How can I write content?

Many people will tell you that you don't have to write your own content. Which is true. But content writing isn't done by a computer in the middle of nowhere. If you aren't writing your content then someone else is! Someone is sat at their computer trying to create your perfect piece of 700 word content to be posted on your blog or website. How do they do it? How can you start writing your own?

What am I writing about?

Content writing is about a certain area or topic. So start by brain storming what you know about the topic. Get a piece of paper, write the topic in the middle then add words that your associate with that topic around it. If you don't know about the subject then you can start with a google search to see what is currently out there to research and understand about your market. No matter what the subject there will be something online you will be able to read up about.

How can I write about it?

If you gather up some key points from your brain storm or research then start phrasing sentences around those points. It wont be easy, so don't expect to write 100 words when you first put pen to paper, don't even expect to write 10 the first time you attempt writing your own content. Just relax and type or write your first ideas. Then review and re-write. Before you know it you'll have your first piece of handwritten content. If you keep writing every day then you will find it easier to write your own content. Saving you a little bit of money each month.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

Cystic Fibrosis Trust

Cystic Fibrosis Trust

2nd July

Donation Bag

Reg Charity number 1079049

Cystic Fibrosis? My initial reaction was what is Cystic Fibrosis?

'Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the UK's most common life-threatening inherited disease'

Okay, How come I've not heard of it before? and What does it do?

'Cystic Fibrosis causes the body to produce thick secretions that particularly affect the lungs and digestive tract.....Symptoms of CF can include troublesome cough, repeated chest infections, prolonged diarrhoea and poor weigh gain'

There is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

This donation bag asks for clean clothing, household textiles, soft toys and shoes. It also states that over £70,000 has been raised so far! The bag is due for collection on Tuesday and will be collected by a commercial partner 'Who is sharing a portion of the prceeds'. Personally I'm not a fan of when other companies dip into charity donations and I hope that it is just to cover costs rather than to turn a profit.

Unfortunately I am unable to gather enough together to fill a bag for collection. But I decided to look online at alternative ways to donate and I was surprised at the variety of options available.

How to Donate

There are four options for straight forward donations :

1. Justgiving.com or Virgin money giving

Justgiving.com is a popular site, lots of people use it to raise money and raise awareness for a specific cause. It has the option to write a summary and target amount.

2. You can set up a direct debit.

A good way to show continuing support by picking a specific amount each month to donate. After a while you may not even notice the money leaving your account.

3. You can call our donation hotline direct on 0300 373 1040.

4. You can send your donation in the post to Cystic Fibrosis Trust, 11 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1BY. Please make your cheque payable to Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

These two methods will tend to be preferred by the older generation. Those who have become more accustomed to what is now deemed as old fashioned methods of payment considering the popularity of online banking.

The fifth option provided is the one most often heard about through word of mouth

5. You can get involved in fundraising!

This option is more popular as it can create a sense of social bonding by organising an event or a conversation starter when asking for a donation.

There are National Campaigns such as Great Strides which are held during the summer months to early autumn. The first date is 3rd July in liverpool and the last date is 11th september which is held in Northern Ireland. Maybe you are like me and would prefer an event for the kid at heart it might be better to join in the Big Bounce which takes place in October. It's all about the bounce whether you are bouncing on a space hopper, trampoline, pogo stick or you could even transfer the bounce to a bouncy ball. The website for Cystic Fibrosis has lots of ideas on events including treks and climbs which have a minimum sponsorship amount.

To put it simply, I took the time to research more about the charity and Cystic Fibrosis itself when i saw the donation bag come through the door. Although many will have just thrown the bag away without a second thought or moment of reflection upon what it even said. Just another piece of junk for the bin.

