Why Ricky Gervais is good for social media

Ok, ok. I know I've written a post before approving of Ricky Gervais’ use of Twitter but bear with me.

One of the great things about social media is that it expands the reach of important messages that couldn't be spread around as much before. A single tweet can reach millions of people – this is something new and it can be very powerful.

Couple this with the celebrity culture we live in. The masses who follow celebs online. Who drink in every word they say. Who shape their lives around those public figure they adore.

This, ladies and gents, is power in all its 21^st century glory. Unfortunately, most who would exert the most influence decide instead to flaunt themselves and use social as another platform to flog their product. Sigh.

But there is hope – in the unlikely form of the man who is infamous for his borderline offensive (to some more sensitive types, anyway) stand-up comedy – Ricky Gervais. As I mentioned in the previous post, he talks a lot about animal welfare issues, including this colourfully worded (a warning for the aforementioned sensitive types) post on Facebook: 

“So what?” I hear you ask. Well, here’s what. That post has been liked over 200 thousand times. That has appeared in the news feed of more than 200,000 people, plus his 2.9 million Facebook fans.

And it’s not just the reach of what he does. It’s the conviction with which he does it and the passion he shows. Sure, some may not like the language he uses but if that’s what it takes to get the point across, what’s the big deal?

How many celebrities show publicly their loathing for the barbarism our species shows? Gervais is exerting his influence to make a positive difference in the world (which is more than can be said for most politicians…) and that should never be seen as anything but a good thing, regardless of how he does it.

And in fact, he still uses comedy to try and get his point across:

I want celebrities on Twitter and Facebook to follow suit. Gervais is good for social media and in fact, (I can’t believe I’m saying this), he is good for humanity. Not just for highlighting issues, but for doing it in a way that makes us share his passion and do something about it. He may be brash, a little offensive at times but I still say that this world needs more Ricky Gervais’.

Young People and the General Election, by a young person.

There has been a lot of focus in the build up to May’s election about young people and encouraging them to vote. I am a young person (at 22 I’m slightly clinging on to the title, nonetheless I’m just about there) and for the first time, I will be voting for who runs the country, although I’m currently undecided. However, I can see why a lot of young people might not want to vote.

I don’t want to vote for someone who is a lesser evil, or “not as bad as that guy.” I want to vote for a leader. I want to vote for someone who inspires me, someone who I can trust is working for my future and not his or her own. This is something I believe the country is lacking.

There is a huge gap between power and leadership. Power can be obtained through many means, not all of them desirable – corruption and lies not the least. Leadership though, is a quality that takes years and years of refining.

Our leaders might be well educated, they might have the most prestigious qualifications and know everything there is to know about politics. While knowledge is undoubtedly important, the skill of leadership is something entirely different.

A leader, a true leader, forgets their own agenda. They forget their own desires and they fight for the cause and the welfare of those following them. Modern day politicians do not fit this billing. They claim to, yes, because that will win them votes.

If they were truly working for the average person, why has the general populace become so disenchanted with our entire political system and those who claim to have our interests at heart?

This is even more so the case with young people, who have grown up being taught, in many cases, that politicians cannot be trusted. Stories in the media have fed this lesson and so young people who are now of age to vote, do not wish to do so. Who can blame them?

I truly believe every young person (well, every person) should vote. The problem is, I believe the options we have are simply not good enough. I've heard it said many times that those in positions of power are often those who shouldn't have that power. If we look at our political leaders – there aren't many I think that doesn't apply to.

A shake up in our system is needed. If we want young people to get passionate about politics, we need those who claim power to deserve it and to give us something to believe in.

This is my challenge to our would-be PMs – make us believe in you. Don’t feed us promises to get you into number 10. Be honest, be transparent and give us a real reason to vote. Lead, and the young people will follow.

Will you be voting? Why/why not? Let me know below.

#TheDress: How it proves social media isn't black and white

The internet has gone into meltdown over the last few days.

The cause? A dress. A picture of a dress that has caused immeasurable strain to relationships.

What colour do you see this dress as? White and gold? Blue and black?

Which is it?

Whichever it is, it’s a great example of how unpredictable social media is.

You can plan the greatest content, spend huge budgets on production quality but it goes to show that that, isn’t necessarily going to go huge. 

Social media, and its audience, are fickle and at times, the most peculiar and unexpected content can go global.

There is no set route to success on social, for this exact reason. No process is going to guarantee success, no strategy is going to nail on truly “viral” content.

#TheDress has now been trending for 3 days. Continually.

Whatever your stance, you have to sit back and admire the sheer power of Twitter in creating, somehow, one of the biggest debates the internet has seen, with one of the most trivial questions.

Beautiful. 

31 lessons I've learned - and a message for those struggling

Life is full of lessons. Some we learn automatically, as we grow. Some, we learn without even realising. And some, as unfortunate as this is, we only learn through adversity and suffering. Here are the lessons I've learned over the past 2 years, from good and bad experiences.

1) Life is hard. It's supposed to be. Challenges and adversity are what drive us to improve and better ourselves. Embrace it, or you'll be miserable for the rest of your life.

2) It's not fair either. It'd be nice if the hardest workers got the richest rewards. Sadly, that's not always the case. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be. 

3) Your mind can dictate your mood. You can decide what kind of day you're going to have. Stop thinking "it's going to be one of those days," It's only one of those days when you decide it's one of those days.

4) Fear is good. Fear means you have something to lose. If you have something to lose, you have something to live and fight for. Welcome fear as part of your life but don't let it overwhelm you.

5) Courage is not the absence of fear. As wise old Ned Stark said (in different phrasing probably): "You can only be brave when you're afraid." Being scared and being brave go hand in hand. Again - embrace fear.

6) Those with the least are often the most willing to help. Being on the streets helped me to see that often the people with the least to give are those who are the most willing to give. Don't look down on those with less than you - if you lose it all, they'll be the ones offering a hand. 

