I love the expression “Social Media Expert”! I’m one, and you probably are too, but this most recent contribution to new media is barely at walking stage yet, so the true pioneers are yet to be identified.

What we would all probably agree with though is that an effective Social Media strategy will result in an upturn in quantifiable results. Not necessarily just income, but new opportunities to progress in your chosen field of work. It all leads to revenue of course, but to measure the success of your Social Media strategy it is essential that you understand the importance of brand marketing, awareness and true engagement with your audience.

The common objective for some is to get out there and connect with as many people as possible. I’m not knocking that approach but surely with no defined strategy as to whom you would like to engage with, and vice versa, this process will lead to lots of connections / followers / fans and far too much information coming in that is of no importance or relevance.

Word of Mouth is probably the best way of creating a good following, this confirms that your output is relevant and communications with peers is valued. This is where the numbers game comes into play, instead of feeling good about yourself because you have a staggering amount of connections and followers – connect only with people close to your own market and immerse yourself in meaningful discussion that will propel your business forwards.

I always look to see if there is disparity between followers and followings on Twitter profiles, it is always a good guide as to whether the person is a connection hound, or someone who is adding real value to their chosen market and articulating their thoughts through social media. Lists are also a good indicator of true exponents in the art of effective social media interaction, this is only where the higher number can truly represent someone worth following.

Ultimately I have found, thus far, that to gain value from all the major Social Media platforms it is better to build your reputation over time. Build meticulously and don’t worry about the big numbers straight away. Address your market with knowledgeable insight, communicate helpful sources of information and add a little humour and the numbers will look after themselves.

Ashley Seddon

ashley.seddon@digitalpersonnel.co.uk

What a whirlwind start to the New Year! Digital Personnel has been literally “snowed in” with requests from our clients looking to bolster their teams with digital media talent.

Signs are good for this year, 2009 was tough for a lot of people but we are on the long road to recovery so even though the steps may be small, at least they are in the ascendancy once more!

Digital Media was not hit too hard, but it was interesting to note that although the biggest agencies in this space increased their incomes last year, profits were down. Efficient business units will be the aim this year, not necessarily along the lines of cutting costs, just getting full value from each and every employee. As a recruitment business this is mission critical, that we supply talented individuals with a passion and determination to succeed so that our clients get an even greater return on their investment.

For potential candidates it is clear that whatever the level of opportunity there will be quality competition for all roles. Therefore your demonstrable skills are unlikely to be enough, you will need to have a real desire and show this to the employer, making the interview process even more important.

I expect more urgency from employers this year. It was interesting to note that a recent placement here at Digital Personnel was completed in just one day! The process of interview(s) to offer is typically 1 – 2 weeks, however a respected client of ours recognised the importance of securing the services of a real talent within the Search Marketing arena immediately. A morning interview was followed by a second interview in the afternoon and an offer being made by early evening. The candidate was so impressed with their professionalism that the offer was accepted and a start date agreed before Eastenders! I think this is an example of the need for employers to act fast when a candidate ticks all the boxes.

Another significant event early this year involved a large global corporation and their decision to increase the salary range for a particular role. After a round of interviews it was apparent that more experience was going to be required for immediate value to be added to the role and instead of asking for more candidates at the same salary level, a decision was made quickly to raise the salary band and therefore freeing up a whole new selection of candidates. This pro-active mentality will enable businesses to attract the very best talent, therefore giving the company the best chance of seeing those profits rise.

Ashley Seddon

ashley.seddon@digitalpersonnel.co.uk

The people speak out often, they ring radio shows, they march through the streets of London, they climb to the top of significant buildings – but now the people have realized the power of Social Media!

The Christmas No. 1 in Britain is of course a totally trivial matter, it’s not life or death and it is not going to improve peoples lives, but what we have seen over the last week is the true influence Social Media has on a very public stage. From just two people and a Facebook page, a whole media machine has been beaten – proving that the public need not be dictated to and that the media can now be controlled directly by the consumer.

Rage Against The Machine are Number 1 at Christmas!! What an inspired choice of song to back. I can’t think of anything less typically festive and the polar opposite of a drippy, lazy cover version from a talent show winner.

However, this post is not about the merits of either song, or particularly about why this battle for the top of the charts has created so much interest.

It is how.

The internet is now recognised as the leading source of all media, exemplified by the fact that all other forms of media can be integrated into it. In 10 years time will we really need any other source? The fact that digital media can be utilized directly by anyone, wherever they are based, is an exciting thought – no longer do we need to gain acceptance from media owners before our ideas can be put to the masses. Get your ideas on Facebook, publicise it on Twitter, expand your audience through MySpace and back it up on LinkedIn. There are so many sources available that if you use the platforms correctly and you have a creative vision that will inspire others, you will get noticed.

