BrandMag | Issue 4 | Jun 2016 by BrandMag

Online marketing magazine for SMEs

BRANDMAG ISSUE 04 | JUNE 2016

Unsure where to start with social media? GET ON BOARD WITH OUR TOP TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Around the world in 30 days with

TIM KENNEDY Should we stay or should we go? HAVE YOU MADE YOUR MIND UP YET FOR THE EU REFERENDUM?

FIND OUT HOW GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR TIM KENNEDY MANAGES HIS BUSY SCHEDULE, NO MATTER WHERE IN THE WORLD HE MAY BE.

HEY

ENTREPRENEUR this one's for you.

www.brandlective.com info@brandlective.com +44 (0) 207-407-2672 So you’re an entrepreneur? Good work. Then you’ll want to know how to maintain your online brand! (Nobody wants a messy online appearance). Did you know the way people view your brand will have a direct impact on how successful you are? So it is time to take control! If you’re not sure where to start, never fear, Brandlective Communications is here! We offer an online reputation management service which will guarantee increased success for your brand! Interested? Why wouldn’t you be? It’s your business after all! Get in touch today for more information on how we can help you.

BRANDMAG

BRANDMAG ISSUE 4 | JUNE 2016

EDITORIAL Stacey Kehoe - Editor stacey@brandlective.com Megan Paynter - Editorial Assistant megan@brandlective.com Zenya Smith - Content Editor zenya@brandlective.com Alex Obertelli - Picture Editor alex@brandlective.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Rachel Pottle - Graphic Designer rachel@brandlective.com

CONTRIBUTORS Vicky Shaw vicky@brandlective.com Matt Stewart

FROM THE EDITOR Summer is here, and I find myself struggling between the temptation to travel to new and exotic places and sticking to my New Year resolutions which are very business focused. I have come to the conclusion that any worthwhile goal requires a level of dedication and sacrifice. So how do you find your balance between work and the rest of your life? In this edition of BrandMag we have featured Tim Kennedy, a busy entrepreneur who runs businesses across the globe and offers us all some helpful, constructive and inspiring advice to ensure we can all achieve our goals even when time is precious, demands are high and reserves are low.

Kirsty Pennal Tim Kennedy

ADVERTISING Megan Paynter - Advert Design megan@brandlective.com

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to thank all of our readers for their messages of support and their unrelenting interest in our social media features. To meet your demands you will not only find some helpful advice for LinkedIn but also an essential mini social media guide which should keep you on track until our next edition.

STACEY KEHOE - EDITOR

If you are interested in advertising in the next edition of BrandMag, please contact us at sales@brandlective.com for more information about our advertising rates.

CONTACT BRANDLECTIVE Email: info@brandlective.com Phone: +44 0207-407-2672 Address: 73b Weston Street, London Bridge SE1 3RS

BRANDMAG

12. AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 DAYS WITH TIM KENNEDY

6. BREXIT OR BREMAIN? Thursday 23rd June 2016 will see the people of Britain voting in an EU referendum that will ask the question, should we stay as part of the European Union or should we leave?

16. THE BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO LONDON The UK’s capital city has been ranked as the most innovative city for the second year in a row, making it very clear that London’s immense presence on the global stage is only set to gravitate towards further success.

16. 4

CON

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 8. THE ESSENTIAL SOCIAL MEDIA MINI TRAINING GUIDE For a small business with limited resources and experience, navigating the ever-changing world of social media can be near impossible. So to help new business owners get a grip on social media we have released this easy-to-follow guide.

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10. SEO 101: GOOGLE’S LATEST UPDATE New title and description lengths for Google SEO and the increased width of main search results columns has sparked many of us digital marketers to ask, What is Google up to now?

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11. HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR LIFE Matt Stewart - award winner and CEO of successful sales firm Atlas Outsourcing - has recently taken to sharing his thoughts on the business world and other areas on his blog, LifeasaCEO.co.uk

18. LINKEDIN: HOW TO BECOME A LEADER IN YOUR FIELD To help you become a LinkedIn leader and make the platform work for your business, we’ve put together this helpful guide.

20. 6 BLOGS EVERY ENTREPRENEUR SHOULD READ As a leading business owner, Kirsty Pennal understands the importance of continuously developing new skills. Find out which 6 blogs she recommends every entrepreneur should read!

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20. HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT FLYER How exactly do you make your flyer stand out from the rest of the advertising noise that consumers are subjected to on a daily basis? Read our guide for all the top industry tips and tricks.