7) We're all human. Black, white, Christian, Muslim, homeless, wealthy, obese, skinny, shy, outgoing. It doesn't matter, we all come under one banner: human. Others are your equals, treat them that way.

8) No one lives forever. Make the most of the people around you and remember to thank them for what they do. No one gets to the top alone. And if you do - it's awfully lonely there. 

9) Challenge yourself. No one ever got anywhere by staying in the comfort zone. Don't stick to what you know. Challenge yourself to venture into the unknown. No one will force you. It's up to you.

Me. Out of my comfort zone, in front of hundreds of people.

10) Work hard. It's extremely rare for anyone to be able to go through life without any effort. Any examples I've seen have never been as happy as those who work their fingers to the bone to get where they are. A secret - for a few years at school I was way behind everyone else. I got ahead through sheer graft and positive work ethic. Some might even go as far as to say I'm faintly intelligent now. 

11) Play hard. We all need to work to get anywhere in life. But don't forget what it's like to be a kid. We all say we miss it. So be a kid. Play games, climb a tree, build a den, do whatever you did when you were a kid. It'll make you smile,

12) Attitude is everything. The glass IS half full. If you think it's half empty, find a smaller glass. Then it's completely full. I'm a realist with an optimist's attitude. 

13) Family means family. They won't be there forever. I'm guilty of not appreciating mine enough. I love my family, even when they irritate the hell out of me. I wouldn't change them for anything. 

14) Be polite. Chivalry isn't chivalry if it's only to those we find attractive. Manners can make someone's day. And it's so damn easy! Much less effort than being rude.

15) Do what you love. Life is too short to be doing things we don't want to do. Yes, sometimes it is necessary. But, in general, do what you want to do. If you're going to spend your life doing something, you might as well enjoy it.

16) Be a dreamer. I want to travel the world playing poker in major tournaments. I want the glamorous lifestyle of a poker pro. High roller suites, the best parties around, lots of money to be won. Nothing wrong with dreaming, however unlikely it may seem.

17) Open your eyes. See what is around you. Don't live life in such a rush that you don't notice the world. Take off those blinkers and look around in wonder.

18) Appreciate beauty. Forget the news. Forget the wars, forget the suffering, forget everything. Look for yourself - there might be suffering. But there's so much more beauty.

19) Never stop learning. No one will ever know everything. But take every chance to learn something new. Not only does it make you look intelligent, it also makes you more aware of the world. That can only ever be a good thing. 

20) Take every opportunity you can. Seen the film "Yes Man?" Don't go to that extent - but take every opportunity you can. We can read all the books we want but we only ever get better at something by doing it. It'll make you a much happier person, trust me.

21) Make opportunities. There can be no excuses for not making the most of life. There are always opportunities of some kind, but if you can't see any then it's simple - make some for yourself.

22) Smile. It genuinely has a placebo effect. Smiling releases endorphins which make us happy. Don't worry, be happy :) 

23) Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Things may be bad. But you have breath in your lungs so you have something to smile about. No problem was ever solved with self pity.

24) Stop taking life for granted. Life can be snatched away from you when you least expect it. If you were on your deathbed tomorrow would you be happy with how you lived your life?

25) Ask "why?" Remember when you were a kid and you annoyed your parents by repeatedly asking them why? You had it spot on. Why are you unhappy? Why are you happy? Why didn't you take that opportunity? Why did you? Why, why, why, why, why?

26) Ask "why not?" Always look for a reason to be positive about a situation. When someone asks you why you did something, ask them why not! If you get an opportunity...why not?

27) Don't be afraid to say hello. Meeting new people can be difficult for some people. All it takes is a hello. Go for it! You won't regret it :) 

28) Take as many people to the top with you as possible. The more, the merrier.

29) Give something back. It might seem like too much effort but give something back to those who have helped you. You don't have to donate your life savings to a charity but give your time to them, or to someone who needs it. You'd be amazed what it can do for yourself as well as them.

30) Be proud. Recognise your own achievements. Don't be afraid of being perceived as arrogant. You have every right to be proud of what you have achieved. Reward yourself but never stop trying to make yourself even more proud.

31) Don't live to impress others. There's only one person you need to please when it all comes down to it. That person is the one constant who will always be in your life, no matter what. That person is yourself.

These are all important lessons. But the one thing I've learned that will stick with me above all others is that life isn't about titles or glory or success. You might chase it and I certainly do but it's not about that. It's about people. It's about those you see around you every day. It's about the strangers in the same shop as you. It's about your brothers, your sisters, your parents, your grandparents and everyone they know. Life has no higher meaning. We can pretend it does but at the end of the day, it's all about being human.

To those struggling with adversity at the moment, I have a message. You're not alone. You may think you are because your brain has convinced you.

But you're not.

If you're facing a mountain, no mountain is truly insurmountable. Maybe no one has managed to as yet. Why don't you be the first?

Work towards a goal, however simple, and see your problems as mere obstacles in your way of achieving that goal. For those in that situation, I have one, all important piece of advice.

32) Never. Give. Up.

6 ways poker and social media marketing can be compared

Being a poker player, I often get judged to be your average reckless gambler who throws all my money (and personal belongings if you believe Casino Royale is realistic) on the turn of a card.

In truth, being a successful player is so different. There is always a luck factor – it’s a game of incomplete information that can change with the cards that come after all, but succeeding in poker is about making the correct long term decisions and being adaptable to things that change.

People often laugh when I say that, in many ways, playing poker is a lot like running a business or in my case, social media marketing.

But if you take away the perception of poker often seen in films, and clear the cigar smoke often seen floating around in these rather judgemental scenes, then clear comparisons can be made.

1) Purpose – Before I make any bet in a hand I ask myself one question:

“Why?”

