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’.

#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. 

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.

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.

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!

My Top Ten Social Media cock ups.

For any brand, it’s a time of crisis and of extreme pressure when things go wrong on social media. A mistimed tweet, or a rogue employee with the wrong passwords can be extremely damaging to the image of a company. However, to the outsider, they can be considered fairly entertaining. In fact, some of the ones I have researched left me feeling embarrassed for the company, so I feel sorry for the manager of these accounts.

Anyway, some of my favourite “face palm” moments on social are below

10) To start us off, good old McDonalds. Back at the start of 2012, McDonalds wanted their customers to share their “real” #mcdstories. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a Big Mac? Well, quite a few people it turns out. The hashtag was inundated with tweets about bad quality food, and just overall horrific experiences. Now, as we all know, people can be quick to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, and despite pulling the promoted hashtag within two hours, it continued to trend across the world. But at least their social media manager identified that it “didn’t go as planned.”

9) It seems that Hurricane Sandy was the perfect opportunity for clothing retailers to push forward their marketing on Twitter. Wait, what? Yep, you heard. Both American Apparel and The Gap decided to plug their companies on Twitter in response to a powerful natural disaster. American Apparel decided very kindly to offer 20% off to anyone in the states affected by the storm. The logic behind that astounds me. Makes me suggest their social media staff attend the meetings of another organisation called AA. Meanwhile, The Gap suggested people make the most of their downtime during the storm to shop on their website. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

8) Remember the horsemeat scandal? The social media team at Tesco probably do. Not only was their Twitter probably plastered with tweets from angry customers, they also neglected to unschedule  a tweet using the phrase “hit the hay.” I can imagine it probably didn’t put off the neigh-sayers.

7) This one isn’t from a brand, but it still made me chuckle. In fact, it happened this week! A 14 year old Dutch girl decided, for some absurd reason, decided to tweet to American Airlines that she was a member of Al-Qaeda, and was planning “something really big.” Far from enjoying the joke, American Airlines responded by telling the tweeter that they were giving her IP address to the FBI. She has since been arrested by Dutch police, despite several tweets protesting her innocence and that it was “her friend.” Ahh, to be young and make terrorist threats again. Those were the days.

 6) Sticking with the airways theme, US Airways “landed” (excuse the pun) themselves in hot water with a rather…interesting reaction to a customer complaint. They initially sent a standard response to the customer. But when the customer continued to express her dissatisfaction with her experience, they, or someone who had access to their account, tweeted a rather unpleasant picture of a woman with a plane that appeared to be a little lost.

5) This is a real facepalmer, and one that the company is still recovering from. On 20^th July 2012, at a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie, a shooter opened fire on the audience at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado. As one could expect, #Aurora became a trending topic on Twitter. However, the social media genius’ at CelebBoutique didn’t think to check why it was trending before posting a promotional tweet, saying that it must be caused by their latest dress. I don’t even need to make a witty comment about it.

4) JP Morgan, everyone’s favourite bankers, decided to open themselves up to their loyal and loving customer base with a Twitter Q&A session with its Vice Chairman. In some crazy world they must have thought bankers were the most loved people in the world. But he was soon brought back to Earth was a rather severe bump as he received countless abusive and probing questions about his salary and bonus, before the session even went live. It was hastily cancelled after they realised, 49 years after The Beatles, that money can’t buy you love.

3) Weeeeeee…had better not make light of a plane crash. London Luton airport become the latest in a line of airways social media bloopers that appears to be growing longer than the queues at an airport terminal. In March 2013, they decided it would be a brilliant idea to post a picture of a minor plane crash when a plane skidded off the runway, causing the death of a 6 year old boy. Still, at least they didn’t make a joke out of it. Oh, oops…

2) The runner up is Epicurious, who decided that a human tragedy is the perfect opportunity to sell their breakfast foods. Claiming that their suggestion of whole grain cranberry scones were “in honour” of the victims was naturally met with outrage from the public. After all, who wants whole grain?

1) Mutiny on the ship! Ahh, my favourite social media mess comes from my beloved HMV. Like a modern re-enactment from a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, swashbuckling employees who were set to lose their jobs decided not to bow out from their roles with grace and dignity, but to hijack the company’s Twitter profile and air the grievances. No sooner could a tweet be deleted, than another would appear, causing a rather big sweat.

So that’s it. Ten of my favourite monumental cock ups from the brief history of social media. Ten gloriously cringeworthy tales of dignity disappeared, brands broken, and inappropriate images.

