeaks.com/disastrous-logo-for-office-of-government-commerce/) - Design news: I saw this on the BBC's Have I Got New For You TV programme on Friday. But it's so hilarious, I thought I'd share it here. The new logo unveiled by the Office of Government Commerce last week has turned out to be a real cock-up. It's remarkable that for £14,000 (around US$30,000)
- [Adapt your keyboard to suit your needs](https://allisterspeaks.com/adapt-your-keyboard-to-suit-your-needs/) - My recent tip showing how to add an audible alert every time you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock keys has proved quite popular. But if you're still hitting those keys by mistake, or simply want to change the layout of your keyboard for the sheer pleasure of doing so, SharpKeys is
- [Bypass the Windows Vista log on screen](https://allisterspeaks.com/bypass-the-windows-vista-log-on-screen/) - Here's a question I'm asked extremely often: "I'm the only user of my PC. How can I avoid having to type a password every time Windows Vista starts up?" The answer is simplicity itself. Click the Start button and in the search box type control userpasswords2, then press Enter. Enter your credentials if the User
- [No more broken shortcuts, ever](https://allisterspeaks.com/no-more-broken-shortcuts-ever/) - Maybe I missed this enhancement when it first appeared, but I just discovered that Windows Vista has a neat little feature that 'automagically' heals broken shortcuts. So, if you create a shortcut to a file or program in Windows Vista, then subsequently move that file or program link, the shortcut will be automatically updated to
- [McDonalds flips out in style in the UK](https://allisterspeaks.com/mcdonalds-flips-out-in-style-in-the-uk/) - Marketing news: UK Designer Bruce Oldfield has stepped in to add a little respectability to the uniforms worn by McDonalds staff in the UK. Gone are the garish red smocks, presumably tinted to match the acne on the faces of McDonalds' young workers. In come subtle shades of beige and brown, and even pencil skirts
- [Share your favourite RSS feeds in Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/share-your-favourite-rss-feeds-in-outlook/) - If you read your RSS feeds in Outlook 2007 and, let's face it, why wouldn't you, you may be pleased to learn how easy it is to share a feed with a friend. Simply right-click on any feed entry and choose Share this Feed: Outlook will instantly create a new email for you complete with
- [Stop hitting 'Reply to All'](https://allisterspeaks.com/stop-hitting-reply-to-all/) - Are you a victim of an inadvertent 'Reply to All' gaffe? Don't worry, you're not alone. Every day, thousands of people unwittingly share their most intimate thoughts with complete strangers. And it's all thanks to that pesky 'Reply to All' button in Microsoft Outlook. Thankfully, there is a cure. The NEW "UsefulTechnology Gaffe Destroyer™ (Patent-Pending)"
- [Jump to your Inbox in Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/jump-to-your-inbox-in-outlook/) - Here's a super time saver for Outlook. Whenever you need to go to your inbox (if you're like me that happens about 3,000 times a day) just hit: SHIFT + CTRL + I That's it! It works from any view in Outlook.
- [My Bag o' Crap Moment](https://allisterspeaks.com/my-bag-o-crap-moment/) - I wrote recently and more recently about the clever promotion that BigPockets.co.uk was running to help clear out the slow moving stock from its warehouses. When the chance came up for me to order my own Bag o' Crap (or Bag o' Crap 2 to be precise) I didn't hesitate. The mystery package arrived yesterday.