Yet this is a charity like many others that are spending money in the hope that they will get more donations by contacting people directly. A small business may also use this mail shot approach. Not for donations but for attracting new customers by location. Although as far as I am aware very few solid connections are made using this blanket technique. There is no emotional connection to the company when you are one in thousands that have received this item. It may seem like an easy way to get in the door, but is it any different to the salesman that knocks? at least you don't throw them in the bin as soon as you see them.

This approach maybe very successful, although I've not heard of many successful businesses that have solely been made via this method.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

Together We will beat Cancer

Cancer Research Uk

Registered charity number 1089464

This A4 fundraising pack which I requested (not a random direct mail campaign luckily) from Cancer Research UK arrived on 24th June. After an initial shock as the thickness of the envelope when opened there is a letter and a glossy booklet all addressed directly to Miss Burton.

' Thank you so much for choosing to support Cancer Research Uk. Our vision of beating cancer is an enormous challenge, but amazing people like you are helping us achieve it.'

The letter then goes through what has been included within the pack and how fundraising is an 'activity to suit everybody'. It also brings up how 'most of us have been affected by cancer' and how the advances in treatment that have saved thousands of lives. 'But one in three of us will still get cancer at some point in our lifetime'. The letter finishes with giving more contact details and a final thanks.

Money Return Form

Has an explanation on who to address the cheque to and information on attaching sponsor form. It also explains that money will be allocated to you, which i presume means a way to keep a track over your donations over time.

Fundraising Pack

' A simple and inspiring guide with everything you need to know to organise your fundraising activity'

A glossy, high quality booklet with full colour pictures. The first page is an introduction to the pack following a similar style to the covering letter, thanking the reader for their support. Pages 2-3 go through headlines and research in action showing those who have raised money and how they have been affected by cancer. Pages 4-5 then shows where the money donated goes '80p in every £1 you donate goes directly towards our work to beat cancer'. The amounts shown to show how much makes a difference range from £22 up to £20,000. Page 6-7 show even more successful fundraising events. Pages 8-9 are hints and tips for running your own event, with a background featuring runners feet and tarmac. Pages 10-11 are about promotion with tips on media, how to ask for donations, gift aid, as well as tips for getting your boss involved. It also shows a list of trusted/recommended donation sites. Page 12 gives contact details for sharing your story and a final thanks. Page 13 is a folded paper holder which contains more information :

- Ideas to inspire fundraising

- Sponsorship Form

- 12 'Can You' Invites

- 1 ' You Can' Poster

- 1 fold out donation box

What can you do?

- Ideas to inspire fundraising

This 8 page booklet shows a wide variety of ideas from spending a week dressed as Mr T to creating an evening of relaxation by a sponsored home pampering night. Lots of ideas to encourage events no matter what your interests are.

Summary

The pack contains a lot of detail, it is free to request and is of avery high quality. With the continuing use of florescent pink it has a more feminine feel which is supported by lots of women and children being used as examples. Cancer Research Uk also conducted a follow up call which was from the area leader to find out more about how much I wanted to raise, what time scale i am working on and why I decided to start fundraising. I was informed of contact details to call back for any additional advice and to check out what events are currently being planned. It was refreshing to know they follow up on those who request information packs.

What happens now

For me, I will be planning my fundraising events to run over the next year. At current a lot of people have recently taken part in sponsored runs and there are even more events going on across the UK. I highly recommend checking out what is going on in your area.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

Which charity should I donate to?

Within the UK there are 161,931 registered charities (29th June) with each unique and all supporting a wide variety of causes. The main question is, which charity to choose.

I know someone who....

Many who donate to charities do it because of an emotional connection to a cause, especially with charities that have a health focus. Some charities will be well known examples such as Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation who have sponsorship by many big companies and have high profile events to help raise money. Smaller local charities which depend on local patrons and events, will rely on continuing support for donations.

So who should I donate to?

No charity is better or more than deserving of your donations than another. You should donate to a cause that you support, either through personal experience of the charity or because they hold similar values to your own. You can always support more than one charity, it's not like a battle between brands.

How much should I give?