If you don’t have a reason to bet, you shouldn’t be betting. In social media, it is crucial to have a purpose for a post or for it to have some kind of benefit. Whether this is driving traffic elsewhere, retaining or acquiring customers or simply to get your audience to know your story, purpose is everything. Being on social isn’t about existing for the sake of existence (you might as well stop now if that is the case), it’s about really making strides with your presence. If you have no purpose to bet, or no plan for further on in the hand, then don’t do it.

2) Competitor analysis – A common piece of advice often given to players who are looking to up their game to a new level is to “play the player, not the cards.” This is often why, if you watch poker on TV, you will see pros playing hands that you might not think any good. They know the players they are against. They know the strengths, the weaknesses and their habits. They know what each slight twitch of the eyebrow means, every slight palpation in breathing patterns and exploit this to their advantage.

I don’t need to tell anyone is marketing that knowing your competitor is important. Knowing your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses allows you to exploit their weaknesses and differentiate yourself by giving customers a reason to come to your brand as opposed to theirs. Keeping an eye on rivals also allows you to pick up on mistakes they make, and use it to your advantage.

3) The front foot – The key to success in poker is aggression. The players who win the most are the players who apply maximum pressure to the opponent. This is obviously controlled aggression, with a purpose, but being on the front foot is all important.

Similarly, if you want to really stand out from your competitors on social, you need to be one step ahead. You need to be able to be proactive, rather than reactive. You’re not going to get aces often, and you’re not going to be able to source content that will have global reach everytime. The key is to always be on the ball and pick up on things before your rivals and show the initiative. Being on the front foot also makes you look like a brand that simply gets social media, which is of ever growing importance when it comes to customer perception.

4) Plan ahead – When I raise preflop (before any community cards are put on the table) in a hand, I always try and plan for anything that might happen. If I have pocket kings and an ace comes, I need to have a plan of what I’m going to do if I get action from another player. This also comes from knowing my opponent. Planning ahead is all about recognising the different scenarios and knowing what you’re going to do to maximise your profit or, in many cases, minimise your losses.

Social marketing is no different – being proactive is all well and good but you also need to be able to be reactive and to know what you’re going to do if circumstances change. This requires a certain degree of flexibility, of course. Being able to plan for any situation your brand might find themselves in is all important to success on social. You can have the greatest content (in your eyes) ever created but if things go wrong, what do you do then? Plan ahead, know what you’re going to do if your opponent check-raises you and remember that every crisis is an opportunity.

5) Make the most of what you have – This is important. There will be times in a game of poker where you’re not getting the hands you want. You can’t wait for aces, they might not come. You play the players, not the cards. What do you know about your opponents that you can use to your advantage?

Not every brand on social media is going to excite the masses. Some brands are probably seen as quite mundane to the public eye. Your job is to make the most of what you have and get people excited about your product. If you can’t get excited about it then how can you expect the world to be? Think about what your audience wants and give them it, without being completely irrelevant of course.

        6) Optimise with limited resources, stay composed!  – When you’re running out of chips, the pressure is on. The blinds (forced bets) are rising and your stack is not. This is the time to be calm, composed and use what you have to apply pressure. There’s an old adage in poker – all you need is a chip and a chair.

Not every brand has huge digital marketing budgets. It’s becoming increasingly essential to have a budget, especially considering recent changes in particular to Facebook’s algorithms. Think carefully about what you want to spend that budget on and optimise the correct content to what your audience wants and needs. Play the player, not the cards.

Poker then, can be compared to almost any aspect of business. It’s about taking calculated risks, applying pressure to your opponents, knowing what your rivals are doing, exploiting their weaknesses.

The most beautiful thing about poker though, is that anyone can win. You can play the Daniel Negreanu’s and the Phil Ivey’s of the world and win. Any brand can succeed on social if you know how to play it. Play the player, not the cards.

How a tin of beans helps me to speak to big audiences

Ahh, public speaking.

Some fear it, most hate it, but me? I can’t get enough of it. Being a Young Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust has given me plenty of opportunities to give speeches (not to mention sample some rather excellent food) and I take every chance I’m offered.

But a question I get asked a lot is: “How do you manage to speak to audiences that big? Don’t you get nervous?”

Of course I do. Anyone was close enough to me when I was speaking at the HR Distinction awards would have seen my hand shaking a scary amount.

But the ability to speak isn’t about not having those nerves, it’s the ability to control them and still deliver the message you want to send. In fact, the presence of nerves comforts me. Anyone who isn’t nervous before public speaking is either a superhuman or, more likely, somewhat arrogant of their ability.

So, what is the best way to cope? Some would tell you to imagine the audience naked.

No thank you.

When I’m about to go on stage and give a speech, the first thing I do is sit up very straight and pretend I’m someone extremely powerful. This gives me the illusion of power and therefore a bit of control over how I’m feeling. That sounds stupid but it really works for me so I don’t mind too much.

And then, I remember my audience is just like a tin of beans.

I don’t picture them all dressed as cans of Heinz*, that would be ridiculous and would put anyone off. No, I just look at the audience and realise that I can’t actually see any facial details. They’re all just a mesh of unidentifiable beings all gathered closely. They’re all beans in a can, that’s it.

Now, what is terrifying about talking to a tin of beans? Unless you’re an outsider watching someone actually talking to a tin of tomatoey beany goodness of course. That'd freak me out no end.

It works for me. It makes me more comfortable in front of a crowd. Maybe I’m just a bit crazy but why not give it a go yourself next time you speak?

Remember:

Audience = tin of beans

I’d be fascinated to hear how other people manage with public speaking. Do you have a unique (and slightly less crackpot than mine, I imagine) way of preparing for a speech? Let me know in the comments J

*Other, similarly excellent, brands of beans are available

The Juice Academy: Been there, done that.

A year ago, I started this apprenticeship journey with West Midlands Fire Service and The Juice Academy by being carried across West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters' reception by a guy I had met probably about half an hour previously, while making fire engine noises. It might possibly have been the most embarrassing six seconds of my life.

