Latest news and discussions from The Lines Group...

New site now live!

2011-11-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Some things are worth waiting for!

Well, it's taken longer that we hoped, what with work for clients and all that, but stage one of The Lines Group website has just gone live.

The first part of the site is for Element, the Design & Marketing aspect of The Lines Group. H1 Digital, QPR and Pho2 Photography, the other three 'divisions' our Group will follow soon.

Have a browse around the site and remind yourself what we are all about.

Feedback would be appreciated, so let us know what you think!

www.linesgroup.co.uk/element

Posted by John, New business Manager

Get more from LinkedIn

2011-11-07T07:49:00.001-08:00

OK, so is it just a 'Facebook dressed up' as something more business-orientated, or is it a viable business tool? Most people use LinkedIn to "contact someone" in order to make a sale, keep in contact, or get a job

It works well as it's an online network of more than 8.5 million professionals from around the world representing 130 industries. But it's still under-utilised. Here's 5 ways to increase the value of LinkedIn.

1) Increase your visibility.

By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile.

2) Improve your 'connectability'.

Fill out your profile like it's an executive bio, including past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.

3) Improve your Google PageRank.

LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index.

4) Enhance your search engine results.

Promote your blog or website to search engines like Google and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites.

5) Perform blind, "reverse," and company reference checks.

LinkedIn's reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the company to search for references.

Posted by John, New business Manager

12 years?!!! Seems like yesterday we met.

2011-10-20T00:51:00.000-07:00

A client for 12 years, working on a National and Regional level: you don't work for a company the size of Persimmon for that long unless you're doing something right.

Over this period, we have developed working practices and procedures to save them time and money. We've even got pretty darn creative, too.

Bannerbrook was an opportunity to work outside of the corporate guidelines, creating an identity to reflect this inspiring development in the Midlands.

The identity has been rolled out across all marketing collateral to underline the exclusivity of the development.

www.venueatbannerbrook.co.uk

"This identity really stands out and helps us appeal to a young target audience. I've worked with Lines for many years and can always trust them to deliver"

Alison Reading, Sales Director - Persimmon South Midlands

We've been helping clients sell homes for over 20 years, but you don't have to be as big as Persimmon to benefit from our track record...

Posted by John, New Business Manager

Things that go bump in the night...

2011-02-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Things that go bump in the night

(Website updates while you sleep)

I’ve got a feeling that lots of people avoid updating their web sites. I know this because they change the subject when I ask.

There are a few facts you can take for granted about updating websites, for instance, most normal people need a CMS to do it; that CMS needs to be easy to use; you have to have something to say.

You also need to be ready to write, when you need the update ... and that’s the problem.

What do you do if you’re only ready to write once a year? Well you could add a whole load of stuff to your site in one hit, a lot of it might get overlooked and it will all have the same date but at least you can forget it until next year.

Or ... you could SCHEDULE

You can still do all your writing on that one night of the year, but, a good CMS will let you set a date for the update to go live in future and presto, updates scheduled for the whole year in one hit.

Web sites don’t actually go bump often, it was just something that came to mind as I thought about website updates that happen in your sleep.

Things that go bump in the night
Should not really give one a fright
It’s the hole in each ear, which lets in the fear
That and the absence of light Spike Milligan

Post by Sam Lorenzelli, Director of H1 Digital (part of the Lines Group)

Social Media: In or Out?

2010-12-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

Facebook – just desperate people amassing online friends because they have none offline.

Twitter – pointless chatter about irrelevant nonsense by people who somehow think they’re remotely interesting

YouTube – a load of silly banal video clips.

Or Blogging – wannabe journalists and writers penning their diaries online for all to see in a pathetic attempt to get someone interested in their little lives.

Although some of that is true of all of the social media platforms in part, these criticisms are very blinkered, and defensive. In fact, Twitter is a great platform for businesses to network, build real connections with customers, push innnovation and be ahead of the market. Facebook is a great touch point where customers can easily interact with brands on their terms, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and blogging is a great way of creating relevant sticky content, becoming experts in a field and increase SEO ranking.

But most importantly of all, the decision to ‘do’ or not to ‘do’ Social Media today is not about what will happen in the next 3 months, or even next year. It is about what will be happening in 5 years time.

Ask yourself…

1. Where will Digital be in 5 years time?

2. Where will my company be in relationship to that?

3. Where will your customers be in relation to Digital and Social Media? Will it be part of their lives?

The thought that should spring to mind is: How can I afford not to get into Social Media?

Below, for those who like a good list, we give you eleven reasons why you can't afford not to get into Social Media:

1. It is a logical extension of business networking allowing your employees and your business to learn, express, share and interact

2. Gives your brand narrative

3. Creates sticky content and therefore reasons for your customers to return to your site

4. It’s a critically important touch point (and the easiest and fastest)

5. Creates brand ambassadors

6. Drives innovation in your business

7. Improves staff morale and internal brand value

8. Adds dynamism to static brands

9. It’s the best feedback tool ever invented

10. It is now expected by your customers

11. Your future customers are growing up with it

Post by John Page, The Lines group