Welsh Uni: Social media benefits for business

A free workshop on how Welsh business can benefit from social media takes place tonight (November 9) at Swansea’s Marriott Hotel.

It is being hosted by Software Alliance Wales, a £13m all-Wales project led by Swansea University - and I urge business people to attend.

The hour-long workshop, from 6.30pm, will be delivered by Dr Max L Wilson, lecturer at the uni’s Fit Lab (Future Interaction Technologies).

The event - Social Media as a Business Tool - will offer valuable info on how enterprises can use online resources as great communication and marketing tools.

Feedback

Two weeks ago, Effective Communication hosted its own client presentation on the issue and received fabulous feedback.

Dr Wilson, who has an international research and publication record, told me: “Social media is the single most influential change to how individuals and businesses gather information and communicate messages.

"With over 90m tweets posted each day, and with many people spending more time on Facebook than Google, the power of these tools shouldn’t be ignored.

“Some businesses may have flirted with social networking and social media, but few are truly comfortable with the potential that it has.

“This workshop aims to provide businesses and individuals with the knowledge and confidence to fully utilise the opportunities available for their business via social media platforms.”

Details 01792 606663, events@softwarealliancewales.com, www.softwarealliancewales.com/events.

Online PR strategy crucial to Welsh business

A weekend with other communications professionals underlined the need for Welsh business to health-check its online PR and marketing activity.

Our Cardiff gathering, Writing for the Web, explored the wide issue of driving traffic to web-based shop windows and keeping it there.

Delegates included Wales-based PR and marketing folk, journalists and lecturers from locations between Carmarthen and Usk.

Organisations represented ranged from union giant Unison to sole trader Grey Pebble Productions and from the National Union of Journalists to cycle business Wheelies and the University of Glamorgan.

Passionate exponent

Our guide was Simon Williams, a passionate exponent of good web practice.

We all took much from his guidance. My own focus was on developing skills to help push client websites ever higher in Google searches.

Action points being passed on to Effective Communication clients include:

• get busy on the web in a way that directly relates to customers - blog, contribute to forums and use social media, in all cases using links and key words widely and wisely;
• take a fresh look at your website - ensure it appeals to punters, guides them smoothly and enables them to find what they want;
• ensure that your online content is good quality - don't compromise.

A strong, well considered online strategy can enhance the profile - and profits - of every business. Hands up who's got one!

Swansea Bay media scene preps for wedding season

South Wales Evening Post telesales manager Amanda Nicol has let me know the ad prices of a forthcoming new special.
It should provide a decent promotional opportunity for any business connected with weddings.
The paper's South Wales Wedding Planner magazine is due out in June, edited by Swansea Life editor Wyn Jenkins. Amanda says that 7,000 will be printed, on sale for £1 across Swansea Bay in supermarkets and newsagents. It will be free to advertisers, key wedding suppliers and fairs.
A glossy A4 publication, it's due to feature 112 pages of info, style tips and beauty advice.
The magazine format should mean a long shelf life - readers will keep it a lot longer than they would a traditional newspaper supplement.
Ad prices ain't half bad for a niche publication with a tight geographical spread and with the daily marketing push of the Evening Post.
A double page spread is £562.50 (exc vat) for the launch edition and £450 if you take one in the follow-up October edition.
Full pages are £343.75 (£275) and half pages £225 (£180).
Premium rate pages such as the back and inside cover are available as are directory listings and £25 hyperlinks from the sister website, http://www.southwalesweddingplanner.co.uk/. Already on the website, incidentally are Smooch Wedding Rings and household heating experts Calor.
If your business is bridal gowns, hair, beauty, photography, wedding transport, jewellery, floristry or venues, give me a shout to discuss your options ... and a few tips on how to get the best out of this opportunity.