And now, here we (being the other Cohort 3 apprentices) all are, about to carry ourselves into the weird and wonderful digital world.

We live in a society where young people are often harshly judged or assumed to be up to no good of some kind. If we make a mistake, we're often not given a second chance - instead we're thrown on to the scrap heap and that's it. There are a few who would go as far as to say that, as a generation, we are lost.

In an often corporate world,  there are a few organisations who want to look past the stereotypes and help the people behind them. Anyone who knows me (or reads this blog) knows how passionate about The Prince's Trust, who are a great example. The Juice Academy is another.

I'm a true believer in appreciating those who have helped you and this has become part of my philosophy in life - sometimes, you have to give credit where it's due. The Juice Academy is doing more than it's part to get young people, not just into jobs but into careers where they can really make something of themselves and become whoever they want to be.

Taking a young person with no experience into your business is a risk. It's a huge risk, we can't deny that. But let's just hold that one up for a second - do we have no experience?

We are the young people that have grown up around social media.

We are the young people that get criticised for being on social media for too many hours in the day.

We are the young people who know what people want to see on social media because we ARE the people on social media. This is something The Juice Academy has recognised and addressed.

The last year has been particularly important to me. I came into this job having just recovered from a serious illness as well as living in a homeless shelter. I'd been through a pretty tough time for probably 18 months and I just needed a way out, as we all do sometimes.

Although a lot of where I am now is down to my own hard work and refusal to give up (because apparently, I don't mind stroking my own ego), The Juice Academy, Total People and West Midlands Fire Service deserve a lot of credit. It shows the power that organisations can have if the intent is there.

As well as the thanks we all owe to the Academy, I want to give my own thanks to Sandy, Lucy, Amy and all of the tutors for being an influential part in me getting my life back on track. And, of course, for helping us all to gain the skills required to be the next bunch of CEOs, MDs or whatever it is we want to be. The knowledge we gain from the sessions, coupled with guest speakers with a wealth of experience, have made not going back to university the best decision I've ever made.

We can't forget, of course, Total People, who have worked amazingly hard to get us all across the finish line. I'm half surprised Dave (one of the assessors) didn't take an injunction out against me, the amount I was hassling him over the past few months. The great thing about Total People is that they're not just a training provider, they're also a fantastic support network and I owe huge gratitude to them.

We all owe some sort of gratitude to our employers (even if mine is a Liverpool fan). Ty and Neil have been second to none this year in the way they'e given me advice as well as encouraged me to follow what I'm passionate about. Without patronising me, or treating me like a kid (most of the time ;) ), they've been a massive help and I definitely wouldn't have been able to be in the position I'm in today without their support. I'll be extremely sad to leave at the end of the week and I can't thank them enough for everything they've done for me.

I don't know where we'll be in 5 years. Or in ten years. But what I do know is that, as Juice Academy graduates, this is our moment to really take the mantle and give it our all in the digital world .We nw have the skills and the power, thanks to TJA, to be not just employees in the industry, but to be innovators, influencers, pioneers. I've always wanted to be something more than I'm expected to be. Now that I've graduated from the Academy, I feel even more confident that I can do just that.

The graduation was a fantastic way to end this amazing apprenticeship and I'm proud of all my fellow apprentices for succeeding. I will miss each and every one of them and look forward to seeing their names in the social media news!

Why we're not the 'lost' generation

I’ve seen a few articles floating about over the past year or so referring to my age group and those a little younger as the ‘lost generation.’

Ahem.

Now, obviously I respect the opinions of others, what with me being a half decent human being with a fairly accurate moral compass.

However, the term ‘lost generation’ causes a teeny-weeny crack to appear in my usual composed, respectful and dignified self. I’ve largely kept quiet and got on with what I do but now I feel I should air my frustrations.

Young people, such as myself (just about), make mistakes. We do that. It’s part of being young. Our parents probably made similar mistakes at our age. As did our grandparents. Of course, the situation is different these days and some of my peers’ actions have been less than optimal in terms of decision making.

But before giving us up as a ‘lost’ cause, let’s have a quick scan over some facts:

Our generation have inherited a world of austerity, unemployment and limited opportunity. A world where the rich get richer and the poor, let’s be blunt, kind of get trampled into the dirt.

Despite how the media and our government would portray us, we’re actually (mostly) quite a good bunch of people. Sure, there are some cretinous individuals (-cough- Justin Bieber -cough-), but this is the same as any other generation. Overall, we’re not so bad. Our mistakes are more intensely scrutinised because news (and rumour and prejudice, it is worth pointing out) is so easily visible as a result of the growth of social media.

Let’s take a look at the riots a couple of years ago. I’m not condoning the actions of those involved. They further damaged an already tarnished reputation of young people with mindless acts of greed and criminality that will be remembered for years to come.

But why did it happen?

I saw quotes from people involved mentioning that they were bored angry and frustrated.

We are not the ‘lost generation.’ We are the frustrated generation.

We’re frustrated that, through no fault of our own, we’re forced to struggle much harder than our parents to make something of ourselves and to succeed.

We’re frustrated because our politicians claim to want to help us, then lie to us to gain our vote in unjustifiable attempts to satisfy their lust for power.

But most of all, we’re frustrated that those same politicians have given up on us and labelled us as “lost,” while simultaneously claiming expenses for holiday homes in countries most from my background will never get the opportunity to visit to broaden their horizons.

Why should we, as young people, tolerate such poor and inaccurate prejudice?

How is slapping the ‘lost’ label on us going to benefit us and encourage us to be more than we’re expected to be in this ever toughening world?

Why are our voices not being heard as much as they could be? Why is it right for it to be assumed that because we’re young, we don’t know what we’re talking about?

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Fantastic organisations, such as The Prince’s Trust, do amazing things for young people who need it.

But it’s not enough.