ONTENTS

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BREXIT OR SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO? THURSDAY 23RD JUNE 2016 WILL SEE THE PEOPLE OF BRITAIN VOTE IN AN EU REFERENDUM THAT WILL ASK THE QUESTION, ‘SHOULD WE STAY PART OF THE EUROPEAN UNION OR SHOULD WE LEAVE?’ A REFERENDUM IS A VOTE IN WHICH EVERYONE OF VOTING AGE CAN TAKE PART IN (AS LONG AS THEY ARE REGISTERED) BY GIVING A YES OR NO ANSWER TO A QUESTION. WHICHEVER SIDE GETS MORE THAN HALF OF ALL VOTES CAST IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE WON. Words by Vicky Shaw

he people of Britain have not had a say about the country’s part in the EU since 1975, when we voted to stay in the EU in a referendum, so it’s a big deal; especially to small and medium sized businesses in Britain. Since no country has ever actually done it, it is very difficult to predict the exact implications that leaving the EU will have on Britain.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LEAVING?

“

Those campaigning for a Brexit believe that leaving the EU would result in an immediate cost-saving for the Government as well as increase the possibility of tax reductions across the UK, as Britain would no longer be feeding money to the EU. The EU is often considered to be responsible for unnecessary red tape, making it more difficult and expensive for British businesses to operate as they would like. Leaving the EU would also allow the UK Government to free up some of these regulations, which could make life a lot easier for smaller, more cash-strapped businesses. This would leave Britain with the freedom to reinvent itself as a Singapore-style supercharged economy, which has a global network of trading relationships.

IN 2015, THE UK PAID A NET £8.5BN OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EU, MAKING IT THE THIRD BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR BEHIND GERMANY IN FIRST PLACE AND FRANCE IN SECOND.

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BREMAIN? “

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STAYING?

THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND SAYS THE EU IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST ECONOMY WITH A NOMINAL GDP OF €18.5BN (£14.6BN, $20.2BN) FOR ALL 28 ECONOMIES COMBINED.

Those campaigning for Britain to remain as part of the EU believe that the country gets a big boost from its membership. These boosts include the ease of trade for businesses between EU member states, ease of migration flows many of whom are young and keen to work which fuels Britain’s economic growth - helps to pay for our public services and helps our small business economy to flourish. In addition, those wanting Britain to stay believe that our status in the world would be damaged if we left, because we are much more secure as part of the 28 nation club rather than choosing to go it alone.

ll in all, it’s uncertain times for the future of Britain’s part in the EU and the country is likely to see a slow down in inward investment in the run-up to the vote, due to the uncertainty of the outcome and its consequences

Obama warns Britain not to rush into a ‘hasty divorce’ with Europe, because a postEU Britain would be at ‘the back of the queue’ if it sought to agree its own, new trade treaty with the US. Obama crushed a core part of the leavers’ economic argument – that it’ll be a breeze for Britain to exit the EU and trade just as prosperously as a solo nation.

Boris Johnson Vote Leave Boris is one of the main standard bearers of the Brexit flag, and claims leaving the EU would be ‘as if the jailer had accidentally left the jail door open and people can see the sunlit land beyond’. Between 15 and 50 per cent of UK legislation now comes from the EU - a figure he believes to be hugely concerning – even likening the EU’s aims to Hitler’s bid to unite Europe.

Barack Obama Vote Stay

WHAT DO THE PUBLIC FIGURES THINK? Alan Sugar Vote Stay He’s known for being straight to the point, so it’s no surprise that The Apprentice host summed up his stance on the EU referendum in the one worded tweet ‘in’. Sugar spoke out against Scottish independence during the 2014 referendum, and the ‘Bremain’ camp will be thanking its lucky stars to have such a high profile household name on its side.

7 © NITO / SHUTTERSTOCK

BRANDMAG

UNSURE WHERE TO START WITH SOCIAL MEDIA?

