http://hm-marketing.com/Blog-Feed Latest blog articles from Harrington McDermott Ltd en-gb http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/December-2012/Top-Social-Trends-for-2013 http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/December-2012/Top-Social-Trends-for-2013 Whilst many may think that due to the share issues that the Western world’s biggest social network experienced this year has Facebook struggling, they would be wrong to imagine it’s is on the way out. Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:30:00 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/Planning-Web-Video-that-Works http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/Planning-Web-Video-that-Works Video itself has been something of a growth area for some time and is now pushing images such as infographics aside. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/B2B-Marketers-using-Social-now-than-ever-before http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/B2B-Marketers-using-Social-now-than-ever-before Social media has always been one of those things that B2B marketers are unsure of; do they work? Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/SEO-Ringing-the-Changes http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/SEO-Ringing-the-Changes Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of those things that many claim to be good at but only good, professional outfits actually are. It’s also changeable, especially recently with Google’s drive to rid the web of search spam. Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:55:40 GMT Search Engines http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/LinkedIn-Profiles-get-an-Overhaul http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/November-2012/LinkedIn-Profiles-get-an-Overhaul The social network of choice for professionals, LinkedIn, has just launched “the next generation” profile for members which is intended to make it easier for the 175m current members to “tell their professional stories”. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:25:15 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Content-Marketing-how-effective-is-it http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Content-Marketing-how-effective-is-it B2B marketing strategies have changed considerably over the past decade due to the growth of the internet. According to a recent survey by the Content Marketing Institute on content marketing (CM) for 2012, 9 out of 10 businesses now use content marketing to promote their company and generate leads. Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Online-Influencers-the-why,-where-and-how-of-becom http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Online-Influencers-the-why,-where-and-how-of-becom You’ve all heard of influencers right? Those people who are at the top of the tree when it comes to their industry and what they say about it. It’s all about reaching the right people and creating content which is in context with your expertise. Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/How-the-Best-Social-Media-Marketers-Achieve-Succes http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/How-the-Best-Social-Media-Marketers-Achieve-Succes Despite many grumblings that social media marketing can’t be measured yet as to how effective it is, it’s become widely accepted now that it’s the new form of advertising. Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:30:00 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Augmented-Reality-Apps-Improving-Lifestyle-and-Bus http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/Augmented-Reality-Apps-Improving-Lifestyle-and-Bus Whilst augmented reality is not a new concept, many people still haven’t heard of it; however, it’s a pretty sure bet that if you haven’t, you soon will, as mobile apps using the technology begin to emerge onto the marketplace. Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:00:00 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/LinkedIn-for-B2B-Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/October-2012/LinkedIn-for-B2B-Marketing Social media is the new marketing, not only has it opened up a way of establishing a two-way conversation with customers, it has immense power when it comes to brand strengthening and trust. Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:00:00 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-Generation-Game-What-you-need-to-know http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-Generation-Game-What-you-need-to-know Collective 'personalities' can emerge with each new generation, each reacting in different ways to advertising and marketing campaigns. Here, we discover how consumers' interaction with products and purchasing has changed over the generations. Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-danger-of-adjectives http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-danger-of-adjectives Sometimes it's not what you write, it's the way you write it - people often neglect the impact language choice can have on whether people relate to their content. Check out these secrets of social media speak and see your shares soar. Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:30:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/7-reasons-white-space-is-wonderful http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/7-reasons-white-space-is-wonderful White space helps to create elegant, clear designs which are aesthetically and psychologically preferable to cluttered, confusing images where all of the space is filled with objects. Here are some reasons to present to unconvinced customers about why white space will make a design great. Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:00:00 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/Antique-words-for-the-modern-world http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/Antique-words-for-the-modern-world I’m in love. There, I said it. I’m in love and I know my life will never be the same again.  