We are the future of this world. We are the people who will lead this country in whatever industry we find ourselves in. It’s time that those in positions of power, whether political power or in the media, have more faith in us and recognise that we are not lost and never will be. It’s time they recognise that we won’t ever accept such unjustified judgement from those who only try and help us if there’s a television crew and journalists there.

Most  of all, it’s time it was recognised that we deserve a whole lot more respect than is given.

5 things you should know about The Juice Academy

The Juice Academy.

It just sounds cool. You see that name and you want to know exactly what they do. It’s certainly what enticed me into finding out more about the apprenticeship I have been on for the past year.

But why should you apply to be in the next batch of their social media superheroes?

1.      Experts. Creating experts.

This fantastic social media apprenticeship is run by experts in social media and the digital industry. They’re professionals in their field passing their knowledge on to help the next generation of the industry. They know their stuff and they also make the lessons as enjoyable as they are useful. They feed your passion and nurture your ambition. What more can you ask for?

2.      They kinda want you to do well

Ok, so I’ve understated this one a bit. The Academy make every effort to make sure you’re able to be at your best by giving you the tools to succeed, not just in the apprenticeship but in your future career too. Of course, the hard work is up to you but it’s a lot easier knowing that the tutors are behind you all the way.

3.      It’s not JUST The Juice Academy

The Apprenticeship isn’t just about The Juice Academy – Total People, the training provider for the course, offer not only educational support but also unrivalled personal support should you need it. I did need it and I can’t fault what they’ve done to help. They deserve a lot of credit and will help you as much as they can should you be a part of TJA! Don't forget, of course, the shed load of guest speakers you'll be privileged to hear from to hear it from all angles. Read one of my fellow apprentice's blog about social media lawyer Steve Kuncewicz's visit for more.

4.      They’re winning.

As much as I hate stroking egos, it might be a little bit deserved here. Only a year after its launch, TJA won a “Skills for Business” Award in Manchester! An award winning apprenticeship scheme run by an award winning PR agency.  Not bad. Learn more about their award success here. 

Award winners: The Juice Academy win "Skills for Business" award, hosted by Dara O'Briain. (pic: The Juice Academy)

5.      You’ll have the time of your life

The Juice Academy isn’t just another course. You won’t be limited to being stuck behind a desk day in, day out. The digital industry has fantastic opportunities to do things you never thought you would (e.g. I got to witness the filming of The Gadget Show, which was pretty cool!). As well as that, when you’re at The Academy itself, you’ll have fun at the same time as being furnished with all the knowledge you’ll need.

To really wrap this blog post up (I’m prone to going on a bit), I’ll just tell you that the past year has been the best of my life. Changing my mind about uni and applying for this apprenticeship was the best decision I ever made.

The good news for you?

The Juice Academy are recruiting for their next cohort of apprentices. The deadline is 16^th January. If you want to break into an exciting and ever-growing industry, make this the day you change your life. You can apply here.

Do you have any questions about The Juice Academy? Are you an apprentice or graduate of The Juice Academy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

From Unemployed to Ambassador – How the Prince’s Trust helped me.

The Prince’s Trust does not save lives. It doesn’t change them either.

It gives young people the power to change their own lives and gives them skills they will use for years to come.

This, among many reasons, is why I feel so passionate about the Trust.

When I joined the Team Programme in June 2013, my confidence and prospects were at an all time low. Without going into already covered territory, I was in a pretty bad place and needed a kick up the backside.

I agreed, after an annoying (yet necessary as it turned out) amount of pressure from my JobCentre adviser, to attend the open event and see what the fuss was about. The idea of spending twelve weeks in a room with people I didn't know was an image of hell for my introverted self.

My life changed after the first day.

I immediately opened myself up to possibilities and opportunities with the intention of experiencing everything I possibly could from those 3 months. I found myself doing things I never would have considered – like getting in a canoe despite having a gripping fear of drowning.

I didn't finish the programme and immediately go into work, as some young people assume will happen. I gave everything to that course but the opportunity for work just wasn't there. However, I knew full well that the skill set the course gave me would lead, however long it took, to better and more fulfilling job prospects. This, it has done – I am now a proud social media apprentice for West Midlands Fire Service, a fantastic job and the start of what will hopefully be a successful career.

Just over a year on, I am privileged to say that I am a Young Ambassador for the Trust, and am due to attend my first event in early October. What has been given to me in terms of confidence, skills and positivity is a debt that can’t be repaid with any number of promotional events that I speak at.

The summer of intake of Young Ambassadors for the Midlands

What I hope is that I can encourage young people to get involved with what is, in fact, a fantastic and essential charity in this country. If every young person was able to get participate in the huge range of courses offered, the future of this country would look very bright indeed.

Young people are the future of this country. Their well being, their prospects, and their attitude are essential to how we progress as a nation. Whatever our age or background, we all have a responsibility to give something to the people who will determine how we live our lives in the future. This is something The Prince’s Trust have set about doing with fantastic schemes and programmes that will, and I repeat with certainty, WILL give young people the skills to change their lives.

Let me tell you a story.

On Wednesday night, I was on my way home from poker at the pub after a good night. I’d had a couple of beers and had that pleasant fuzzy feeling one gets before destroying it with “just one more.”

I passed a guy in the city centre who was clearly homeless. He didn’t ask me for money. In fact, he barely lifted his head to acknowledge he had even noticed me. I carried on walking for a few yards. Then turned back.

Handing him the food and drink I had just bought from McDonalds, which he accepted gratefully, I sat down next to him. I sat there for probably about half an hour, listening to him talk about his problems and his life.

Before leaving, I gave him £5. This was both all I could really afford, and it was a minimal amount so that he may make the most of it and appreciate it more. I told him to spend it wisely, to which he promised he would and then went on my way.

After work the next day, I saw him again. This time, he was sat on a wall with a woman, clutching a can of cheap lager. He noticed me, and called his thanks, raising his can and smiling. My heart sank and I reprimanded myself for my own folly in giving him money.

But, being an overly analytical person, I began to look at it from a different angle.