The Essential Mini Social Media Training Guide FOR A SMALL BUSINESS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCE, NAVIGATING THE EVERCHANGING WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. TO HELP NEW BUSINESS OWNERS GET A GRIP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND UNDERSTAND HOW IT COULD BENEFIT THEIR ORGANISATION, I HAVE RELEASED THE FOLLOWING SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING GUIDE.

hilst it’s no secret for SMEs, social media can return unprecedented results in terms of brand reach and customer loyalty. For those who have limited resources or have not had a previous online presence, the task of taking on social media can be a little overwhelming. It can also be tough to know where to start, with many SMEs unclear on where to invest the majority of their online marketing budget and confused as to which platforms they should be using in order to scale up efficiently.

lthough the world of social media may feel like a minefield, there are concentrated, methodical steps professionals can take to ensure they take the right approach for their business. To start off on the right track, I have offered the following essential guide to social media training. Words by Zenya Smith

1 2 3 Setting Up Ads

Just like any form of advertising, engaging with consumers through social media requires some level of market research. To test the water and understand what consumers are drawn to, SMEs should test a handful of different images and marketing copy to identify which receives the greatest engagement and interaction on social platforms from each of their target demographics. Using desktop applications to track location, time and consumer interests can also help a business to deliver more targeted adverts, and therefore more impactful social media advertising.

Facebook Custom Tabs & Landing Pages

Facebook is currently evolving some great applications and features to support the growth of SMEs on their platform from ecommerce storefronts, to tabs such as ‘subscribe’ or ‘enter our competition’; both of which allow for onsite conversion opportunities. To get the most from these features SMEs need to be testing them in the same way they test their ads, by putting out a range of copy, call to actions and images to assess which receives the most audience interest and interaction. It’s also important to use high quality images with less than 20% text so that users can seamlessly transition from ad to tab or page destination.

A/B Testing

When weighing up variables and testing the water in terms of audience preference, it’s important to only test ONE variable at a time, or SMEs could run the risk of muddling up data and confusing their results. For example, if testing calls to actions, brands could run an image with a designated call to action button to clearly determine which receives a higher click rate, as opposed to testing multiple variables simultaneously.

ÂŠ MACROVECTOR / SHUTTERSTOCK

BRANDMAG

DID YOU KNOW? In 2015 social networks earned an estimated from advertising.

$8.3 billion

78 percent of people who complain to a brand via Twitter expect a response within an hour.

55-64

People aged are more than twice as likely to engage with branded content than those 28 or younger

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Google’s

Latest Update

©TWIN DESIGN / SHUTTERSTOCK

THE INCREASED WIDTH OF GOOGLE’S SEARCH RESULTS COLUMN HAS SPARKED MANY OF US DIGITAL MARKETERS TO ASK, WHAT IS GOOGLE UP TO NOW?

f you haven’t given your title and description meta tags some love lately, it might be a good thing you procrastinated. The SEM Post revealed there are new title and description lengths in the Google Search Results. In a major redesign of the search results appearance, Google has significantly increased the width of the column in the main search results column, impacting everything Google displays in that column.

he space used for the organic search results is now 600 pixels wide, compared to the old 500 pixels. The amount of whitespace between the results and features in the right sidebar has decreased by 5 pixels, from 65 pixels to only 60.

SO WHAT DOES THIS CHANGE MEAN? With the shift in width, it could actually move search results higher on the pages, if some of the multiline listings end up needing one less line. Many of the features in the main search results column are reduced in height, meaning that some organic results, depending on the particular search query, could be pushed up on the page. This is great news, especially for those who were disappointed when Google changed the search results to add 4 AdWords ads at the top of the results page.

IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS UPDATE IS IN A ‘TEST PHASE’ SO GOOGLE COULD ROLL IT BACK AT ANY TIME!

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how to maximise

YOUR LIFE

Words by Alex Obertelli

magine what a boost in motivation and confidence it could be to read about the kind of problems they have not only faced – but also dealt with successfully? Matt Stewart - award winner and CEO of successful sales firm Atlas Outsourcing - has recently taken to sharing his thoughts on the business world and other areas on his blog, LifeasaCEO.co.uk. Whether you are intrigued about life as a CEO, harbor fears of failure or you simply lack confidence - LifeasaCEO.co.uk will provide specific actions you can take to improve your individual situation.

©THINK HEADSHOT

EVERYONE’S READ THE ‘HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST MILLION’ GUIDES FROM THE KIND OF CEOS, ENTREPRENEURS AND MULTI-MILLIONAIRES THAT DEMAND MONETARY NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS, BUT WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO HAVE THE REAL-TIME THOUGHTS OF A GENUINE CEO AT HAND?

att Stewart will be releasing a 10 part series called: How to Maximise Your Life on his LifeasaCEO blog, and will provide subject matter each week covering career guidance, personal development, networking advice and wellbeing. MATT STEWART Stewart believes that sharing these intimate opinions and thoughts could help fast track others to success by opinions, diverse people and experiences. LifeasaCEO outlining the pitfalls to avoid when faced with a certain situation. enables me to relay my information and thoughts to everyone,” states the business owner.