- [Keyboard shortcuts for perfect copy](https://allisterspeaks.com/keyboard-shortcuts-for-perfect-copy/) - Fussy copywriters like me can be sent into a rage by the smallest grammatical slip-ups. Years ago, in a previous job, my team referred to me as 'Mr Em Dash' in recognition of my obsession with transforming the many inappropriate hyphens that blighted our copy into more attractive em dashes. To punctuate copy correctly you
- [The importance of patching](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-importance-of-patching/) - You don't need me to remind you, dear reader, of the importance of keeping your computer up to date. Regular patching and anti-virus/anti-spyware updates have never been more important. But even this cannot protect you 100% from the most determined hacker. As The Register reports, in the three day Pwn2Own contest in Vancouver, a two
- [Share your calendar in Outlook, Windows Live, Office Online, and everywhere else](https://allisterspeaks.com/share-your-calendar-in-outlook-windows-live-office-online-and-everywhere-else/) - Back in the day, my family's lives rotated around a month-to-view calendar that my mum pinned to the kitchen wall. These days, the kitchen calendar may still be there but things are a bit more complicated with our 21st century lives being busier than ever and electronic diaries stretching our pockets to the limit. I've
- [Unforgettable Label](https://allisterspeaks.com/unforgettable-label/) - We've all done it. Devoured a delicious bottle of wine, staggered home to bed, then completely forgotten the name of the nectareous liquid that addled our brains. Well, forget no more. This lovely design work by Oxford Landing, purveyors of fine wines from Australia, brings to an end those days of wine memory failure. Just
- [UK Banks Leap Into The 20th [sic] Century](https://allisterspeaks.com/uk-banks-leap-into-the-20th-sic-century/) - Exactly two months from now, on the 27th May 2008, the UK Banking Industry will finally introduce a new system that will reduce the time taken for standing orders and payments made online or by telephone banking to reach the payee's bank account. Today, it typically takes 3 working days for payments to reach the
- [Yet another Clipboard enhancer](https://allisterspeaks.com/yet-another-clipboard-enhancer/) - If you find that the ClipboardManager gadget for Windows Vista just doesn't have the 'ooomph' that you need, try Yankee Clipper 3. YC3 is a handy little freeware application that keeps a record of everything (and I mean everything) that you place in your clipboard (by copying or cutting). It resides in your toolbar and
- [Doggy Doo-Doos by RSS feed](https://allisterspeaks.com/doggy-doo-doos-by-rss-feed/) - Red Alert! I love the web when it turns out brilliantly relevant information like this! Curtain twitchers across the UK should immediately log on www.fixmystreet.com to find out what's going on around their neighbourhood. Put in your postcode and be amazed at the goings on all around you. Dog mess, abandoned fridges, and potholes
- [Windows Vista: The Missing Manual](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-vista-the-missing-manual/) - Hot off the press (or whatever the digital equivalent of a printing press is), you can now download the freshly updated Windows Product Guide, complete with details of the improvements made in Service Pack 1. The guide is worth downloading, if only for the comprehensive feature comparison charts that help explain the differences between the
- [Show formulae (or should that be 'show formulas'?) in Excel](https://allisterspeaks.com/show-formulae-or-should-that-be-show-formulas-in-excel/) - I first learned this tip about a decade ago and had long forgotten it until reminded today. When working in Microsoft Office Excel (any version), you can instantly change the view so that formulae appear in each cell instead of the results they generate. To do this hit CTRL+` (that's the accent key, normally the
- [Bag o' Crap returns 23.59 04/04/2008](https://allisterspeaks.com/bag-o-crap-returns-23-59-04042008/) - BigPockets.co.uk is causing a stir amongst its customer base with the continuing saga of its Bag o' Crap. As their latest newsletter explains: "Where do I start? How about the Bag Of crap (BOC) for £2.99? Well, you broke our servers, insulted our staff and attacked one another on chat rooms and forums. Some of
- [Adding jump links to your e-mails](https://allisterspeaks.com/adding-jump-links-to-your-e-mails/) - If you write a long e-mail, sometimes it's a nice idea to add jump links to help people navigate to the content that's most relevant to them. Say, for example, you write an e-mail about the three things you did on holiday, you could add a jump link to take your reader straight to each
- [Managing your Clipboard from the Sidebar (and Office)](https://allisterspeaks.com/managing-your-clipboard-from-the-sidebar-and-office/) - The clipboard is a wonderful thing. Every time you copy (CTRL+C) or cut (CTRL+X) any information on your monitor, it is temporarily stored in the clipboard ready to be pasted back when needed. And while working in Microsoft Office applications you can even display the Clipboard at the side of the screen by clicking the
- [Lush desktop enhancements for Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/lush-desktop-enhancements-for-windows-vista/) - With thanks to Windows Vista magazine, check out some of the cool tools to enhance your desktop at http://mpj.tomaatnet.nl/vista/. I particularly like the 3D User Picture, Glass Toasts, and Thumbnail Sizer. Nice enhancements, but only if you've got a sufficiently powerful graphics card. Folder Backgrounds are also pretty quirky, but I've yet to see the
- [The Album = R.I.P. The Future = R.E.M.](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-album-r-i-p-the-future-r-e-m/) - As a long time fan of R.E.M. I'm excited to learn that they will become the first major act to allow fans to freely stream and share their new "Accelerate" album via social networking sites when it is released on 24th March. To take advantage of this great opportunity to hear the album before