First; he was smiling. Regardless of whether was drinking beer or not, he was smiling. This was a stark contrast to the miserable man I had seen huddled in his coat on the high street the previous night.

Second, I considered the person he was with. He had told me that he had split up with his partner and she had kicked him out, leading to his current situation. Was this the same woman? I can’t make assumptions, but I believed it to be her and it made me glad to see that they were at least on talking terms – hopefully something that will lead to an improvement to his circumstances.

Third, his thanks. He recognised me and made the effort to thank me for what I had done. Of course, there’s always the potential that he was mocking me as he had lifted the can in the traditional “cheers” movement, but I have more faith in humanity than that!

Reflecting on this story, I can look at it one of two ways. Either I made a huge mistake and gave a homeless alcoholic money after he told me his sob story, or I genuinely helped a guy and brought even the smallest amount of light to his night/day.

More valuable than the money or the food that I gave to him, was the time I spent with him. Having been in a similar situation myself, I can understand the sheer loneliness of being on the streets, so having someone just to listen to you and to talk to would be a huge thing that a price can’t define.

It might be that I made a mistake by doing it, but there was no getting away from the fact that he was smiling and grateful when I saw him the next day. This post isn’t to say “oh, look what I did.” It’s more to ask people to think about things from a different angle now and then. Things are usually more than they appear on the surface.

From my perspective, I tried to help the guy and I gave him the option to help himself by feeding himself for even just a couple of days. He chose to spend the money that way, so I have no regrets.

Did I make a mistake? Should I be disappointed that he had spent that money on a couple of beers, even if that’s what made him happy? Let me know your thoughts below.

Should you be on Google+?

There’s been a lot of talk this year about the rise of Google+ as a social network. It is now the second largest, behind only Facebook. Experts predict that by May 2016, it will overtake Facebook in the social sharing kingdom – a staggering consideration when you think it currently accounts for a measly 2% of the global sharing (onlinemediadirect.co.uk).

What’s so great about Google+ then? It seems that almost nobody I know personally uses it as a social network.

Well, having done lots of research on the platform for work, it appears to me to be one of the most underrated options out there for marketers and brands.

It pins together a lot of the features of its competitors (and tweaking them, it is worth adding) and adds its own unique features to create a user experience that is actually pretty fantastic.

Of course, there’s also the additional feature of Hangouts, a video platform in which, from a marketing perspective, a company can hold live Q&As or open forums to gather opinions.

The simple fact, ladies and gentlemen, is that Google+ simply just isn’t big in this country. Across the pond, its fantastic potential is being realised and we need to follow suit and get on there before it becomes the “thing” that every business automatically does.

Remember, also, that with Google+, you can link all Google products under one account, a rather neat move by the online giant. There just seems to be something really smooth about the way you don’t have to log in to each account and can share your thoughts from Youtube automatically on G+.

“Circles” is also a slick way of grouping your contacts and allows you to ensure that your content is seen by a specific group, rather than a generic audience. This allows you to filter which content goes where, maximising the relevance of your content to its audience.

Facebook, of course, is still the biggest platform. The focus of my research for work has been kind of “Facebook vs Google+.” My perspective? Why not Facebook AND Google+?

There’s certainly the attitude that “Facebook is dying” or that it is past its peak. Be that as it may, it is still by far the largest platform and has a rather frightening dominance in the social media realm. This simply can’t be ignored, whether the company be big or small, private or public sector.

So, which should you be on, if you HAD to choose just one? Both platforms have their benefits and their drawbacks and it all really does depend on what you want out of social media. Perhaps this a rather sketchy analogy, but allow me to refer you to my main man José Mourinho, following criticism from his Man City counterpart that Chelsea were overspending. He said that Man City were building a team for now, to succeed whereas Chelsea were building a team for long term success in the future, even if it meant failure in the immediate term.

My opinion? Man City is Facebook, where the audience are now. But if you want to get ahead of the game and build a social media platform that is yet to establish itself, you need to get on Google+ (and also start supporting Chelsea. Just saying).

Poppy Ingham: My Apprenticeship, My Company & My New Found Career in Social Media and Marketing

With the prospects of my final A-Level exams on the horizon, the daunting task of filling out UCAS and the uncertainty of what I even wanted to do with my life - I couldn’t help but feel slightly put off with the traditional methods of education. I felt isolated and forced into the educational “norm” of school, college and then universities. These pressures were not only laid onto me from friends and family - but by my college tutors too. “You’ll have a brilliant time at universities!” they’d all exclaim - and that’s exactly why I’d go, for the fun and the experience. Do I really want to commit for three or four years studying something I might not even want to do in the end? No thank you.

Instead, at 17 years old, I made the unnerving choice to drop out of college, move 50 miles away to a town I’ve never even heard of and take a different and totally unspoken approach of building a career. This was a terrifying experience, though I’m sure my sheer impulsiveness and “bravery” warmed my friends and family to support me - my college tutors? Not so much, but who cares about that anymore?

I’ve always loved media. I gained an A grade in my AS Levels and it was one of the only subjects I really loved and could see myself working in. I was only made aware of mostly traditional media in my studies; the structure of newspapers and radio production. At this point, I didn’t even know social media could be classed as a real job. It seemed too good to be true, right?!

I fell into an interview at my company, SocialSignIn, rather abruptly and last minute. I was fortunate enough to be given the place a mere 7 minutes after I left my interview.

SocialSignIn is a fairly new company - we celebrated our first, proper birthday in April this year. Quite simply, SocialSignIn is a software dashboard that allows organisations to manage their social channels from one place. From this one place, you can post out, schedule, plug in RSS feeds, monitor key words and phrases and even grab all your analytics. We found our wide niche audience by speaking to UK based companies - we’re awake when you are! Our clients include the likes of Staffordshire Police, Kirklees Council, Luminar Group and BAE Systems. We even work with The Square Kilo Array - soon to be the worlds largest radio telescope, how cool is that?