“

NEVER LEAVE FOR LATER WHAT YOU COULD START TODAY

he series is designed to help business owners think bigger, more honestly, and to take action towards their personal and professional goals. “This blog is for individuals that strive to achieve more, and are willing to go the extra mile, but need some direction or a place to start from - much like I did when I was searching for guidance,” outlines the award winning CEO. “Due to working in a people-based industry, I understood that with an ever growing business, I would be exposed to different

tewart reveals that although the focus is around business, ultimately, the blog will be relevant to anyone that wants to develop and train their mindset, as well as shape a path to achieving personal goals. “It doesn’t matter what background you come from, or your education level, the information I relay is relatable to everyone!”

TO GET INVOLVED WITH MR. STEWART’S BLOG, HEAD TO LIFEASACEO.CO.UK AND SUBSCRIBE TO HIS PAGE!

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Around the world 30 days WITH TIM KENNEDY

“I’M ALWAYS TRAVELLING, I LOVE TO BE FREE” - TIM KENNEDY

THE THOUGHT OF RUNNING MULTIPLE BUSINESSES SIMULTANEOUSLY, IN THE WORLD’S MOST COMPETITIVE MARKETS WOULD TERRIFY MOST, BUT FOR ENTREPRENEUR TIM KENNEDY IT IS JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE. OVER THE LAST 14 YEARS KENNEDY HAS BEEN EXPANDING HIS SALES AND MARKETING FIRM LMS THINKING THROUGHOUT THE UK, IRELAND, USA AND AUSTRALIA AND NOW SPENDS MUCH OF HIS TIME WORKING BETWEEN THESE COUNTRIES. HERE, TIM KENNEDY PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT INTO HIS BACKGROUND AND HOW HE MANAGES HIS BUSY SCHEDULE, NO MATTER WHERE IN THE WORLD HE MAY BE. Words by Zenya Smith

ABOUT TIM KENNEDY

rowing up in Australia, Tim Kennedy always planned on seeing the world and began his business journey in London. Working his way up the sales and marketing industry and eventually opening his own outsourced firm, LMS Thinking. By 2012 Kennedy had conquered the UK and Irish markets, offering marketing services in almost every city. It was then that Kennedy set his sights on America and opened his first office in New York. After a successful launch LMS Thinking quickly expanded, opening over 20 locations dotted throughout the East Coast. By early 2013 fuelled by his recent success in America, Tim Kennedy decided to take LMS Thinking to his home country of Australia. The business thrived, and it wasn’t long before Kennedy was able to expand to the country’s 3 largest cities; Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, before heading back to the USA to infiltrate the west coast markets, notably California.

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LA IS A GREAT CENTRAL POINT FOR MY BUSINESS AS IT’S ONLY ONE DIRECT FLIGHT TO LONDON (10.5HRS), NYC (5HRS) OR SYDNEY (14.5HRS).

ue to his widespread business commitments Tim Kennedy often finds himself faced with a jam packed travel schedule. The past 30 days have seen Kennedy travel from Sydney to LA, San Diego, New York and London before returning to LA.

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WHERE HAS TIM KENNEDY TRAVELLED IN THE LAST 30 DAYS?

SYDNEY LOS ANGELES SAN DIEGO NEW YORK LONDON LOS ANGELES

TIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRAVEL DIARY 13 13

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TIM’S TOP 5 LONGHAUL TRAVEL TIPS

Make sure your business is profitable enough to fly you Business Class!!! I’m 6’2, so I get really uncomfortable in the available space in Economy seats. My friends & family think I spend too much money on the flights, but, I wouldn’t be able to function on the ground without sleeping on the plane.

4. 3. 2.

Time your sleep to your destination schedule as best you can and push through the first day.

Pack smart and light. You don’t need 40% of the things you think you do if you get smart with your packing.

Don’t eat and drink everything available or offered to you on the plane or in the business class lounge, your waistline and energy levels will thank you later.