I want to hear about any other social media cock ups you have seen. Let me know in the comments section below!

5 reasons Ricky Gervais is a social media genius.

Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais on Twitter), is known for being irritating, funny, and extremely intelligent, when he isn't playing pranks on bald Mancunians with spherical shaped heads.

On Twitter, he is at his opinionated and egotistical best. But it is genius, and he knows exactly what he is doing. Brands can learn a lot from the way he uses social media because he just gets it.

Allow me to explain.

1)     He is human. Some influential brands and figures on social media use it primarily as a marketing tool and to plug and promote their latest product. Sure, Gervais does this too. But fundamentally, he uses Twitter in the same way as the everyday person would. People can relate to  him because he shows he is human, not just another celebrity trying to flog their autobiography or whatever it is they delude themselves into thinking we want to buy.

2)     He has personality. This kind of links in to the above point, but is slightly different. An important part of a social media strategy is to get the tone of voice right. Obviously, on this occasion the tone of voice is his natural use of the platform, but he shows a unique side to his personality. An example for you: one minute, he is boasting that he’s just going to “pop to L.A,” and posts a selfie of himself clutching a glass of expensive champagne on his private jet. The next Tweet, he’ll be promoting animal welfare charities. Between all that, he'll post one of his infamous “bath pics.” More on those later. My point is, individually, he probably wouldn't get away with doing any single one of these and would chase away all but the most committed of his fans because they’d get sick of it. But he can get away with it because he’s honest, he’s refreshingly blunt, and he simply doesn't care about offending people in a way that causes no harm. People love that.

3)     He knows his audience. This is probably the biggest point. He knows what kind of people follow him. He knows what they want to see, what he can get away with. He also knows what will provoke the most reaction. Have you seen his incessant comments about religion? He knows exactly what he’s doing. He probably does feel that strongly about religion, but his primary reason for it is for a) his own entertainment when he gets abuse and b) because he knows it will induce engagement, which is exactly what he wants.

4)     He engages with his audience. This is something so many influential Twitter users get wrong. If you click on his profile, you will see so many replies to his fans, even if they are simple smiley faces or him saying “cheers” for a compliment about one of his tv shows. People appreciate that. He understands that people will follow if they think they can engage with him. It shows he “listens,” so to speak, and people will flock to someone who pays attention to them.

5)     His content is unique. He posts a lot of stuff on Twitter that a lot of celebrities wouldn't dare or dream of doing. The most obvious instance of this is the bath pic that he posts on a scarily regular basis. For those who haven’t seen these, I’m not going to try and explain. I just suggest you check out his photos on Twitter…or use the hashtag #bathpic…but I’m not responsible for any eye burning, or mental scars that may be incurred by doing so.

As well as this, his awareness of what people want from him is outstanding. He might plug his latest movie or tv show, but he also entertains on Twitter in a unique fashion. For example, he brought David Brent back for a series of Youtube videos where the famous figure from “The Office” teaches the audience the guitar (although there’s not really any teaching involved). People were all over this, and it has led to David Brent performing around the country. He used those videos, I believe, as market research to see if it could work. It’s a genius stroke, and he must be feeling very good about himself.

It is fair to say that Ricky Gervais gets Twitter. He understands it, and uses it to the best effect he can. This is why he won a “lifetime achievement” at the Shorty Awards. Even he found it amusing that he was awarded this within a few months of being on Twitter. I’m a fan of Gervais, I loathe him, but most of all, I admire his genius use of his online space.

Progress, progress and more progress.

What I am about to say will not shock you. 

I love it here at West Midlands Fire Service.

I have reiterated this point over the course of this blog, and I want to do it again right now.

A lot of these posts have been about social media in general, my views of things going on and stuff like that. So, I thought it was about time I caught up with you all about what is actually going on.

If you haven’t read my good friend and colleague Jess’ blog yet, I suggest you check it out here. It’s a great read and provides a fresh perspective of what happens here at HQ!

It seems insane that we have been more than a month already. It feels like only yesterday that I was getting lost on the short (and, in fairness, extremely simple) walk between Duddeston Station and the fire service’s headquarters here on Vauxhall Road.

I was confident at that point that this was the right decision for both my personal life and my career, and I am happy to say my confidence was founded upon sound logic. I have loved every minute and still look forward to getting in every morning! A lot of people have that feeling for the first couple of weeks and then lose it as they settle in, but I still get excited every morning (even though my energy is usually lacking! I’m not a morning person).

