We have the most influential network in the World – apparently !!

Posted by Chris on February 4th, 2012

Yes folks, after being grilled, analysed, interrogated and questioned by the leading authorities in the world on the subject of Internet influence I can now say officially that we have the most influential network in the world.

My network has been subjected to all sorts of questions at all times of the day from interviewers that can only be described as rude and beyond sceptical.

We have the capacity to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions,behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

This does not mean that as defined by Klout or any of those similar websites that any of us have the highest rank – although some do; it does not mean that we have the biggest network nor does it mean that we have the highest quality network.

No! However, OUR network makes people take action; it changes behaviour and opinions.

Our network starts revolutions; takes brands from zero to hero; solves intractable problems; helps people in need; cheers people up; makes people laugh; does the impossible straight away and miracles a little bit later. There is nothing that we can’t do.

People are always trying to find out what makes us so effective; how we achieve such amazing things; why we are so loyal to one another; why we care about one another; what brought us together; why we are so different and yet so in tune. Mostly we don’t know so these questions are easily avoided.


They want to interview us but we don’t have a spokesperson: we never even discussed it. We don’t want anything – money, fame, popularity we only want to be infuential. For us that is enough.

Some of us have met but most of us have not. We have some idea of where everyone is but we don’t really try to find out exactly because we have no intention of visiting.  It’s not that we don’t want to meet it’s just that we are unlikely to put much effort into doing so.

We are content to be the most influential network in the world.

We don’t know how we got to be the way we are.

People do leave. We don’t ask why. They don’t try and change us or say why they left – they just disappear. We miss them but we don’t try and get them to come back.

We don’t have a name. We don’t know how many we are.




Digital Marketing Agency seeks Lichfield location for new Headquarters

Posted by Chris on February 1st, 2012

A U.S. based Digital Marketing Agency is looking to base it’s European Headquarters in Lichfield, Staffordshire because there is already a base of Digital Marketing aware talent there. The U.S. inbound marketing leader stated that potential candidates needed to be D.A.R.C. This does not refer to hair colour or complexion or even mood. It is an acronym for – Digital, Analytical, Have social Reach ( i.e. they have established their own identity on the Internet via blogs and social media membership )  and marketing Chops. ( Chops is a slang word for technical skill if you have not come across it before ! ).

Typically young people in their late teens or early Twenties will have used Bebo, Facebook and some sort of Instant Messaging service to communicate with their friends. Fewer will be familiar with website design, Search Engine Optimisation ( S.E.O. ), blogging, social media networks other than Facebook e.g. Twitter, Linkedin and Google + and the concept of Inbound Marketing.

Inbound Marketing is a Digital Marketing strategy that, in simple terms, means – Be Found ( on the Internet using a website supported by blogs and social media ) for relevant search terms, Convert ( visitors to your website to leads e.g. get them to sign up to your email database ) and Analyse how effective you were in doing this and how you could improve going forward.

http://blog.sironaconsulting.com/sironasays/2010/03/dont-forget-about-your-social-media-mothership-your-blog.html

Blogs and Social media posts are some of the ways that you might ” drive ” visitors to your website where you will try and convert them ( to prospects and then customers ) through well designed landing pages and ” Call to Action ” buttons ( e.g. call us now and get a free internet marketing assessment and report ).

Your online presence is essentially your virtual marketing and salesforce and therefore it is appropriate to use similar techniques to manage your virtual team as you would do managing your physical team. ( Well, you would if you were running it properly ! )

So, the challenge with young people is to get them to understand that social media and instant messaging is not just for communicating with friends ( young people are often very strict and careful about who they connect with on social media – rightly – and so the concept of the ” Open Networker ” or someone who connects with everyone is somewhat alien to them ).

Digital Marketing also has to be placed in context with what ” older people ” are going to be familiar with in terms of marketing and they need some convincing that all this ” Internet stuff ” is actually going to work ( and produce a Return on Investment ).

Many U.S. based Digital Marketing companies are seeking a base in Europe and the typical options tend to be Southern Ireland ( Dublin area ), London Area and Belgium or Luxembourg. Inward Investment agencies like e.g. IDA Ireland are long established and have been set up ( with full government backing ) to attract foreign direct investment.

Lichfield’s establishment of a ” Silicon Crossroads ” in the Midlands area is therefore a considerable challenge. However Lichfield has many aspects in it’s favour in addition to the skills of it’s people. For example, it’s location is superb. The road, rail and air transport facilities are second to none. The creation of ( relevant ) content is one of the key requirements of the Inbound Digital Marketer and Lichfield has a rich heritage in this respect.


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