My role at the company is anything from customer service (providing training webinars for new clients, being the chatty person on our live messaging service on our website) to content creating, weekly marketing emails and giving demonstrations to potential clients. I like to get involved with a little bit of everything!

Since working for SocialSignIn, I’ve noticed just how many companies are getting on board with various social media channels. It’s not just the strictly technical companies, it’s universities, housing societies, pet foods (yes, we have the lovely Burn’s Pets Foods as a client) and many more.

There is no longer the excuse of “I don’t have time for social media”, as software such as our dashboard allows you to manage your accounts quickly and in house - be it scheduling a few posts for the upcoming week or bulk uploading 12 months worth of Tweets, even plugging in an RSS feed to our dashboard to give you some pre-created content in an area related to you.

I’ve realised the true value of social media in business now. I feel rather disheartened or even “put off” when I’m interested in a company but they aren’t on Twitter or Facebook. “I’d really like to visit this cafe but - oh - no, wait, they aren’t online. How should I know what they’re actually like?”

Moreover, if I have a question, I tend to turn to social media.

On Twitter, I tend to post out “Where should I go for dinner tonight in Birmingham?”

Our dashboard provides a social listening tool. Bars and restaurants could use our software to search for the words ‘dinner’ ‘tonight’ in a proximity of 3 miles from Birmingham. Furthermore, our councils can use us if disgruntled locals Tweet something such as “I hate my council.” They weren’t been mentioned directly, but if someone Tweets that in the Aberdeen area and Aberdeen Council use our listening tool, they can presume it is about them and reply as they see fit.

I feel companies who aren’t efficiently managing their social accounts or don’t feel it’s worth being online may be missing out on a huge potential audience. I’m the era of millennials, generation Y - social media is my directory, my enquiry form and my main purpose of networking.

Come on - step away from those traditional business strategies and get onboard with the online craze. If SocialSignIn could help you, or if you’d just like a friendly chat about your social media, feel free to chat to me on Twitter or find me on LinkedIn - happy to connect! 

Social Media: A means to an ends for Joe Stapleton.

Following Chris Moneymaker’s fairy tale World Series of Poker Main Event win in 2003, where he beat 839 opponents to win $2.5m having qualified online, poker saw a new era. Thousands of new players took to the felt, believing that they could follow Moneymaker, a former accountant, into wealth, fame and the history books.

Since that momentous day, Main Event fields have swelled to thousands, peaking at 8773 in 2006, when Jamie Gold took the mind blowing top prize of $12,000,000.

This rapid growth can be likened to the social media explosion. Now, in 2014, social media has become almost unrecognisable compared to its infant self a decade ago. Far from being just a way of updating your friends and family on your eating and toilet habits, it is now a way of marketing yourself, your brand, and most importantly: networking.

The rise of televised poker, and following that online live streams, has been incorporated into social media, leading to viewers being offered the chance to put their views across, while having fun watching their favourite game. #EPTLive, which is quickly increasing in popularity.

Joe Stapleton, co-host of the live stream and regular poker commentator on Channel 4, said: “I love the EPTLive viewers. The interaction with them is a major part of the show, and I’d dread a live stream without it because the action can sometimes be slow. I love social media for that purpose.”

It’s not all sweet smelling roses when it comes to social media for Joe, though. Wary of the number of trolls online, he asserts that almost every positive of social media can also have a negative impact. He offers an example:

“You can rapidly spread information and ideas, but the negative is that it can also spread false information and hateful ideas.”

Hardly a point that can be argued with, when one considers the number of times it’s been falsely reported someone famous or influential has died for the sake of retweets and the minority of people who seem set on causing misery with constant and unwarranted abuse.

The concession has to be made though, that social media is a huge part of professional networking, and is the best way to build influence and a contact list that could prove to be useful. Building relationships with people online has become a key part of becoming successful, particularly in the digital industry, or in a job where being exposed to the media is a regular thing.

“Even though I need [social media] for my job and mostly enjoy it, I would avoid it entirely if I didn’t,” Joe explains. “I post on social media to be better known in my field, but more importantly; beyond my field.”

This is a poignant point that we can examine with interest – social media, which used to be purely about socialising with those you love or care about, has become a tool more than anything. It is a necessary part of improving one’s chances of chances in an industry.

This is actually reflective of a recent session at The Juice Academy our group had with Sian Ediss, Head of Social at Online Ventures Group, which I will discuss in an upcoming post. She stressed the importance of using social media in the best way possible, even outside of our jobs.

Although he appreciates the benefits and necessity of social media, Joe remains unconvinced:

“I’m not sure its positive impacts outweigh its negatives. I follow my friends because I’m interested in how they’re doing. But apart from that, it’s not really my idea of fun.”

Do you agree with Joe, and use social media as a means to an end? Or do you use it because you love it? Let me know in the comments section.

Pictures courtesy of Neil Stoddart.

Living the social media dream.

I've been here at West Midlands Fire Service for 4 months already! Time has absolutely flown by and it's been quite a journey.

It's crazy to think that 4 months (and 1 day) ago, I was still unemployed and looking desperately for any job that I could get my hands on. Social media didn't even occur to me as a career, but now? I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

It's been a bit of a drastic transformation – from being jobless and hopelessly having my fingers crossed for a supermarket job, to being on the bottom rung of an exciting and opportunity-filled career ladder.

So, I say opportunity filled, but what opportunities have I had? I've conducted interviews, most notably with the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser to the UK Government, Peter Holland CBE. Great experience for me as someone who loves to talk to people and develop my confidence in doing so. He's also a fan of my beloved Chelsea. Happy days.

Possibly one of the most rewarding and heart warming of the opportunities I've had so far was to meet Destiny Africa, a Ugandan choir made up of orphans. I found their happiness inspiring, and felt privileged to spend a morning with them. They’re also extremely talented, giving us a sneak peek into what they can do.