I wanted this post to be a balanced point of view, and be able to say “well, this could be better.” The simple fact is though, this job is perfect for what I want.

I have always wanted a job with variety, the chance to get away from my desk every now and then, and most importantly, a great team who make the day enjoyable. This is exactly what I have been given with this role.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to be given this opportunity (not least because of the sheer volume of applicants for The Juice Academy’s course). Already I can feel myself being more clued up about how to make the most of social media for my business.

So, what have we been doing?

Well, as I have already said, we don’t spend the whole day at our desk. There are a number of days where we have been out covering events for both Twitter and our #smavlog. We have also been around the building in different departments, finding out more about what the fire service do, which has been a valuable experience.

 Jess even had the fantastic chance to spend a day with White Watch at Aston fire station to see what they do on a day to day basis, in the first of many #SMAdays. 

 The most important thing for me is that I have been given the chance to develop into someone who doesn’t just “do a job,” but into someone who can be a valuable asset to any company.

Our line managers are not content with us using our strengths to complete tasks to the best of our ability. They are keen for us to use each other to learn and develop the skills we are less adept at in order to make us well rounded and more capable individuals.

This is why I am more than content with my current position in life. I look forward to work, I look forward to home and most of all? I look forward to, and I am very excited about, my future career.

The standard response.

“We’re sorry to hear this. Please call this number and they will try to help.”

I think we’ve all received one of them on social media at some point, haven’t we? When we’re not happy about a service we have received, it seems like a natural reaction (these days, anyway), to take to Twitter and rant about it.

Or maybe that’s just me.

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I make a complaint, I want the person listening to my irritating whinging to care, or at least to PRETEND to care. So when I get the reply “we’re sorry to hear this,” it actually makes me feel even more contemptuous toward that company.

Here’s my problem:

-        I KNOW that this is sent to EVERYONE who makes a complaint. That makes me feel like my complaint has not been digested by the company as a problem. It feels like I am a number, not a valued user of their product or service.

-        They make no effort to try and solve the problem. Sure, they probably have a separate customer services department. But social media officers have, in effect, a customer service role. In that sense, they should at least try to appease me until the issue is processed by the relevant department, right?

It looks like some companies who use social media well still even send it. For example, Aldi tend to do very well with what they do on Twitter. They run regular competitions, use current trends and hashtags to maximise their reach, and when they engage with their followers, they do it well. But, then you see this:

Sigh.

It just grates on me. The great thing about social media is that it is ideal for building relationships with your customers. Is that really what is going to work? Do they really think that people are going to appreciate being sent a copied and pasted response?

How about this then?

THIS is more like it. Even if the sympathy shown is false, at least an effort is made. The person who responded to the complaint is trying to sort it out rather than palm it off on someone else, which is always good to see.

I just think companies have a responsibility to respond to complaints in the right way. At the moment it seems like little effort is made and that the managers of social media simply don’t care. The tweet above is what, personally, I would like to see more of.

Do you have any negative experiences of customer service on social media? Let me know in the comments section below!

Moving Out, Moving On...

It’s been a pretty hectic weekend. I have finally moved out of the Coventry Foyer, which is the supported housing I have been staying in for the last nine months.

It was a fantastic day for me, not only because it’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life, but also because I have now already fulfilled two of my goals for 2014!

I am extremely goal orientated. Whenever I set myself an objective, I expect myself, and put pressure on myself, to achieve it. So to already have successfully completed two them (the first being to find a job) in the first quarter of the year, makes me very excited at the prospect of what is achievable in this 12 months.

I’m actually in trouble with the Foyer for posting a tweet a few weeks ago. I expressed my opinion about the Midland Heart takeover and they weren't impressed. The tweet (seen here) was nothing defamatory, abusive or unprofessional, yet I've been called in to apparently explain myself.

I'm tempted to go into a rant here. But I will restrain myself, for your benefit. Suffice it to say that moving out of there is a very positive move for me.

In any case, since this post is about moving on, it’s probably about time I do so!

Today marks a month since I started here at West Midlands Fire Service. I'm extremely happy with the way it’s going; it has surpassed even my expectations.

The best thing about working here is the working environment. In my previous work experience at a housing association, which I have mentioned briefly in previous posts, the atmosphere in the office was negative and tense, meaning every day felt like a month (helped by having nothing to do every day of course).

But here – we have a laugh at every opportunity, and we talk as well as work. This offers the chance to be ourselves, rather than just employees. I only recently discovered this more confident and outgoing version of me, and I welcome being able to flex that whenever I can. It’s fun to be at work, which, in my opinion, is as important as the job satisfaction itself.