- [Searching your .PSTs in Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/searching-your-psts-in-windows-vista/) - Here's an ace tip from Channel 10 that explains how to configure Windows Vista to automatically index all .pst (Outlook Personal Storage) files on your computer. This saves you having to open archived .pst files in Outlook every time you need to dig out an old email. Follow the steps in the tip on Channel
- [Fabulous FolderShare](https://allisterspeaks.com/fabulous-foldershare/) - It would appear that rumours of FolderShare's death were grossly exaggerated. Au contraire, FolderShare is alive and well, and looking better than ever with: a new extra-confusing name 'Windows Live FolderShare Beta' a new web site that makes file management easier speedier setup faster performance in Windows Vista and a sparkling new logo Some of
- [Fukubukuro Crap in our Web 2.0 times](https://allisterspeaks.com/fukubukuro-crap-in-our-web-2-0-times/) - This has to be the offer of the century: Yes, that's right. For just £2.99 at www.bigpockets.co.uk you can now buy a bag full of crappy items that would otherwise be cluttering up their warehouse. The contents will almost certainly have a value above £2.99, but not necessarily to you. The web site goes on
- [Speed Formatting](https://allisterspeaks.com/speed-formatting/) - Regular users of Microsoft Word and Outlook will have discovered the Format Painter tool which looks like this . By selecting some text then clicking the button, you can apply the exact same formatting to other text in your document just by selecting it. Give it a try. Advanced users will have spotted that by
- [Quick Parts for Outlook 2007](https://allisterspeaks.com/quick-parts-for-outlook-2007/) - If you find yourself inserting things like your address, maps, travel directions, disclaimers and your web site URL into emails over and over again, then Quick Parts could be your new friend. Quick Parts are new to Outlook 2007 and Word 2007 and provide an easy way for you to quickly insert regularly used text
- [Duelling designers and developers](https://allisterspeaks.com/duelling-designers-and-developers/) - Here's a nice video that does a fine job of highlighting the challenges facing developers and designers as they seek to deliver great marketing campaigns! http://www.microsoft.com/uk/expression/webharmony/ Recognise someone you work with in there? I did!
- [bANISH cLUMSY tPYING mISTAKES](https://allisterspeaks.com/banish-clumsy-tpying-mistakes/) - Are you forever hitting the Caps Lock key by mistake and discovering THAT YOUR PERFECTLY FORMED SENTENCE HAS TURNED ALL SHOUTY? While there's no known cure for fat fingers, you may be pleased to know that you can configure Windows to play an audible alert warning whenever you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or
- [Easy! Mail merge to e-mail](https://allisterspeaks.com/easy-mail-merge-to-e-mail/) - Surprisingly, before today I had never used mail merge to send a personalised e-mail. I say "surprisingly" because now that I've mastered the technique I can think of dozens of uses for this simple but very powerful tool. Put simply, mail merging allows you to create customised communications (be they e-mails or ye olde printed
- [How I helped Facebook](https://allisterspeaks.com/how-i-helped-facebook/) - I've done Facebook a favour this morning. I deactivated my account. Facebook should be delighted; it's people like me who are way past their social networking heyday who are killing social networking sites. Here's why: young people have always needed somewhere to hang out, but they only do this when it's 'their place'. For a
- [Wow! The WorldWide Telescope](https://allisterspeaks.com/wow-the-worldwide-telescope/) - This is extraordinary! Yesterday, Roy Gould, researcher at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, and Microsoft's Curtis Wong gave the first public preview of Microsoft's new WorldWide Telescope. By combining a very clever rich visualisation environment with feeds from satellites and telescopes all over the world and the skies, Microsoft has created a comprehensive and interactive
- [Life's too short for bad marketing](https://allisterspeaks.com/lifes-too-short-for-bad-marketing/) - Sometimes the best marketing activities are the simplest. Like this photo, prepared by Scotland's Rock Radio 96.3, that has helped them reached a huge online audience for the cost of little more than a few borrowed guitar racks and a cheap sign. Or this beautifully produced advertising campaign for www.jobsintown.de which deserves its current cyber
- [Journeying through our digital lives](https://allisterspeaks.com/journeying-through-our-digital-lives/) - Some of the guys in my team launched their latest digital creation today. Well done Anna-Lisa and Chris! It's a new website designed to help people see how some of Microsoft's newest products work together, and has been built entirely in Silverlight. Check out the site here and explore the digital lives of four British
- [Valentine's Day: The Ultimate Geek Gift](https://allisterspeaks.com/valentines-day-the-ultimate-geek-gift/) - This has to be the very pinnacle of geekdom gift buying. By wearing an '8-bit Dynamic Life' t-shirt you can now boldly sport six red hearts across your chest. "So what?" I hear you cry. Here's what: give the other t-shirt to your lover/partner/target, and your hearts will light up the closer you get. How
- [Traffic Count in Windows Live Spaces: try StatCounter](https://allisterspeaks.com/traffic-count-in-windows-live-spaces-try-statcounter/) - Following on from yesterday's very popular invitation to get a complimentary Xobni account (thanks to everyone who emailed me, and well done Mike and Blake!), another area where analytical data can be very helpful is in tracking traffic to your website or blog. My old mucker Mark Deakin recently pointed me in the direction of
- [Why you'll love Xobni!](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-youll-love-xobni/) - As an email addict, I think Xobni Insights for Outlook (Beta) is an amazing tool. I've been playing with it for a while now and I really like the fact that I can instantly read threaded conversations and zip around between senders and recipients. Even better though are the analytics which let me instantly see
