If you are using mobile marketing in your business have you considered using augmented reality to engage your audience.

Here are a number of examples from the UK and Ireland of the use of Blippar a mobile app which integrates augmented reality - the first two links take you to the Android and iPhone app store to download the Blippar app to your mobile phone.

[View the story "Blippar Your Brand - Examples Of Using Augmented Reality" on Storify]

Here is an interesting initative that I came across today - the launch of Hireland.ie.

They have established a website and are encouraging small and medium enterprises in Ireland to pledge to create new opportunities.

On their website they published some research that had been undertaken with 150 SME's in Ireland (average number of employees was 36) to ask them about their recruitment plans for 2012 in Ireland. The survey took place between 9-12 January 2012.

I have certainly noticed a lot of new opportunities in the technology sector being announced of late.

Employment opportunties in SME's in Ireland forecast to increase in 2012

The results of the Amarach research are interesting read and not what I expected to find based on the conversations I have had with businesses this year:

• 52% of SMEs plan to hire one or more new employees this year
• Of those planning to hire they expect to recruit 4 new staffSMEs expect to employ an average of 4 new staff.

I personally have not met owners of SME's who have told me that they are planning to increase the number of positions in their organisations, but if research is born ot in new vacancies being created that is going to be great news for employment opportunties in Ireland.

The research also reported that the benefit they were looking forward to was the 'potential for better customer service'. Don't get me started on customer service (or lack of it in many cases). Great customer service is not dependent on number of staff - it's about education, culture and a employing talent in your organisaiton who have a mind set and desire to deliver great service.

But back to Hireland.ie - this is an initiative you can get involved in and pledge your support to increasing employment opportunties - check them out at http://www.hireland.ie.

Speculative job applications can lead the way to unadvertised opportunties

One quick tip for those who are finding it difficult to find an opportunity - don't give up on the speculative enquiries. I recently met with a young graduate who has spent their last 2 years in paid internships.

They wrote a speculative job application to an SME last Summer who were impressed with their experience, held onto their CV and called them for an interview when an opportunity arose in their company.

So yes there are opportunities to be found and more often than not the vacancies are not advertised.

As an ex-boss of mine used to say 'Keep the faith' - in this case with your job search!

If you are a non profit I am sure you are looking for new ways to raise awareness for your organisation and attract volunteers or donations.

Here is a great example of the Anthony Nolan association doing that in the UK.

Over on their Facebook Page they posted this great image of a 'collection box' but designed as a sofa.

They comment that:

• Right now, there’s £42.9m in loose change down the back of the nation’s sofas
• Just think how many lives we could save with that!
• Don’t let your change disappear behind your cushions.

Pop it in a 'Sofa of Change' collection box instead – and help us provide more lifesaving transplants.

I recall the Anthony Nolan association from when I lived in the UK. Their goal is to save the lives of people with blood cancer by matching them to people willing to donate their blood stem cells for lifesaving transplants.

Apparently only 30% of suitable doners can be found within a family. In 2009/10 Anthony Nolan found 937 matches.

You will find the organisation active through social media on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and their blog.

Learn more about their cause through this video - again a great execution explaining how you can become a stem cell donor.

 

 

If you are in the UK and want to get involved as a stem cell donor contact Anthony Nolan at http://www.anthonynolan.org

If you are setting New Year resolutions what will you do to ensure yu increase your chance of success?

Source: Visually

Heading towards the holidays, your office party has taken place, perhaps you are now reviewing how your career progressed in 2011 and what your hopes and aspirations are for 2012?

You might think this is not a good time to search for career opportunities, but it is a great time to get your CV or resume tidied up in time for the January uplift in the job market.

I was sent details recently of an iPhone app for FindAJob.ie where you can event browse jobs on the move - or of course nore discretely than looking up new opportunities on your computer!

(Findajob.ie is the new name for LoadzaJobs.ie and is a part of Ireland’s leading print and online media group, Independent News and Media (INM).).

As an employer you can also post a position - you will see their advertising packages here: http://advertise.loadzajobs.ie.

In summary it is worth checking out though I do think that FindAJob.ie need to do some work behind the scenes to improve the useability of the app - see for example when I did a search for the organisation 'Microsoft', rather than it shortlisting vacancies for the Microsoft organisation it picked up positions which included the word 'Microsoft' in their posting:

When looking at some of the vacancies, they were difficult to read due to lack of formatting:

If you come across a vacancy that you are interested in you can request details to be emailed to you:

And if you think the vacancy would be a great fit for your friends and social networkg contacts you can share it on Facebook, Twitter and by email - a notable missing for me is the ability to share on LinkedIn:

So if you are looking for a new role in 2012, check out the iPhone app for FindAJob.ie for the opportunity to check out vacancies in your 'down time' - but of course don't forget that your network online and offline is also a great way to unearth opportunities that may never be posted at all!

