Archive for January 2011
Gong Xi Fa Cai!!
If you have broken your New Year’s resolutions already, do not fear, you have a second chance. Chinese New Year starts on Thursday 3rd of February, so make some more, and try and stick to them this time!
Living in Singapore is interesting and full of different cultures. The Chinese New Year approaches and we see the end of the year of the Tiger, and the beginning of the year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is the fourth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, and is considered a lucky sign – good thing for my baby (due in July 2011). Rabbits are private and introverted individuals, but they do enjoy the company of good friends, and are generally seen as friendly. The year of the rabbit is a year in which to catch your breath and calm your nerves. This year is a time for negotiation, but not a time to force issues. Focus on home, family and security.
The Rabbit is a symbol of the Moon. The peacock is the symbol of the sun, and together these two animals represent the start of day and night, Yin and Yang of life. The Moon is Yin, and this is the Yin of heaven, symbolising Magic. On the night of each full moon this year, you should go into your garden and gaze into the full moon, and visualise plenty Moon Dust and Moon Glow, filling you with light and granting you fearlessness, love and courage. This will strengthen your inner “Chi” energy, and will also bring wisdom into your life!
Cake Club: Girl fight!
Chun Li vs Cammy, Cheetara vs She-Ra, Casey vs Jana. Of all the great girl-on-girl clashes in history, this one was surely the greatest to occur on January 24th, 2011. And that’s not hyperbole. Both of this week’s contestants have a dramatic history with Cake Club. Jana stormed into last year’s quarter finals before her over-ambitious banana based treats lost out to a classic Victoria sponge. On the other hand Casey.. oh yeah, Casey was disqualified for being a terrible cheat and colluding with her opponent to bring the competition into permanent disrepute.
BUT NO MATTER. Like the Christian church, Cake Club is a forgiving institution which places the joy of competition higher in its list of lofty, civilisation-promoting aims than the persecution of a wayward member for one silly, rash mistake committed in the flush of eager youth. This year we permitted Casey to re-enter, although vigorous anti-fraud operatives from HM Government were enlisted to check her entry carefully for any signs of untoward tampering.
But enough of this ancient history: on to the entries!
Job Vacancy: PR & Social Media Manager
We’re looking for a PR & Social Media Manager with a strong background in B2B Comms to work on the unique Powwownow brand. We’re looking for a talented candidate who knows PR, has a creative approach to strategy and is passionate about Social Media and how to use it to create buzz around brands and campaigns both online and offline.
The role combines blending PR and Social Media into our corporate communication stategy, and allows space to experiment with platforms to amplify those messages, focused on managing the brand’s reputation online. Being a telco company, an understanding of the tech industry would be preferred. You’ll be joining a young, passionate team who bring a sense of humour and enthusiasm to the industry.
Cake Club, 17th January
Now, I’m not going to lie to you. Last year, John’s cake was.. semantically challenged. Not because he’s a Geordie and nobody can understand him, but because his entry was, well, not the cakeiest thing ever served. In fact it was more of a cross between soup and a 1970′s party dip. But what to dip in it? This year, he provided the answer.
John's "Puppy **** in the snow"on the left and Nicole's almond and apple sponge on the right
Google Adwords Creating Compelling Ad Text
Posted by Staff in Guides & Useful Info on 17th January 2011
Creating compelling ad text is one of the most important aspects of any PPC campaign, without good text you’re not making the most out of your money. The ad text should meet two main goals, getting searchers to click and then to convert. Your ad text is your chance to tell customers what your product or service is about and why it’s better than the competition. Here are a few tips on how to best optimize your ad copy
Analyse the competition
This should be the first step in developing your ad text. Get a list together of the top 10 players in your industry. Look at what their ads are saying, what do they say about their product or service, what don’t they say, what are their main calls to action and most importantly is there anything you can say which differentiates you from the competition.
Be clear and concise
Your ad text acts as your businesses shop window you must communicate your product or service clearly. The ad your customer sees should relate to the keyphrase they searched for e.g if someone searches for “leather boots” they should see “leather boots” in your ad headline. It’s also good practice to include the main keyphrase in the copy as well as in the headline. This draws the searches eyes to your ad and increases the chance of a click and conversion. Use the research you conducted to help you stand out from the rest, explain the unique qualities of your service or product e.g “Free Delivery”, “24 hour Customer Service”, “Free Trail”, “50% off RRP”, etc…
Christmas Cake Clubs!
Cake Club has been a little under-represented on the blog recently due to a staffing issue. First of all founding organiser Louise departed for pastures new (surely not solely because she got knocked out of the tournament, but one draws one’s own conclusions) and then half the office went on holiday because of some nonsense or other called “Christmas”. Clearly the level of commitment has sagged. And what a shame because the round of the 22nd of December was a corker!
Simon's fruity offering on the left and Aurelie's festive log on the right