- [No comment](https://allisterspeaks.com/no-comment/) - Keeping a blog is a wonderful thing—a little time-draining on occasions, but a wonderful thing nonetheless. Even better is getting comments from readers. After all, blogging is about conversations, not just talking to yourself. But I don't get many comments. This could be because the stuff I write about is so straightforward that you feel
- [Try Xobni Insight for Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/try-xobni-insight-for-outlook/) - This looks interesting. Xobni (that's inbox backwards—geddit?!) is a new add-on for Microsoft Outlook that can help you manage your email. It features a new email search engine (especially handy if you're not yet using Outlook 2007 which has it's own built-in Search feature), a clever threaded conversation feature, phone number extraction, and some email
- [Don't beat Blue Monday, ignore it](https://allisterspeaks.com/dont-beat-blue-monday-ignore-it/) - As if dragging ourselves out of our warm beds on Mondays wasn't tough enough already, UK psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall has "officially designated" today as Blue Monday—the most depressing day of the year. His pseudo-mathematical study has shown that people are most likely to get the blues this week; and the miserable weather, broken New
- [Adding time zone clocks to Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/adding-time-zone-clocks-to-windows-vista/) - If you work or communicate across time zones, here's a useful tip that could quite easily have passed you by. In Windows Vista you can add up to two extra clocks to the taskbar for different time zones. You may already know that you can do this in your Outlook calendar, but here's how you
- [Pro-Photo Shoot for Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/pro-photo-shoot-for-outlook/) - If, like me, you love both photography and Microsoft Outlook, today is your lucky day! Pro-Photo Shoot is a new free add-in for Microsoft Outlook (versions 2003 and 2007 only) that allows you to add a list of the photographic equipment you need to any Outlook appointment. That way you need never forget an important
- [Elf Yourself - this year's viral hit](https://allisterspeaks.com/elf-yourself-this-years-viral-hit/) - I'm sure you've seen this by now. Office Max has re-released its popular Elf Yourself microsite where you can upload photos of up to four people to generate a personalised dancing elves online message. Give it a try, it's great fun. For the more miserable amongst you, also from Office Max is the Scrooge Yourself
- [It's tidy desktop time](https://allisterspeaks.com/its-tidy-desktop-time/) - "A tidy desk is a sign of a tidy mind," my old boss used to mutter under his breath as he passed my office. And so it is with computer desktops. I try to keep my desktop space free from the clutter that inevitably builds up through daily use. The desktop is a great place
- [Another PowerPoint Power Tip](https://allisterspeaks.com/another-powerpoint-power-tip/) - As a follow up to yesterday's PowerPoint 2007 tip, here's another useful 'guideline' that perfectionists like me will enjoy using. - You can view on-screen Drawing Guides by right-clicking on a blank section of a slide, selecting Grids and Guides... then putting a tick next to the last option, Display drawing guides on screen. PowerPoint
- [The fabulous Selection Pane in PowerPoint 2007](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-fabulous-selection-pane-in-powerpoint-2007/) - This new feature in PowerPoint 2007 nearly passed me by! As a long time user (and fan) of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere I'm very familiar with the concept of creating my work on layers. I've grown to love the fact that layers allow me to easily control the visibility of objects on screen so
- [The right way to tell people you're OOF](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-right-way-to-tell-people-youre-oof/) - With the festive season fast approaching now is a great time to let your work colleagues know when you'll be out of the office (OOF) over the holiday period. Like most things in life, there's a right and a wrong way of doing this. Lots of people I know do it the wrong way. Here's
- [The day I played at Wembley Stadium](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-day-i-played-at-wembley-stadium/) - This has nothing to do with useful technology, but I'm so thrilled I just have to share this story. Yesterday I had the massive honour to play football at Wembley Stadium. Just 24 hours after England crashed out of the Euro 2008 qualifications after losing 2-3 to Croatia at Wembley, I found myself in the
- [Benefits Blunder - what should you do?](https://allisterspeaks.com/benefits-blunder-what-should-you-do/) - Yesterday the UK Government admitted that it has lost two computer discs containing personal information about almost half of the UK population. This is Britain's worst ever data protection breach, and around 25 million people are now wondering if their identities are safe and what they should do. I'm wondering how that much data could
- [Free screen estate in Outlook](https://allisterspeaks.com/free-screen-estate-in-outlook/) - Here's a little known shortcut that regular users of Outlook will love, especially those who often switch between a large desktop and a tiny laptop monitor. Do you ever find that there's just not enough space on the screen for all those different sections in Outlook? You know the ones: the navigation pane, the message
- [It's time for me to Get Safe Online](https://allisterspeaks.com/its-time-for-me-to-get-safe-online/) - This week is officially 'Get Safe Online Week' here in the UK which got me thinking about my own approach to online safety. Like most people, I'm not as disciplined as I should be with updating my passwords and using a different password at each site. I've also unwittingly disclosed personal information like my date