Yesterday marked a new and exciting chapter in my life. As mentioned in the previous post, I have been through some trials and tribulations over the past year, and to be able to officially say I am back on my feet fills me with a fierce pride usually reserved for Oscar-winners and Olympic gold medallists. Slight exaggeration but you get the idea.

I am lucky enough to get to start again. This apprenticeship with West Midlands Fire Service is a springboard for me and I intend to jump onto it as hard as I possibly can – and who knows? Maybe pull off a couple of fancy looking twists and flips on the way into the pool that is my career.

The Social Media Explosion

Social media has seen a meteoric rise in the last few years. It seems a long, long time ago that Facebook, MySpace and Bebo uttered mere whispers in the murky corners of the internet.

Today, social media is everywhere. Literally, you can’t go anywhere without seeing evidence of it. Even if you stop scowling at the people glued to their phones and their Twitter timeline as they walk blindly down the street, when you move your eyes elsewhere you will see hashtags, pleas for “Follows” and “Likes.”  Social media has taken over the world.

Of course, the problem for businesses is that it has evolved so quickly and become such an important tool for marketing and building relationships with customers/clients, that they haven’t had a chance to react to it. This is why there is a huge skill gap in the digital industry.

This is where people like myself come in. I have grown up around social media, and therefore without studying for a single second, I know more about it than some of the older generation.

You can still see it evolving, every month. It used to be a mainly text based sharing model. Now, you can share photos, videos, music, webpages, anything you like. With sites such as Snapchat, you even have the option of creating what is called “disappearing media.”

The simple fact is that we have become a society built around it. For better or worse, whenever something happens, we instantly think about social media. Can we post this on Facebook or Twitter? How can we make it so we can get more “likes” or “retweets?”  In essence, we have all become marketing agencies for ourselves. We all want the world to love what we share, and more as many people to see it as possible.  Does it not seem crazy then, that 30% businesses don’t have social media in their marketing strategy?

I wish I knew the logic behind not having it in your strategy. It is more cost effective, can reach a global audience and allows you to build relationships with both your customer and your competitior. (For an example of competitor relationships, check out the @ThreeUK and @tescomobile Twitter interaction).

What, then, is the reason for neglecting it? My opinion is that it is a lack of understanding of the huge benefits and, in fact, the sheer importance of the new marketing trends. It is such a new concept that there just isn't a widespread ability to be able to comprehend the potential.

I'll give you an example. On the train home from a session at The Juice Academy yesterday (19th February), I was speaking to a guy who was looking to set up a new business. We had exchanged pleasantries etc about what we do for a job, the usual for us polite Brits, and he wanted to know how he could incorporate social media into his advertising and marketing.

He saw sites such as Facebook and Twitter purely as sites to communicate with family and friends.

This, I think, is the ingrained view among entrepreneurs, or at least the 30% who don't intend to use it. This is something, that as a Social Media Apprentice, I will in the future need to try and change. I offered him some advice as to the channels he should probably look into using, but impressed upon him the importance of having a purpose. 

There can be no comparison of social media now, to even just five years ago. Where will it be in another five years? What will be the latest craze then? Wherever it is headed on the congested motorway that is the internet, it is clear that social media will be around for a long, long time.

What are your views on the future of social media? I would love to hear what others think is going to happen in the near and distant future. Leave your comments below.

No Rain, No Gain: The Highs and Snows of Commuting to Work

Well, hasn’t this weather just made everything delightful. Being a very strong minded person when it comes to punctuality, I usually find the morning and evening commutes to and from work stressful as it is, as one of my biggest hates is to miss a train I promised myself I would catch.

Couple that with the worst rainfall this country has seen in years, and it makes for a very grouchy young Social Media Apprentice indeed. Imagine my panic when we had that rather intense snow flurry.

The job is going fantastically well so far, and I am enjoying every second. I am busy all the time, my employers are allowing me to flex my mind and come up with my own solutions to problems, and I get on with everyone extremely well.

The thought of commuting to work was something I was actually looking forward to – it makes me feel very adult-like and mature, something my sense of humour lacks the ability to do, so getting on the train in my shirt and trousers everyday made me feel like part of a well-knit (or well-suited) community.

I say community – but the morning commute is very much a free-for-all every man for himself situation. There’s me, using my manners as I always do, allowing the professional looking guy in the seat opposite to disembark before myself, and all I get in return is a non-committal grunt of acknowledgement. This was then swiftly followed by a blow to the back of the head (accidental I hope) as someone else decided to barge past, in a rush to get to the already packed escalator that would halt their morning sprint anyway.