Don’t be shy saying Hi! Some of the most interesting and successful people I’ve met have been at 40,000ft, they are also likely to be people not from your field so are good to give different perspective / views / opinions than you’re used to.

ennedy admits that travelling so much doesn’t work for everyone and that remaining productive when on the road takes an incredible amount of planning and mental strength, especially when so many people rely on you and you re being pulled in 100 different directions. So, you have a strong team in place, what else does Kennedy recommend for productive business travel? “You’ve really got to love what you do, otherwise you’ll end up failing before the first hurdle,” explains Kennedy. “The passion I have for my business allows me to organise my time in such a way that I can maintain a positive work life balance. Last year I learned to surf so making time during my day to do this is important, even if it means hitting the waves at 7am.” Ultimately what Kennedy is saying is that passion is the glue that holds everything together when faced with a hectic schedule. Loving what you do pushes you to get up earlier, prioritise the day and be present in the moment, which leads to better results. Lastly, Kennedy is keen to highlight the importance of mental and physical wellness when faced with a demanding travel schedule: “I make a conscious effort to eat healthily, drink loads of water and

“

FIRST AND FOREMOST IT’S ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT TO BUILD STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS. WHAT I FIND WORKS IS BUILDING A DREAM TEAM. WHEN YOU’RE SPENDING TIME AWAY FROM YOUR BASE, YOU NEED TO HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN THE PEOPLE YOU ARE LEAVING BEHIND, THIS MEANS THAT PRIOR TO YOUR TRAVELS, GET INVOLVED – COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEAM, GET TO KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, VALUES AND AMBITIONS.

work out (surfing and swimming counts) on a regular basis to maintain all round wellness. These positive ‘habits’ help keep my mind sharper, gives me more energy and motivates me to get things done, even after a lengthy flight or little sleep.”

A note from 38,000 ft

BRANDMAG

I’m writing this on a 10.5hr flight from LAX to LHR, which is apt for this article, I guess. I will be in London for 4 days, 3 nights for an annual black tie Sales & Marketing Awards Gala I attend every year, catching up with friends and business partners built up over the 11 years I lived there. Over these 4 days, I’ll have close to 30 separate meetings, breakfasts, lunch meetings and dinner with different groups, some business, some personal, some both. It is amazing for me these days to think about how much I can get done face to face, over just 4 days in one country. Fortunately, real face time can’t be beaten. I started in the sales and marketing industry at 19 years of age, close to 14 years ago now. I landed in London, and started a business development opportunity in the sales and marketing industry where I did 80% of my training in the field. After a year of experience, I was part of the first team of people in the business to enter the Irish market, firstly, Dublin, and then Cork. Glasgow was next (I called ‘The North’ my home for nearly 7 years), before returning to London for 3 years, then Manchester for a year, before heading back to London to begin planning expanding to the US. Next stop, was the East Coast of the US where Manhattan become my base. In 2013, one of my partners asked if I was up for completing the circle (around the world) and opening up in Australia & NZ. I had some great Aussie/Irish/Brits I’d worked with in the UK & Ireland who wanted to make a life in my home country, so I agreed. That experience has been a whole other level of time management & self-sufficiency (but I couldn’t complain living and working on Sydney Harbour and being so close to my family, childhood and university friends). Los Angeles is my latest project and I expect to base myself between LA & Sydney for the next 5 years before deciding where to put down permanent roots. LA is a great central point for my business as it’s only one direct flight to London (10.5hrs), NYC (5hrs) or Sydney (14.5hrs). In my experience, I’ve found over the years, that a change truly is as good as a holiday. I find getting out of the four walls, most of us call our ‘office’, whether across town, across counties, countries and eventually continents really does get you thinking ‘out of the box’. You have to think before you walk into a place that is not your home base, meet people, shake hands, have conversations, explain what you’ve been doing with your time and learn what people in front of you do with theirs. I find I always come back with something I can share and improve in my business or at home.

Tim

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The Business Traveller:

A Guide To

LONDON

FROM UNDERGROUND ROMAN STREETS AND MOLLY HOUSES, TO PLAGUE PITS AND SECRET UNDERGROUND TUBE STATIONS, LONDON IS STEEPED IN HISTORY AND IT’S APPARENT EVERYWHERE YOU GO. BUT PERHAPS MORE INTERESTING IS THAT LONDON IS ALSO RECOGNISED AS A ‘SUPER CITY’. THE UK’S CAPITAL CITY HAS BEEN RANKED AS THE MOST INNOVATIVE CITY FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THAT LONDON’S IMMENSE PRESENCE ON THE GLOBAL STAGE IS ONLY SET TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS FURTHER SUCCESS. © SAMOT / SHUTTERSTOCK

Words by Stacey Kehoe

Network! Successful business owners know meeting new people and networking can do wonders for business growth. London offers loads of networking events so during your visit to London why not allocate some time to building your contacts. Visit: www. findnetworkingevents. com to search for events that are on during your stay.