- [Get the all new Windows Live](https://allisterspeaks.com/get-the-all-new-windows-live/) - The shiny new 'unified installer' for Windows Live has been released today. You can get it from www.windowslive.co.uk. While you're there, if you fancy a shorter, neater, altogether more snappy Windows Live account address you'll be pleased to know that free registrations of [name]@live.co.uk and [name]@live.com are now available. If you're fast you might just
- [The Indian Wood Carver Analogy](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-indian-wood-carver-analogy/) - "Can I Change Your Mind" is a delightful little book by Lindsay Camp about the craft and art of persuasive writing. I recommend it to anyone looking to improve their writing style or simply wishing to revel in some entertaining and highly persuasive writing. One of the anecdotes that brought everything into perspective for me
- [The hotel room of the future](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-hotel-room-of-the-future/) - Philips is touting this as the future of hotel windows: a natty display panel that mimics the outdoor world and responds to the hotel guest's ever wishes. Feeling jetlagged after a long flight? Then day shall become night in front of your very eyes. Tired of yet another dreary cityscape? Then virtual foliage and a
- [Three-screened portable computer](https://allisterspeaks.com/three-screened-portable-computer/) - This, unquestionnably, is exactly what I need. Except maybe a bit smaller and lighter. And probably cheaper. Find out more about the three-headed beast, AKA the Acme Portable Machine, here.
- [Outlook Tasks - speed tips](https://allisterspeaks.com/outlook-tasks-speed-tips/) - Anyone who's read my blog for any length of time (1) has my sympathy and (2) will know that I'm a fan of tasks in Outlook. I've written extensively on the subject. Here's a selection of my favourites. Always avoid folders starting with 'T' My blogcasts on Soapbox Creating task from emails Task formatting
- [Tidy up those RSS feeds](https://allisterspeaks.com/tidy-up-those-rss-feeds/) - I tend to read my RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds in Outlook 2007. For some reason I never got the hang of reading them in a web browser, even though this functionality has been included for some time in Internet Explorer 7. But one thing that bugs me is that subscribing to more than a handful
- [Lost your pet? At least you've still got your phone...](https://allisterspeaks.com/lost-your-pet-at-least-youve-still-got-your-phone/) - UsefulTechnology returns to the office today after a much needed break by the seaside. And what should land first on my desk but the bizarre news that more Britons would be upset if they lost their mobile phone than if they lost a pet. Sky News reports that two-thirds of Brits would be upset if they lost
- [Mobile phone blogging](https://allisterspeaks.com/mobile-phone-blogging/) - It's not new, it's not even very clever, but it is mighty useful. Blogging from a mobile phone to a Windows Live Spaces page is as simple as logging on to http://mobile.live.com. Try it.
- [Windows Live SkyDrive is born](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-live-skydrive-is-born/) - Today we announced a handy new service: Windows Live SkyDrive. Check it out for yourself here. In short, Windows Live SkyDrive gives everyone with a Windows Live ID 500MB of free webspace for storing and sharing files. You can decide how you wish to use the 500MB and who else should be able to access
- [Superbrands: how could they get it so wrong?](https://allisterspeaks.com/superbrands-how-could-they-get-it-so-wrong/) - And so to the annual Superbrands Event last night. Once again the format changed: this time a drinks reception followed by a couple of marketing speakers then entertainment from Neil Mullarkey's barking mad business guru creation, L Vaughan Spencer. Then more drinks and some chap singing like Frank Sinatra, and making a pretty good fist
- [PhatShop: the video](https://allisterspeaks.com/phatshop-the-video/) - DontchajustluvPhotoshop?! http://images.soapbox.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swfVideo: Phatshop
- [Microsoft Annual Conference at Wembley](https://allisterspeaks.com/microsoft-annual-conference-at-wembley/) - Fun and frolics yesterday at our Microsoft Annual Conference at Wembley. Sadly I wasn't allowed on the pitch, despite bringing my boots and jumpers for goalposts. Turns out there's a fairly important concert there on Saturday and the promoter wasn't keen on my having a kickabout while Madonna did her soundcheck. Steve got an
- [Photosynth in all its glory](https://allisterspeaks.com/photosynth-in-all-its-glory/) - I've been really excited about Photosynth since it was first publicly demo'ed about a year ago. But now you can go and play with it yourself and explore some of Britain's most striking buildings along the way. Photosynth is (for my money) the most exciting thing to happen to digital photography in a long time. And
- [That pesky new Windows Vista power button!](https://allisterspeaks.com/that-pesky-new-windows-vista-power-button/) - Windows Vista users quickly spot that when they press the power button inside the Start menu their PC goes into sleep mode by default. This is one of the power- and time-saving features of Windows Vista - a PC in sleep mode starts up much more quickly than one that's been shutdown. If you want to
- [Preview .pdf files directly in Outlook 2007](https://allisterspeaks.com/preview-pdf-files-directly-in-outlook-2007/) - Yes! I love the way Outlook 2007 allows me to preview attachments without having to open them in their own window. This works briliiantly for common file formats like Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint. But there's never been a previewer for Adobe Acrobat files (.pdfs). Until now... Head over to Steve Clayton's blog for
- [Windows Media Photo (AKA HD Photo) is born](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-media-photo-aka-hd-photo-is-born/) - This has to be good news for photographers and lovers of digital imagery everywhere. Today Microsoft formally announced the new Windows Media file format (also known as HD Photo) and released plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop as well as a device porting kit to allow manufacturers to add HD Photo support to their devices and services.