This is what is exciting about what happened late yesterday afternoon. Just two people managed to humiliate a huge money-making corporation into thinking again about what the public want – if we don’t like it we will not be spoon-fed, we will do it our way.

So well done to all involved and I look forward to humming “Killing in the Name” over the next couple of weeks!

Ashley Seddon
ashley.seddon@digitalpersonnel.co.uk

3 months until the end of the year!

Scary thought – it doesn’t seem that long ago since we were dismantling the Christmas tree and boxing up the decorations for another year.

2009 has quickly raced along and it feels like the digital media industry has been too busy evolving to take stock of the recession.

Only this morning (30/9) it has been reported that Internet Advertising has finally exceeded that of its closest competitor, TV. But what are we to make of this progress?

Is it because of the current economic climate that digital media has excelled, and the more cost-effective way of keeping your brand in the spotlight is the reason digital has flourished this year? Should we be thankful for the recession? Crazy I know but it may have helped company marketing gurus to focus their attentions on the possibilities within easily monitored online marketing strategies, as opposed to expensive TV ads that are difficult to measure conversions by.

The year has seen redundancies within the digital space and agencies have suffered but overall the industry seems to be in good shape. I spend a lot of time talking with business owners and the consensus of opinion is positivity and excitement for the future.

Recruitment wise there has been a lot of movement, particularly at senior level, however I expect 2010 to be about building effective business units both in-house and agency-side. Therefore expect particular activity across design and development based skills. Strategy, implementation, insight and analysis will also be in demand so keep sharpening those skills as next year could be a good time for career advancement. Mobile will also develop further as finally the public is awakening to the great advances in this market, check the Android 1.6 release as an example. Also keep an eye out for augmented reality – search it on Google and see for yourself.

It appears that recruiters have been sensible too, those that work in the marketing, creative and technical sectors seem to be still around and adding value – possibly with more streamlined teams but positioned and ready for bigger demand around the corner.

Digital Personnel is an agency that has been prudent through the last year and by building communities on various social media platforms is perfectly placed to quickly and effectively identify talent from across the digital landscape.

Let’s see 2009 off in style and look forward to further growth through 2010.

Ashley Seddon

ashley.seddon@digitalpersonnel.co.uk

Digital Media is truly international, there is a reason why the internet is classed as the world wide web! But what geographical areas are adding the value, and where are the real innovators based?

In the UK most will go for London, understandably. The big media agencies and niche digital businesses can all be found here with the vast majority of the talent right on the doorstep. London is a great place for digital too, the culture, environment and passion for digital media fits the modern day profile of the big city.

Outside of London it becomes less clear.

In my own experience I started to recruit for digital media companies in Bristol. I recall an agency based right in the middle of the city that was particularly involved in early formats of football club websites – no interaction with fans or on demand videos in those days! There was a real buzz about Bristol and I quickly established relationships with similar agencies who were really embracing digital technologies and looking for new ways to gain greater exposure for brands online. For this reason I have always had an affection for the region when it comes to business, but I get a sense that progress has slowed in recent years.

Having recruited out of Birmingham for most of my career you would expect the “second city” to also be a favourite. Although I appreciate there are some good brands and real innovators that work in and around the West Midlands, for real presence within the online community it has always been left behind by its biggest rival, Manchester! Without mentioning any names directly there are some big players in Manchester and also some key branches of some of the larger businesses operating from London. Creative, technical and strategic skills are often sought and the population around the North West generally delivers with innovative and entrepreneurial skills. Birmingham could be on the verge of challenging though as I am personally working with companies that have relocated from the South East with a preference for repopulating their business in this area.

A mention should also go to Leeds, an area that has seen real improvement over recent years and can now support a modern industry such as digital media. Further north we have Edinburgh, also a fundamental player within the UK digital market and home to some key online marketing talent. This is a cultural city that attracts some great conceptual design but strategic online marketing also has a place in this region.

Honourable mentions also to Cambridge, particularly strong in technical development and smaller towns in the Home Counties that tend to attract the smaller digital agencies that offer a less corporate appeal.

Internationally the States is an obvious one, just look at all the activity generated within Social Media for proof, and Asia from a development perspective. European countries are getting onboard the digital bandwagon, with my favourite being the Netherlands at the moment.

Do you agree with any of the locations I’ve mentioned or feel there should be another area deserving of praise? I would be interested in hearing from people who can be a real advocate for their region and so offer an insiders view.

Ashley Seddon

ashley.seddon@digitalpersonnel.co.uk