TOP 3 TIPS! 16

Take a day trip to Windsor In England, we love tea! Castle. We all love the Tea play’s such a huge Royal family so if you part of any person’s can manage a day out of complete London the office visit Windsor, experience that when orbi id pharetra leo. Pellentesque vestibuthe oldest and largest buying remembrance lum arcu est, non gravida massa gravida vel. inhabited castle in the gifts for yourself or for Vivamus at dolor lobortis, placerat erat eget, vulworld which has been your friends, a small putate massa. Proin suscipit tellus facilisis ligula the family home of British pack of tea is always a mattis, a scelerisque tellus ornare. Duis in velit vel kings and queens for good idea. Shop luxury sapien mattis vulputate. Phasellus tristique. almost 1,000 years. It is an speciality teas from official residence of Her Harrods Food Halls in Majesty The Queen and is Knightsbridge. still very much a working royal palace today, home to around 150 people. thriving business hub for startups.

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Recommended App Download Citymapper Citymapper is a free all-in-one Londoncentric app that covers live departure information for all possible modes of transport between two locations, with support for train (Tube and Overground), bus and cycle hire. Walking routes are even included if you want to take the money-saving option. Looking for a cab? Citymapper also features black cab/taxi vs mini cab price comparisons.

WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON?

GETTING AROUND

You can’t get a hotel room much closer to the clouds. Popular due to its extraordinary location The Shangri-La, offers 360-degree views of London. On floors 34 to 52 of Renzo Piano’s Shard, at 1,016ft the tallest building in Western Europe, made up of 11,000 glass panels (which do not touch, allowing the building to “breathe”) with 44 lifts. It takes just 26 seconds to travel from the hotel’s 35th floor lobby, so places of interest nearby, such as Borough Market and Tate Modern, are only minutes away.

The Shangri-La The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9QU

DID YOU KNOW? There are several abandoned Tube stations, many of which are used for filming or private parties, including Strand, closed in 1994; Down Street, closed in 1932; Brompton Road, closed in 1934; and Mark Lane, which is now an All Bar One but was once part of what is now Tower Hill.

n 2014, London was acknowledged by major professional services company, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), as the leader of 30 ‘cities of opportunity’ worldwide, and in the same year attracted more than double the amount of foreign direct investment deals than New York City. London was then announced to be ‘technologically on top of its game’; whilst 2015 saw a wider recognition for the UK capital with its progressions in economics, infrastructural growth and environmental sustainability.

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LINKEDIN:

HOW TO BECOME A LEADER IN YOUR FIELD AS THE LARGEST PROFESSIONAL NETWORK WITH OVER 433 MILLION USERS WORLDWIDE, LINKEDIN HAS SURPRISINGLY HELD ITS OWN AMONG ITS SOCIAL NETWORK COUNTERPARTS. © ARTHURSTOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK

WHY LINKEDIN? Originally dubbed as a platform for professional networking, LinkedIn has grown to become an essential recruitment and search engine optimisation tool. However despite this a staggering 71% of LinkedIn profiles are still incomplete. To help you become a LinkedIn leader and make the platform work for your business, we’ve put together the following guide.

A BRIEF HISTORY... Words by Zenya Smith

ince 2010 LinkedIn has been connecting professionals from across the globe and - thanks to a recent makeover of its core functions and layout - its success shows no sign of slowing. LinkedIn’s unique selling point is that it purposely does less than other social media platforms such as Facebook, and instead offers professionals a safe, controlled environment in which to communicate.

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A STAGGERING 71% OF LINKEDIN PROFILES ARE STILL INCOMPLETE

owever, this simple, streamlined service means that many people are unaware of LinkedIn’s potential goldmine of SEO and brand awareness benefits, so they are not fully utilising the platform.

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TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS BECOME A LINKEDIN LEADER AND DOMINATE YOUR INDUSTRY ONLINE, WE’VE SHARED THE FOLLOWING INSIDER TIPS AND TRICKS.

1. CONTENT IS KEY Once you’ve dipped your toes into the LinkedIn world it doesn’t take long to become slightly overwhelmed with the amount of quality, educational content being shared by users. To stand a chance of attracting visitors to your company page make sure you are creating quality content that is quick to consume, as this will encourage members to share it with their connections and networks. It’s also important to embrace your inner journalist and keep headlines short, snappy and full of keywords. The sheer amount of content being shared through the platform means you only have a matter of seconds to grab people’s attention.

2. INTEGRATE Companies often operate their social media accounts completely separately, which while ensuring the correct audience is being reached, can create a very twodimensional business presence. Don’t be afraid to integrate and cross over from time to time by sharing links to past Facebook and Twitter posts, as this will help visitors get a better sense of your company.