- [BBC Money Programme: the story behind Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/bbc-money-programme-the-story-behind-windows-vista/) - For the last six months or so we have been stalked by a camera team from the BBC Money Programme as they followed our journey to the launch of Windows Vista. On Friday I braced myself with a bottle of whisky as they broadcast their programme. Thankfully, my personal appearances were kept to the bare minimum
- ["The only way to have fun with a Mac is to poke its insufferable owner in the eye." Discuss.](https://allisterspeaks.com/the-only-way-to-have-fun-with-a-mac-is-to-poke-its-insufferable-owner-in-the-eye-discuss/) - Before anyone accuses me of being Mac Fan Boy after yesterday's posting, please let me clear something up. While Microsoft does many, many things wrong, that doesn't mean that we're alone in the IT universe in being a little sloppy from time to time. There's still a huge amount that we do right. I just
- [Why buying Windows Vista should be simpler than Toilet Paper](https://allisterspeaks.com/why-buying-windows-vista-should-be-simpler-than-toilet-paper/) - Of all the complaints levelled at Windows Vista since launch, from the plain daft to the bizarre, there's one grievance that I completely agree with. Buying Windows Vista, deciding which version to select, and getting the right flavour for your hardware is absurdly complicated. Many years ago I was responsible for marketing a well-known
- ["Wow" - it's launch day](https://allisterspeaks.com/wow-its-launch-day/) - My blog has been a bit quiet over the last few weeks. Sadly, the same could not be said of my workload. But today, we reached a milestone - the launch of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system - and the fruits of my labours can finally be revealed. First up, if
- [Bill's Big New Year Announcements](https://allisterspeaks.com/bills-big-new-year-announcements/) - Last night we finally took the lid off a heap of cool innovations for things like Windows Vista, Games for Windows, IPTV and a new partnership between Ford and Microsoft Automobile. There's some really funky stuff to look forward to it. Some of it coming much sooner than you might think. To see for yourself,
- [Check out the Digital Lifestyle website](https://allisterspeaks.com/check-out-the-digital-lifestyle-website/) - A few weeks back we launched a new website here in the UK called Microsoft Digital Lifestyle. You can see it here. I've been looking through the traffic stats and the site has been very busy over Christmas and the New year period. But I'd love to know what you think of the site.
- [Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 security flaw](https://allisterspeaks.com/adobe-acrobat-reader-7-security-flaw/) - The Get Safe Online blog brings news of a critical flaw in Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 that could allow an attacker to gain control of your computer. With so many people now relying on this software this could present a major security threat to online computer users. This is the latest in a long list
- [Move to Folder Magic!](https://allisterspeaks.com/move-to-folder-magic/) - Regular readers of this blog (and its predecessor on technet.com) will know my fondness for Microsoft Outlook’s SHIFT+CTRL+v keyboard shortcut which is a quick way to the ‘Move to Folder’ command. Using this cuts out a lot of mouse travel, allowing you to move any item in Outlook (an email, a task, a calendar appointment,
- [Sort your signatures in Outlook 2007](https://allisterspeaks.com/sort-your-signatures-in-outlook-2007/) - On my old TechNet blog I used to post lots of tips and tricks for Microsoft Outlook. Some of the most popular postings were about everything there is to know about using signatures in Outlook emails. Things are much simpler in Outlook 2007 with a new interface to help you manage your signatures and insert
- [Happy Holidays to everyone!](https://allisterspeaks.com/happy-holidays-to-everyone/) - Time's up. I have to stop working now because more pressing matters await: enjoying the festive break with my family. Hurrah! I wish everyone a very happy time this holiday season and send my best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2007. Cheers!