 

 

 

Are you looking for some last minute stocking fillers without breaking the bank?

Thanks to WHPR I received a little gift bag this week with a selection of things from a store I had not come across previously - Dealz.ie.

In my gift bag were some bows which I am sure Santa will find handy when coming to our house tomorrow, some Christmas lights and tree decorations, a pottery money box and a pottery mug filled with sweets.

Checking their website you will see that they are part of the Poundland Group who are Europe’s biggest single price discount retailer with 347 stores in the UK and they also stock some well known brands.

All their products are priced at €1.47 in Ireland where they have 6 stores at Blanchardstown, Portlaoise, Letterkenny, Killarney, Newbridge and their most recent store opened in Limerciak earlier this month.

And you will also find them online at:

http://www.Facebook.com/DealzIreland

http://www.Fwitter.com/DealzIreland

So if you are looking for last minute gift ideas or stocking fillers without breaking the bank or your budget, you just might want to check out the offers instore ar Dealz.ie

On the 15 December, on the BBC Paul Lewis covered the potential implications for the transfer of Lloyds Bank and Cheltenham & Gloucester branches to The Co-operative bank which impacts 632 branches.

Follow Paul on Twitter http://www.Twitter.com/paullewismoney for more information about this proposed sale.

Here is the proposed list of branches that are impacted - Paul shared this list - download it here:

As I work with a number of organisations in the food industry I was interested to learn of the campaign launced this weekened by the Bristish Heart Foundation about marketing food to children.

I have curated a series of resources below for research and review purposes which you may also find of interest including content from the British Heart Foundation Twitter and Facebook pages and also articles in the traditional media. Their report is called "The 21st century gingerbread house: How companies are marketing junk food to children online".

If you are interested in the area of food marketing to children I recommend that you also review the current public consultation by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland who are reviewing how food and drink should be marketed to children in broadcast media.

View the story "The British Heart Foundation - Food Marketing To Children" on Storify]

YouTube has just launched an updated Video Manager including:

A simplified top and left navigation bars to help you get to the tools you need more quickly

Icons to indicate privacy status, if monetization is enabled and scheduled publish status.

You can find more information on the YouTube help page and also you can see a video walk through below.

 

You might also find this graphic of interest showing the history of YouTube from Freemake.com:

Remember you can access my free marketing and social media tutorials on YouTube.

 

Here is some interesting data about the use of the Internet across Europe in 2011 - the Eurostat report of Internet useby individuals and households in 2011 and is important data for any business looking to online marketing or communication:

• In the EU27, almost three quarters of households had access to the internet in the first quarter of 2011, compared with almost half in the first quarter of 2006
• The share of households with broadband internet connections more than doubled between 2006 and 2011, to reach 68% in 2011 compared with 30% in 2006
  
• During the same period, the share of individuals aged 16-74 in the EU27 who had never used the internet decreased from 42% to 24%
• Shares of internet access of 90% and over were recorded in the Netherlands (94%), Luxembourg and Sweden (both 91%) and Denmark (90%)
• Shares of 50% and below were registered in Bulgaria (45%), Romania (47%) and Greece (50%)
• Sweden (86%) registered the highest share of broadband connections in 2011, followed by Denmark (84%), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (both 83%) and Finland (81%), while Romania (31%), Bulgaria (40%) and Greece (45%) had the lowest
• The highest proportions of those having never used the internet were observed in Romania (54% of individuals aged 16-74), Bulgaria (46%), Greece (45%), Cyprus and Portugal (both 41%), and the lowest in Sweden (5%), Denmark and the Netherlands (both 7%), Luxembourg (8%) and Finland (9%)
• Almost half of internet users4 aged 16-74 in the EU27 used the internet within the last 12 months to obtain information from websites of public authorities, and 28% to submit completed forms to public authorities, for example tax declarations (e-government)

• In 2011, 58% of internet users in the EU27 had ordered goods or services over the internet (e-commerce) within the last 12 months - t highest shares were observed in the United Kingdom (82%), Denmark and Germany (both 77%) and Sweden (75%).

Note: The survey covered households with at least one person aged 16-74, and individuals aged 16-74. The main reference period was the first quarter of 2011. Households were asked about internet access by any member of the household at home. Individuals were asked about frequency of internet use and about activities they had carried out on the internet in the last three months prior to the survey for private purposes, or in the last twelve months for e-government and e-commerce activities, at home or at any other location.

The research was reported in the Irish media and the headline that captured attention was that mMore than one-in-five Irish people aged 16-74 have never used the internet (down from 42% of Irish people in 2006).

The Digital Agenda for Europe aims to reduce the share of individuals in Europe who have never used the internet to 15% by 2015.

Access a PDF of the research here.