Mar
10
When someone calls you or your organisation out in online social media, you may feel justified in defending yourself aggressively to the complainant. But this kind of response will usually mean a greater headache: your detractors are likely to hide their identity, dig in their heels and bite harder next time. This case study demonstrates the value of a more respectful approach.
Filed under:
social media, communications strategy
Jan
06
Customer reviews have proven their effectiveness for e-commerce retailers. But as the number of user generated reviews grows on sites like Amazon, their usability seems to be declining, and the aggregated opinions of experts may become an increasingly valuable resource.
Filed under:
social media, communications strategy
Dec
14
China is now the #1 point of origin for migrants to Australia.
Are Australian corporate websites successfully serving the information needs of this important audience? I decided to take a closer look.
Filed under:
communications strategy, business strategy
Nov
04
When a business launches a new website there is typically some fanfare. Congratulatory emails abound. Executives make laudatory announcements. Website analytics are carefully watched for improved performance. Yet the results that follow are often disappointing. This post outlines 10 common web strategy mistakes and how to avoid them.
Filed under:
communications strategy, web
Oct
28
The burgeoning social media landscape has brought with it frightening new possibilities for brand-trashing on a global scale: people using Twitter or blogs to spread derogatory remarks about your company; a disgruntled employee posting an “insiders” video on YouTube. You have no idea how it all started, and even less of an idea about how to stop it.
Filed under:
social media, communications strategy, business strategy
Oct
19
In the last decade, web designers have become increasingly confident about the sophistication of users. The very concept of “newbies”—users who are new to the web—has essentially disappeared. As a result, web design has become a lot more interesting. But complacency about all the reptilian-brained users out there (like you and me) can spell trouble.
Filed under:
communications strategy
Oct
13
If you were to ask a typical web developer or e-business manager what they’d like to improve about their sites, they’d probably have lots of great ideas. But they’d generally be great big ideas. Optimising the simple words and phrases that guide users and compel them to take action could have as big an impact on your site's ROI. You could call it "microcontent optimisation", or more plainly, sweating the small stuff.
Filed under:
communications strategy
Oct
09
I have an 11 year old son. He's a great kid. Likes school, has a good sense of humour, looks after his little sister and has nearly 60 friends on Facebook. I should know, I am one of them.
Filed under:
social media, communications strategy, web
Oct
01
Glancing through the agenda for an upcoming Digital Marketing and Media Summit happening here in Melbourne, I noticed many interesting presentations with names like “Establishing Your Digital Community” and the “Social Media Revolution.” But there was nothing as far as I could tell about email marketing, and not much about online display advertising.
Filed under:
communications strategy, digital advertising
Sep
30
Brands have to find new ways to connect with consumers. Traditional advertising is losing relevance as people move away from traditional media. Of course, advertising alone is never enough. Real brand loyalty comes from great brand experiences.
Filed under:
communications strategy, business strategy, digital advertising
Aug
13
Australia's biggest newspaper publishers have announced the days of free online news are ending. But are Australians willing to pay for online content? Based on their current behaviour, it won't be an easy sell.
Filed under:
communications strategy