- [Did they read that email?](https://allisterspeaks.com/did-they-read-that-email/) - The ‘Read Receipt’ feature in Microsoft Outlook offers a simple way to track whether an email that you sent has been read or not. But it has its limitations, not least that the recipient has to agree to send the read receipt when prompted. If they refuse you’ll be none the wiser. That’s why the
- [Soapbox on MSN Video gadget](https://allisterspeaks.com/soapbox-on-msn-video-gadget/) - I've added a little gadget over there on the left which shows my Soapbox videos. Sadly this only includes a handful of 'blogcasts' that i recorded many moons ago back in my TechNet blog days. If you haven't yet discovered Soapbox, head over to http://soapbox.msn.com/ and have a play. It's a beta service at the moment
- [Reply All craziness on Windows Mobile smartphones](https://allisterspeaks.com/reply-all-craziness-on-windows-mobile-smartphones/) - If you use a Windows Mobile powered smartphone or Pocket PC you may have noticed that using Reply All on emails may result in sending yourself an email. Now, presuming that you’re actually clever enough to remember that you typed a reply, this is not particularly useful. So why does it do this? It’s because
- [Tracking Santa the digital way](https://allisterspeaks.com/tracking-santa-the-digital-way/) - When I was a child, the only way I knew if Santa was nearby on Christmas Eve was by listening for the sound of my dad heaving heavy sacks around downstairs as I lay excitedly in bed. Today, of course, kids have more sophisticated technology at their disposal and the full support of the North American
- [IM with Santa](https://allisterspeaks.com/im-with-santa/) - Allister says: Hello Santa Santa Claus says: Hello! What's going on? Allister says: Is it Christmas yet? Santa Claus says: Ho ho ho! Allister says: Are you drunk? Santa Claus says: I'm eminently sober. Allister says: Can I have some dancing girls and alcohol for Christmas please? Santa Claus says: My elves will get right
- [Leaky headphones: safety first](https://allisterspeaks.com/leaky-headphones-safety-first/) - Do you worry that the 'tin-tin-tappety-tap' emanating from the headphones of the moron next to you on the bus could damage your hearing? Then worry no more. Technological help is at hand in the form of the Ear3 Sonic Threat Indicator: Yes, it's true. This techno-gizmo will set you back a whopping US$49.95 and do
- [R.I.P. Physical Media](https://allisterspeaks.com/r-i-p-physical-media/) - Sci-fi.com has released its eulogy for physical media (tapes, CDs, DVDs etc) which, they say, will be part of modern history by 2010. I can't see too many tech observers disagreeing with that, but some might argue the predicted expiry date is a little out of whack. I've been telling anyone who will listen that
- [Technology to talk about](https://allisterspeaks.com/technology-to-talk-about/) - This is the first sentence I’ve ever dictated to a blog. I’m using my new laptop with Windows Vista Ultimate edition. Learning to dictate a blog entry is surprisingly easy. It’s worth taking the simple and quick tutorial to help you learn the basic commands. But I have to admit it all feels very weird.
- [Useful Outlook gadgets for Windows Vista](https://allisterspeaks.com/useful-outlook-gadgets-for-windows-vista/) - There are some nice new Microsoft Outlook related gadgets now available for download from http://gallery.microsoft.com/home.aspx. The first new addition is Outlook Upcoming Appointments. This gadget has been built by Microsoft and (I believe) currently only works for Windows Vista PC with language set to English US. It allows you to see the next three
- [Windows Vista live icons](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-vista-live-icons/) - I keep discovering things in Windows Vista - there's so much 'newness' to explore. One cool little feature you may not know is 'Live Icon scaling' using the mouse and keyboard. For example, if your desktop icons are bit too small just click on the desktop, hold down the CTRL key and roll the scrollwheel on your
- [New Day Dawns for Business](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-day-dawns-for-business/) - Big day today! We've just announced the business availability of Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Exchange Server 2007. So, if you buy software for a business and are a volume licensing customer, today's the day that your business can leap ahead of your competitors by deploying our latest and greatest productivity tools. Find out more
- [Windows Vista Countdown Gadget](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-vista-countdown-gadget/) - Counting the days until you can get your hands on the final launch version of Windows Vista? Well count no more, thanks to the Windows Vista countdown sidebar gadget, featuring a sophisticated timing calculation method called 'subtraction'. Get your gadget here.