3. USE ANCHOR TEXT IN LINKS Just like your company website, it is crucial to optimise your LinkedIn for search result purposes too. Whether you are trying to boost the ranking of a personal or business profile, every LinkedIn profile can include 3 links within the body of the profile or ‘about’ section. The default options of what you can categorise these links as are limited to “Company Website” and “Blog,” which won’t boost your SEO. The great news is that by selecting the ‘other’ category when adding in links, you can customise the anchor text in your URLs to something more SEO friendly by using a keyword-rich title.

4. MAXIMISE YOUR GROUP MEMBERSHIP Joining and participating in relevant groups is great for building an online network but many are unware that it can also improve your profile’s SEO. The name of the groups you join will automatically appear on your profile or company page, leaving search engines no option but to crawl these keywords and learn more about who you are.

5. CUSTOMISE OR SHORTEN YOUR COMPANY URL Whilst the SEO impacts may be small, editing your company’s LinkedIn URL is core to attracting regular visitors to your profile. Unclaimed URLs appear something like this – www.linkedin.com/645498439323020328u392 which as well as looking extremely unprofessional, are almost impossible to remember. There are a couple of ways to customise or shorten your URL and make it easier to share with potential clients, you can use LinkedIn’s URL Shortening app ‘lnked.in’ which allows you to create a clear URL containing your company name and without those pesky extra numbers and characters. In some cases it is also possible to contact LinkedIn directly, more information on this process can be found in the ‘Updating the URL of your Company Page’ section of the site’s help centre.

FACTS STATISTICS Total number of LinkedIn users:

433

Million Users

Geographical reach of Linkedin:

200

Countries & Territories

Adding a professional photo makes your profile

Times more likely to be found

Listing skills increases your profile views by

times, so do it!

Total number of unique monthly LinkedIn vistors:

106

Million Users

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6EVERY BLOGS

ENTREPRENEUR

SHOULD

FOLLOW BY KIRSTY PENNAL

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AS A LEADING BUSINESS OWNER IN SCOTLAND, KIRSTY PENNAL UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUOUSLY DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS. Words by Megan Paynter

s. Pennal works closely with young leaders within her business and highlights how entrepreneurship and business KIRSTY PENNAL development are subjects she is extremely passionate about and has plenty of experience in. Both personal and business growth are key focuses for Kirsty Pennal who has high hopes of becoming the top performing entrepreneur in her industry.

s a specialist in growth and personal development, Ms. Pennal is always looking for new sources of learning and finds the best ways to keep up to date with industry news and new strategies are to read and follow blogs. Here, Kirsty Pennal has revealed some of the top blogs from fellow entrepreneurs that she enjoys reading:

MARK CUBAN

As an entrepreneur with a catalogue of experience, including time on hit US show Shark Tank, Cuban has become a household name. The tone of the blog is smart, blunt, funny and regularly proposes new ideas. “This blog is particularly good to read as it looks into things going on in the real world from an entrepreneurial perspective,” says Kirsty Pennal.

BRAD FELD

Extremely relevant because it explores the human side of entrepreneurship, Brad Feld’s blog is dedicated to powerful issues like the intersection of entrepreneurship and depression. The venture capitalist offers advice on the difference between empathy and sympathy, and the importance of truthfulness in mentormentee relationships. “I find this particularly helpful as I spend a lot of time mentoring,” reveals Kirsty Pennal.

GARY VAYNERCHUK

GUY KAWASAKI

“After reading Kawasaki’s outstanding seminal books on starting a company, I decided to keep up to date with his blog too. It’s full of great information and is an interesting read,” recommends Kirsty Pennal.

MARK SUSTER

Having founded and sold two companies Suster has done the entrepreneurship dance twice over. Now a seasoned venture capitalist Suster has a unique perspective which he shares willingly on his blog. “I enjoy Mark Suster because he offers exclusive advice on new technologies, which is great to get ahead on, in a world of constant technological innovation,” offers Ms. Pennal.

BRENDON BURCHARD

“My favourite blog was recommended to me by a fellow business owner and is Vaynerchuk’s job description is someone who great for insightful videos on the human builds businesses. That’s what he’s dedicated side of entrepreneurship,” reveals Kirsty Pennal. to and what he does best. “This blog is great for Brendon Burchard offers insightful tips on success, entrepreneurs because, if you are one, you are trying to planning, following intuition, how to avoid being build a business too,” offers Ms. Pennal. overwhelmed by entrepreneurship and much more. These great every day tips are valuable for any business owner. Kirsty Pennal believes that every business owner should follow blogs and read advice from entrepreneurs who have been there and got the t-shirt! “Reading is a valuable way to enhance your knowledge,” offers the leading business owner.