And - it gets better. It turns out it’s always been this way. Yes, I’ve been in love all this time and just not realised it! So who is my new beloved? What name is to be tattooed on my chest, so as to be as close as possible to my heart? Fossil words. Yes: fossil words. Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-future-of-Facebook-Mobile http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/The-future-of-Facebook-Mobile Since Facebook announced that over half its users were logging in from mobile devices, such as smartphones and iPads, there has been much speculation as to how this will affect the mobile service. Here we take a look at some of the changes we can expect from the social networking site in the near future. Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:07:15 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/B2B-Marketing-Tips-not-to-Ignore-Part-2 http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/B2B-Marketing-Tips-not-to-Ignore-Part-2 Last week we talked about strengthening your brand and providing incentives to give your clients value when marketing in the B2B sector. This week, we’ll take a look first at why you need a company blog and more. Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:16:14 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/Brand-loyalty-Why-do-people-think-they-prefer http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/Brand-loyalty-Why-do-people-think-they-prefer Coca-Cola is the biggest-selling soft drink in history, but blind taste tests have shown that many people actually prefer the taste of Pepsi. What is it about Coca-Cola's marketing campaign that has secured so much brand loyalty, especially over a product which people are proven to prefer the taste of? Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:30:00 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/iPhone-5-What-s-New http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/iPhone-5-What-s-New The iPhone 5 was revealed on 12 September 2012, creating a hive of interest from the technologically-minded public. Here, we take a look at the new and improved aspects of the ever-popular iPhone, and consider whether, on balance, it lives up to its hype. Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:00:00 GMT Mobile Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/B2B-Marketing-Tips-not-to-Ignore-Part-1 http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/B2B-Marketing-Tips-not-to-Ignore-Part-1 Marketing in general encompasses two main types: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B). Whilst the former is generally considered to be easier to achieve than the latter, as it’s based to some extent on emotion, this can apply to B2B marketing too. Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:16:45 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/An-Alternative-Copywriting-Glossary http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/September-2012/An-Alternative-Copywriting-Glossary It’s happened to us all. You’re in a meeting and someone’s using terms and acronyms you’ve never heard of before…but you’re too afraid to ask what they mean. But help is at hand. The next time you meet to discuss a copywriting project, just grab this glossary, and relax in the knowledge that you know your CMS from your elbow. Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:39:50 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/August-2012/Cliche-proof-copywriting-110-percent-guaranteed http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/August-2012/Cliche-proof-copywriting-110-percent-guaranteed It’s a tricky business trying to write copy that stands out. But please - I implore you! - be watchful, be wary. Because it’s a terribly slippery slope. Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:55:21 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/The-First-Truly-Digital-Olympics http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/The-First-Truly-Digital-Olympics Great Britain may not be setting records alight at the games but one thing that has struck me and made me very proud to be British is the BBC's massive digital broadcasting and streaming solution for the Olympics. Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:23:40 GMT Interface Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/This-weeks-web-inspirations-and-discoveries http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/This-weeks-web-inspirations-and-discoveries This week, I bring you; an incredible video crowdsourcing app, some beautiful and clever art, a photoshop tutorial fest, a compilation of the elusive half-decent script fonts, amazing street art, digital art from google and a wealth of inspiration. Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:27:41 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/Creating-Effective-Landing-Pages-for-your-Website http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/July-2012/Creating-Effective-Landing-Pages-for-your-Website The goal of a landing page is to keep the visitor on the page and on the website and get them to take a desired action. Therefore a landing page should be significantly engaging and clearly signposted so the user knows what they need to do. Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:26:49 GMT Web Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/An-app-a-day-keeps-the-stress-at-bay http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/An-app-a-day-keeps-the-stress-at-bay Do you believe that apps are here to stay or will another form of technology over turn them and improve our lives even more? Do you believe that apps are even an improver or do you find them a hindrance to everyday life? Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:33:52 GMT Mobile Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/Are-videos-becoming-over-utilised http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/Are-videos-becoming-over-utilised Whilst the ‘guru’s’ and musicians all take their piece of the video pie, what are companies actually doing to make sure that they are also a part of the video sphere? Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:06:11 GMT Video http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/Marketing-on-a-budget-harvesting-ROI http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/Marketing-on-a-budget-harvesting-ROI Trying to get the best value for money and knowing how to invest your cash can be one of the biggest challenges you face as a marketer, but get it right and what you can achieve on even the smallest of budgets can give you a bountiful harvest. Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:48:49 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/printed-media-augmented-by-social-media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/June-2012/printed-media-augmented-by-social-media Magazines have seemingly been slow to adopt a fully integrated and functioning online presence. However, recently a couple of my favourite monthly magazines have really got to grips with social media and integrating online content with their actual pages. Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:00:07 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Facebook-Friends-or-Foes http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Facebook-Friends-or-Foes I currently have around 160 friends on Facebook, but at one point it topped 360! Around a year ago I decided that I no longer wanted an old school classmate to see my status updates, as I wanted more privacy (ironic I know). I adopted the mantra of, ‘ if you wouldn’t say hello to them in the street, then delete! ’ Thu, 31 May 2012 15:10:41 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/How-do-you-stop-your-website-being-slippery http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/How-do-you-stop-your-website-being-slippery As digital marketer’s, the royal we, spend a lot of time getting people to our websites. Defining keywords with high traffic and low competition and writing content exploiting those keywords. Tipping our purses into the increasingly rising costs of paid for advertising. And wading through the murky marshes of social media marketing. But getting traffic isn't the end-game. Tue, 29 May 2012 12:51:40 GMT Interface Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Are-you-ready-to-comply-with-the-Cookie-Law http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Are-you-ready-to-comply-with-the-Cookie-Law Are you ready to comply with the new Cookie Law which is set to be enforced on Saturday 26th May 2012. The law looks to stop the use of cookies tracking browsing habits anonymously, without consent. Mon, 21 May 2012 14:24:05 GMT Web Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Maximising-Facebook-Page-Exposure http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Maximising-Facebook-Page-Exposure Are your competitors' Facebook fans going up at a greater rate than yours, then they are probably employing more of the promotional techniques listed below than you. Fri, 18 May 2012 15:08:55 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/most-creative-inspiring-event-this-year http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/most-creative-inspiring-event-this-year I’ve seen from numerous AEO conferences and marketing forums that the most successful case studies often seek inspiration from elsewhere - be it the likes of theme parks, FMCG promotional campaigns or TV programmes. However, I was surprised to find myself fully inspired and bursting with enthusiasm at our Creative Director’s recent wedding. Thu, 17 May 2012 15:21:19 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Use-social-media-to-creatively-market-your-offline http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Use-social-media-to-creatively-market-your-offline A short list of creative methods, using  social media , to promote and market your offline conference , promote sharing of information and word of mouth marketing using the power of a comprehensive social media marketing campaign. Tue, 15 May 2012 16:51:27 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/The-importance-of-quality-content-for-your-learnin http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/The-importance-of-quality-content-for-your-learnin Harrington McDermott discuss rapid eLearning development tools and the importance of quality content for your learning project. After all, quality content dictates how good the end results are. Mon, 14 May 2012 15:29:12 GMT Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Do-you-rely-on-online-reviews-to-make-purchase-dec http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/May-2012/Do-you-rely-on-online-reviews-to-make-purchase-dec Consumer behaviour has undoubtedly changed with the accession of social media and consumer recommendation, or when relevant, dissuasion sites. Tue, 08 May 2012 16:02:08 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/April-2012/Is-your-social-media-over-used-but-under-utilised http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/April-2012/Is-your-social-media-over-used-but-under-utilised We have come to rely on social media as a cheap and effective marketing communications tool that promises to yield miracle results. there is still an element of misunderstanding as to what it all means. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:24:48 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Assets/Pages/Out-of-Bounds/April-2012/Out-of-Bounds http://hm-marketing.com/Assets/Pages/Out-of-Bounds/April-2012/Out-of-Bounds Out of Bounds Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:44:46 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/April-2012/Weekly-inspirations-2 http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/April-2012/Weekly-inspirations-2 Here are some gems I found whilst stumbling the internet this week (in my spare time of course) that I just had to share with you! Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:33:31 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/This-weeks-little-excitements http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/This-weeks-little-excitements I am constantly stumbling upon new websites, articles, softwares etc that get me all excited and now I want to share my experiences with your good selves. So here are my first selection of things that have been making me smile this week. Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:12:33 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/New-Site-Feature-Coming-Soon http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/New-Site-Feature-Coming-Soon Out of Bounds is an Inbound marketing excercise by us. We will be publishing weekely cartoons drawn exclusively for us by the legendary Dave Chisholm of Sunday Times fame. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:49:57 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Pinterest-it-s-for-girls-and-is-a-passing-fad http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Pinterest-it-s-for-girls-and-is-a-passing-fad I am clearly male and I am spiraling into obsession with this new social network. Personal uses aside, I think if your business is remotely visual or creative, then  Pinterest  will interest you!  Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:00:19 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Brighton-a-positively-distracting-city http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Brighton-a-positively-distracting-city I love Brighton. As a creative, I can't think of anywhere else I have been that offers such a dense pool of design inspiration. Thanks to Brighton's massive design, arts, digital and crafts communities, every jaunt into town will present something that amazes or catalyses an idea or two. Anything goes in Brighton, and nothing appears out of the ordinary. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:51:01 GMT Graphic Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Optimising-your-business-for-local-search-traffic http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/Optimising-your-business-for-local-search-traffic When targeting local traffic, a bit of local SEO can have a huge impact on a websites ranking. Local search is easier to get and does not require the time investment that a broader target does. Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:35:56 GMT Search Engines http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/What-to-Look-For-in-an-Inbound-Marketing-Article http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/March-2012/What-to-Look-For-in-an-Inbound-Marketing-Article As inbound marketing becomes increasingly important in drawing visitors to a website and keeping them there, it's important to know what to look for in an effective inbound marketing article. The right article will produce the desired results, whereas the wrong type of article can result in search ranking penalties, lost customer interest, and a damaged reputation. So, what should an inbound marketing article look like? Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:51:41 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Shall-we-develop-mobile-apps-or-mobile-sites http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Shall-we-develop-mobile-apps-or-mobile-sites Mobile sites may now offer much of the same functionality to the user as specialised apps have provided in the past. Now, the question becomes, “Shall we develop mobile apps or mobile sites for our brand or purpose?”  Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:14:26 GMT Mobile Marketing http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Don-t-over-automate-your-social-network-activity http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Don-t-over-automate-your-social-network-activity Because it’s a frantic marketplace and the blogosphere stands still for no-one, it can be very tempting for businesses to automate their social networking workloads. And there is an ever increasing range of software hitting the market that will allow you to build automatic schedules of tweets, post those tweets to your facebook and linkedIn profiles etc and generally help you manage your social activity.  Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:40:21 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Managing-Negative-Sentiment-in-Social-Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Managing-Negative-Sentiment-in-Social-Media As part of your digital marketing strategy, make sure that you’re finding out about negative feedback at the same time, or quicker, than the rest of the digital world. It’s fairly easy to set up digital feeds that will scan the blogosphere and feed comments back to you.  Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:46:53 GMT Social Media http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Securing-Your-WordPress-Installation http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Securing-Your-WordPress-Installation WordPress is one of the most widely used content management systems on the web now, but is your site secure? Here are some helpful tips to ensure that your WordPress installation is as secure as possible. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT Web Design http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Why-you-can-no-longer-ignore-YouTube-and-Video-Mar http://hm-marketing.com/Blog/February-2012/Why-you-can-no-longer-ignore-YouTube-and-Video-Mar The main reason why video marking is so important to marketers is because it allows them to connect with their customers on a deeper level. Every day, internet users are bombarded with thousands of advertisements via email, banners and pop-ups. Eventually, the average user becomes accustomed to these distractions and learns to selectively “tune them out”. What makes video marketing so unique is that it stands out against the traditional text-based forms of advertising. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:48:57 GMT Video