I find it quite sad that the pressure of getting to work on time, and the emotional trauma of being on the way to work before dawn, has led to a startling decrease in the impeccable manners us Brits stereotypically have. I am a pretty old fashioned person when it comes to manners and etiquette, so I generally tend to feel a pang of frustration when people forget the simple “excuse me please, I’m in a rush to catch another train,” that I so optimistically expect.

That said, this is something worth tolerating, purely because everyday, I look forward to getting to work. In my previous work placement, I wasn’t challenged in the slightest, and in fact, I barely did anything the whole month I was there. So to be tasked with a few things everyday is something I’m making the most of, much like one savours the taste of Ben and Jerry’s as it slides nonchalantly down your throat.

I honestly expected a slow start to this job. I thought we would be observing more than anything. I was proved wrong immediately. After the initial induction, we were straight away asked to start brainstorming ideas for various upcoming projects, and by Day 3, we had been given events that we would be sent to cover, representing West Midlands Fire Service.

It feels like the Corporate Communications department we are in WANTS us here. In fact, the Strategic Communications Manager has been asking us questions, and been wanting to learn about social media from us, which is a very uplifting feeling, as quite clearly they view us as having something rather valuable to offer their organisation.

This is what makes me proud to be here. I am here for a reason, not to fill up numbers. I’m here because I, and my fellow apprentice Jess, have skills that this company both needs and desires. We can be the future of their social media drive, and this makes being concussed on a regular basis something I can look forward to if the reward is the enriching experience we are already having.

Apprenticeships Over Uni: Why I Chose This Path.

Growing up, I was obsessed with the idea of going to university and getting a degree. I wanted to be the first in my family to go, I wanted the pride of saying I have a degree, but more than anything, I wanted success.

I have always been hungry for it – I have always desired to be the best at whatever I do. This fierce determination has always been what drives me and it is something that I use to my advantage every day.

In August 2011, I received the news: I had been accepted into my first choice of university! Naturally, I was over the moon. It felt like all my hard work had paid dividends. At this point, I must confess that I was guilty of naivety and complacency. In my mind, I had made it – university was my goal and I was going.

However, by the turn of the year, I knew that I would not complete my degree. It didn’t feel right. Something just didn't connect and I knew, although I was reluctant to accept it, that I had to leave.

This was a tough period for me. University was what I had dreamed about for years and for it not to be the path I was supposed to follow demoralised me. I didn't even consider an apprenticeship at this point – I had a very narrow minded and ignorant view of them and believed them to be for school drop-outs and people who left with school with few qualifications.

I could not be happier to be wrong. Their exponential growth in the last 5 years or so, particularly since the rise in tuition fees, speaks for itself. One cannot help but sit up and take notice of what is going on. Increasingly often, young people with university-standard A Level grades are choosing to instead undertake an apprenticeship.

Why is this? Because it is on the job training, and you’re earning money while getting a qualification? Of course, but these savvy young minds are realising that academic qualifications just aren’t as valuable as they used to be. The key to success in today’s climate is to find an edge over the other candidates. Life and work experience is that edge, meaning the apprenticeship is an ideal way to find a route into a career.

3pm on Wednesday 15^th January 2014 – three hours before the deadline for university applications. My finger is on the mouse, the cursor hovered over the “submit” button on my application. I've chosen to apply for a Creative and Professional Writing with English Language degree, with a view to starting a career in social media and marketing. The longing for progression in my career had once again overcome me.

Before I clicked the button, I remembered that social media apprenticeships had been mentioned to me, so I checked online for vacancies and more information about apprenticeships in general to see if it could be the right choice for me.

I came across a vacancy with The Juice Academy at West Midlands Fire Service. Immediately a smile came across my face. I was excited from the first line of reading the advertisement. I applied, and happily I was accepted after being selected from a group of candidates at a “boot camp.”

I have just started my training at The Juice Academy, based in Manchester, and I could not be happier that I made the last minute decision not to apply to university. It is a fantastically well run organisation with genuine intentions to get young people like myself into an industry where there is a frighteningly large skill gap.

As someone who hopes to be an employer myself in the future, I would encourage young people to consider an apprenticeship. The simple fact is, times are changing, and employers are looking for something more from potential employees. They want to build for the future now, which is why they are employing younger people and training them from the very basics. This is why I personally champion the apprenticeship as possibly the best way for young people to get into their chosen career.