- [Shredder-tastic](https://allisterspeaks.com/shredder-tastic/) - In this identity theft-ridden age, no home should be without one. I've just upgraded my home office to a (dare I say it?) "sexy" new crosscut shredder. Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a Fellowes DS-13C - a model number that I'm sure you shredder fans are well aware of. The Useful Technology part
- [Listening to music while driving in the UK legally](https://allisterspeaks.com/listening-to-music-while-driving-in-the-uk-legally/) - On 8th December our antiquated broadcasting laws will be brought up to date and the use of many of the wireless FM transmitters favoured by owners of MP3 players will no longer be illegal. Yes, you read that write. It will no longer be illegal. If you currently use an FM transmitter, like an iTrip, to play
- [Windows Vista makes your laptop lighter!](https://allisterspeaks.com/windows-vista-makes-your-laptop-lighter/) - Actually, that title's not entirely true. But wouldn't it be good if it was! What I can say with absolute conviction is that installing the final RTM version of Windows Vista on my laptops has given them a new lease of life. The installation itself was a breeze - the most complicated thing being the
- [Office Live in the UK [update]](https://allisterspeaks.com/office-live-in-the-uk-update/) - As posted previously, Office Live is now available under beta outside of the USA. Predictably the UK site can now be found at www.officelive.co.uk. Register and get your free domain and website now. Even my dad has gone and got himself a new website (so it must be easy)!
- [Leaky headphones](https://allisterspeaks.com/leaky-headphones/) - Portable music devices seem to be everywhere these days and I wouldn't be without mine. As a regular commuter to London I'm amazed at how many people now have tubes coming out of their ears. I'm also astonished at how inconsiderate some of these music lovers are. People don't have any problem spending hundreds of
- [Are you a 'democrat' or a 'paternalist'?](https://allisterspeaks.com/are-you-a-democrat-or-a-paternalist/) - I joined the great and the good of the UK marketing industry at last night's Annual Marketing Society Dinner in London. One interesting debating point was whether marketers should consider themselves as the creators, shapers and ultimate guardians of brands, or whether the power has now shifted and changed marketers' role to one of listening, engaging and
- [New hazard: Cars without reversing sensors](https://allisterspeaks.com/new-hazard-cars-without-reversing-sensors/) - I've grown very used to the reassurance that comes from having proximity sensors on the rear bumper of my car. They allow me to drive in reverse safely without worrying about hitting out of sight obstacles. It's a great safety enhancement. The trouble comes when I then have to drive a different car that doesn't have reverse
- [4oD - First UK on demand broadcaster for PC](https://allisterspeaks.com/4od-first-uk-on-demand-broadcaster-for-pc/) - Channel 4 has announced the imminent availability of a video-on-demand service for viewers with PC internet access. NTL and Telewest (cable) customers have been able to use 4oD for a while, but from 6th December any internet user will be able to download C4 shows for 99p. The downloaded file will expire 48hours after viewing.
- [Time Zones in Outlook 2007 Calendar Appointments](https://allisterspeaks.com/time-zones-in-outlook-2007-calendar-appointments/) - There's a nice post from Darren Strange about the handy time zones feature in Outlook 2007. If, like me, you get hopelessly confused organising meetings with participants across different time zones, check it out here.
- [Office Live is, er, Live](https://allisterspeaks.com/office-live-is-er-live/) - It's nice to see that Office Live has now been launched fully in the US and a new beta will start on November 21st in the UK, Japan, France and Germany. If you would like to have your own website but haven't tried out Office Live yet then you could be in for a
- [Welcome to my Guest Book](https://allisterspeaks.com/welcome-to-my-guest-book/) - I've added this guest book to the site so you can leave comments about your visit. Let me know what's on your mind.
- [Boom! Another blog is born](https://allisterspeaks.com/boom-another-blog-is-born/) - Another day, another blog. I've taken the leap from my previous home on TechNet to the simple life over here on Windows Live Spaces. I've been watching Live Spaces grow and flourish for some time, and I now think it's good enough to be my new blog home. This blog will be my place to

## Pages

- [Home](https://allisterspeaks.com/) - Allister Frost is on a mission to help one million people build a Future-Ready Mindset. Expert keynote speaking and coaching to ensure your team remains future-ready and excited about work.
- [Technology, Internet, and Ecommerce](https://allisterspeaks.com/technology-internet-ecommerce/) - Helping tech companies embrace relentless change and create the future. How to book a motivational keynote talk from a former Microsoft leader.
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- [About Allister](https://allisterspeaks.com/allister/) - Allister is a business transformation expert, saving one million working lives by energising people to get future-ready and excited to improve their world.
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- [Thanks for getting in touch (ld)](https://allisterspeaks.com/thankyou-ld/) - THANK YOU :) Hello, I’m Allister Frost, a former Microsoft executive and award-winning motivational speaker. I’m on a mission to simplify the process of booking a professional speaker. Finding the perfect performer for your event shouldn’t be a chore. I’m here to make it simple and fun! I will review your survey answers and email
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