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BRANDMAG

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT

A LOT OF ADVERTISING MEDIUMS TEND TO BE BEYOND THE BUDGET OF MOST SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE SEEKING TO PROMOTE A NEW PRODUCT OR SPECIAL EVENT. FLYERS, HOWEVER, CAN BE AN INEXPENSIVE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WAY OF GRABBING ATTENTION IN A SATURATED MARKETPLACE, ALSO SERVING AS A VERY EFFECTIVE SALES SUPPORT TOOL. Words by Alex Obertelli

ut how exactly do you make your flyer stand out from the rest of the advertising noise that consumers are subjected to on a daily basis? The layout and design of your flyer can impact whether or not your customer decides to read on to find out more information. For this reason, I have decided to outline the main techniques that professional designers use to make their flyers catch the eye of consumers:

HEADING You want a BIG BOLD HEADER that explains the purpose of the flyer and captures the audience’s attention. We’ve discovered that short and snappy often works best.

SUBHEADING Whilst optional, we recommend this detail as it provides a little more insight into the purpose of the heading. This should be longer than your heading but no longer than two sentences, so make sure you get to the point!

DATE If your flyer is advertising an event you will need the date and time. If you are advertising an offer you will need to provide the date of when that offer lasts until. This is extremely important otherwise no one will make use of your offer or turn up to your event!

CONTENT This section will vary and completely depends on the purpose of your flyer or leaflet. Make sure you establish the purpose of your flyer and make this clear to your audience. Are you selling a product? Are you offering a service? Or are you offering advice? Are you addressing an important issue? Or are you advertising an event? This section needs to be as clear as possible but in as little text as possible. Keep it clear, concise and to the point. If you have too much information crammed in for people to read, we’re pretty sure you will see those flyers thrown to the floor around the corner!

SPECIAL OFFERS This might be included in the content section but make sure you highlight any special offers clearly – people love a bargain! This is a great way to capture your audience’s attention so if you are providing a product or service make sure you highlight this visibly on the page and not hidden away in the small print!

BRANDMAG

CALL TO ACTION What are you hoping to achieve after you hand out your flyer? What is the recipient supposed to do with the information you have provided? In most cases it will be to visit a website or a place but it’s vital you make this part clear!

CONTACT How do you want the recipient to find you and contact you? This section is often neglected on flyers and makes the cause seem less credible and often frustrating for consumers who are looking for more information on the event, product, or service. How can a consumer turn up to your event if you haven’t told them where it is? Make sure your flyer includes

your address, website, email address, and links to social media so that your customers know exactly where to find you!

nce you have your information sorted you can start looking into designing your flyer or leaflet. Make sure you stay true to your company’s branding and always include your logo! How your flyer looks is ultimately up to you but make sure it is easy to read, the colours complement each other and that it looks attractive from a consumer’s point of view.

lyers can be a fun way to create a buzz around an event or service that you are offering as long as you cover all the tips above to get your information noticed.

SHOULD I USE PHOTOSHOP OR INDESIGN? Adobe InDesign is my number one tool for designing all things print. However Adobe Photoshop does have its benefits over InDesign for certain tasks that can help you achieve your desired print result. So my advice is to use a combination of both! Based on my experiences, I have shared some of the benefits each programme

INDESIGN Multi-pages: InDesign is the superior choice if you’re making multi-pages. You can navigate through each page, whereas Photoshop is only good if you’re looking to create a single page design.

Typography: InDesign is a specialised publishing tool which allows you to apply an extensive range of typographic effects so that you can maintain consistency throughout your design with ease. Photoshop focuses more on imagery rather than typography.

PHOTOSHOP Creativity: Photoshop offers you more tools to get creative with a range of effects, such as drop shadows, as well as being free to edit images in real time, applying filters and cover overlays. So, for the more creative projects you’d be better off using Photoshop over InDesign!

Layers: Both programmes come with a layer panel but Photoshop is far more superior in this area. The main advantage Photoshop has over InDesign is the ability to view effects as you apply them, and view them again instantly and easily if you come back to your work at a later time.

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DEVELOP AN ONLINE PRESENCE Do you want to get your brand noticed online? Brandlective Communications can help you strengthen your online presence through regular updates on social media and personalised content! Get in touch today to ďŹ nd out how we can help your brand!

info@brandlective.com +44 (0) 207-407-2672

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