The work itself has also been fantastic. I still look forward to getting up every morning for work (even though I still struggle with the 5:30 am start), which is something not everyone can say. I get to do a huge variety of stuff, with the constant flexibility to try my hand at something new and creative. It's great to be a part of a team that works well together and gets on, making for a productive workplace, but just as importantly, the ability to have a laugh at work.

I can't forget, of course, the training given to me at The Juice Academy - something I always look forward to. It's always good to go there and catch up with the other apprentices, and also to learn a whole load of new stuff that I can apply to my work at WMFS. The journey to Manchester? A little arduous perhaps, but well worth what awaits me at journey's end.

My passion for the industry just keeps growing and growing. This may sound geeky, but I find myself at home looking through what’s new in social media, keeping up on SocialMediaExaminer.com, doing research into anything I might be able to develop into the fold at work, and just trying to increase my knowledge of social and the ways in which it can be used. I've always had a burning desire to improve, and this has been consolidated in the last few months – I don't want to just do my job, or to be an employee of the industry; I have an unquenchable thirst to do more and to be more.

I can definitely see an improvement in myself since I have been here – my communication has certainly got better, and I feel like I can put my own ideas across more assertively – something I have struggled with previously. Not only that though, I feel like I've developed as a person. I'm happier, and feel like I live a more fulfilled life, which is brilliant.

So, to sum up: life is good. I love this job, I love the prospects it's giving me, I love the opportunities I've had, I love that it's developing me as a person and most of all? I love that it's breeding a passion for (hopefully) a long and successful career.

The Juicy Revolution: How Tangerine PR hit a sweet spot.

I began this blog with a post that championed the apprenticeship scheme, and praising in particular the fantastic course at The Juice Academy, the brainchild of Tangerine PR.

As if that point needed to be justified, The Juice Academy (TJA) have now done so by announcing that a THIRD apprentice from their first cohort has secured permanent employment after their apprenticeship has finished.

The latest in the string of successes, Rob Watts of PH Creative, said “I'm ecstatic. 12 months ago I had no idea what I wanted to do, but now I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

This is a sentiment I can repeat myself, much like an elongated echo in the Grand Canyon. I didn't imagine I would ever be employed in a role where I’m using social media on a day to day basis, and it’s thanks to TJA that I’m now completely head over heels in love with a career that ten years ago, didn’t even exist.

For Rob though, a career in marketing has appealed to him for a long time. Having successfully completed his A levels, he shunned the idea of university and instead began applying for apprenticeships. He explained:

“From day one I knew I wanted to go straight into work. I feel that I've learned more at TJA than I would at university.”

The immediate impact that the Academy has had on the social media industry, as well as the apprenticeship scheme in general, is astounding. It offers a unique and well built programme of study in an industry where there is a chasm in the skills required (trying to restrain myself from using The Grand Canyon again. But you get the idea).

Life is exciting for these apprentices (including myself). We get opportunities that we simply wouldn’t get in any other job. Some of mine are detailed in our #SMAvlog. Rob had an incredible opportunity himself:

“I was given the chance to help out at the Hillsborough variety awards evening. It built up my confidence and I got to meet some of the legends from Liverpool FC.”

Rob with Liverpool FC's second keeper, Brad Jones

So, where has the success come from? The need for skills is an obvious reason. But social media apprenticeships are popping up left, right and centre at the minute, so what has Tangerine PR done to set themselves apart?

Well, they are in the industry. They are the experts, and they are training young people to become experts. This is a unique situation, and they've grasped it firmly with both hands. It’s incomparable to anything else that has been done – they have found a niche and fulfilled one of the great needs this country, and indeed the world, has.

I have nothing but praise for The Juice Academy. The sessions they organise are not just informative and useful, but they also are taught by people who are passionate about what they do, which for me, is the most essential thing.

For anyone reading this who isn't already a part of TJA, but wants to get into the industry – I highly recommend it. Regardless of the general benefits of an apprenticeship, this particular scheme is fantastic – both for businesses and potential apprentices.

For the brand new apprentices in Cohort 4, Rob has some advice that I whole heartedly agree with: “Work hard, don't be afraid to speak, and grab every opportunity you can.”

Wise words indeed. 

For me, there is no comparison between this job and any other apprenticeship programme. Hats off to Tangerine PR for what is a brilliant and innovative course that will provide long term benefits not just to the apprentices they hire, but also to the entire industry. Viva la juicy revolution. 

What are your thoughts on apprenticeships? Do you have any advice for new apprentices? Let me know in the comments section below.

A Shakespearean Sonnet for Social

For a long time, poetry was probably the biggest part of my life, much to the distaste and entertainment of a lot of people in my school year. It didn't bother me in the slightest that I was often labeled and categorised for this, as it was something that I enjoyed doing and I had the ability to use words poetically in a pretty effective way.

However, in the last couple of years, I've been focusing almost exclusively on writing songs, which, although similar, is a different ball game for several reasons.

That said, inspired by Tangerine PR MD Sandy Lindsay's fantastic "Ode to the Twitter" and in honour of Shakespeare's recent birthday, I decided the time was ripe to try my hand once more at some good old fashioned poetry, namely a sonnet in the style of the Bard himself. Enjoy!

As Fickle as a Facebook Friend

Ah! Social media, thou art fickle.
With deceptive powers to break and mend.
If thou art known not, 'twill cause a pickle,
For thou art enemy as quick as friend.
In thy brief but explosive existence,
Thou hast proven thy menacing powers.
It takes patience, guile; willful persistence -
All to be taught at Tangerine Towers.
Stay your wrath! For we look not to subdue,
But to unleash your hidden potential.
Alliances be forged 'twixt us and you:
In our future, it becomes essential.
So let us embrace, our volatile friend!
For our paths be entwined now, 'til the end.

I have to admit, I had a huge amount of fun writing this, and it makes me want to get back into it. Safe to say I've been re-bitten by the poetry bug!