As much or as little as you want/can afford, every amount will make a difference. There are other ways you can donate too. You can volunteer and show your support or arrange an event. The best was to find out how to help and what is needed is to contact the charity directly and they will be more than willing to let you know.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

How can I improve my grades?

The summer term turns into one of the most stressful for students across the globe. With exams and coursework deadlines, so many people are now debating what they could have differently to get better results.

The University of Central Lancashire run a program for those just starting at university called Flying Start. The program runs for about a week and is designed to help you prepare for starting you degree. There are sessions on time management, money management as well as an opportunity to experience living in student halls.

Advice that is heard from all tutors is to revise and prepare weeks before your deadline. But most students, even those with the best intentions, watch as their plans go out the window within days of promising to stick to their study plan. This is mainly due to loosing track of time. An easy way to realise how little time you have per project is to predict/record a week. It's a bit precise but it will help that the less preparation the else time you have.

It's easy to do and if you prefer looking and editing things on a screen it can be done in excel. Just write the days of the week in a row and the 24 hours in a day down in a column.

The next step is to plot out what you'd like to get done during the week. Remember to include 7-8 hours sleep as well as time to eat and shower. The table then starts to get more full.

Then If you include a 9-5 lecture/classes per day, making it a 40 hour week over 5 days, 1 hour per day for studying making it 5 hours per week.

It's starting to look even fuller, the final part to add in is a part time job. Which for this example the job will take up 12 hours from the week.

The plan is now looking very full and there isn't even any travelling time or any social time either.

So will time management help improve my grades?

Yes! But it's important to play as hard as you work, otherwise you'll never stick to your studies. This is useful to keep in mind for next term but what can i do now my work has been submitted? The best thing to do is look over the work you submitted and any notes to see how you can improve. See where you made any mistakes.

Use the time available now to read any text books you didn't have chance to before. Work on punctuation, spelling and grammar. Practice mental maths and any equations you've struggled with before.

The key thing to remember is that you can always learn more and there is no set way to study.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

I want an internship. Now!

In the current job market, experience is everything. Within any profession your skills and qualifications are what get you noticed on paper. Having the right attitude is what gets you a job.

I've just finished my second year at university and because of this I am already looking at what skills I will need to get a job. From various searches across sites such as http://jobs.brandrepublic.com/ most the positions ask for good grades in english and maths and computer skills. Then they tend to get more specific to each role, management training, event management, account handling, all of these can be included under the sub-heading of experience.

Within the field of advertising and marketing many positions ask for a minimum of 1 years experience. Trying to get this year of experience whilst studying can prove to be problematic, if you are lucky you may have a placement year included in your course. Getting this experience may be difficult although there is always an availability for the person that is persistent.

So how much will i get paid?

Many internships are at present unpaid, some companies will pay for your travel expenses although this is becoming more rare. But what you can learn during these unpaid internship is of much more valuable that the ever rising price of petrol. I met a new employee at an advertising agency who described how he managed to get him dream job. He had heard about the position but when he called up to find out about the role he discovered it had already been filled, upon hearing this news he asked if it would be possible to work for a few weeks to prove his worth. 3 months later he was provided with a full time position within the agency and re-embursed for his previous spending. Just goes to show if you are willing/able to put in the time for a company you can earn a lot of respect, a glowing reference and contacts within the industry.

So where should i look?

You can start with on a wide variety of websites such as :

www.inspiringinterns.com

www.fledglings.net

www.milkround.com

www.reed.co.uk

www.step.org.uk

www.ratemyplacement.co.uk

Alternatively you can try create your internship. Contact a company you are interested in working for, do some background research, find out what they are about, who the key players are also gives a great opportunity to find out what is currently available. Remember to pick up the phone and ring, don't just email or throw a cv in the post with a 'Dear Sir or Madam' style covering letter. Call up, speak to someone, strike up a conversation. Ask for some advice and try establish a meeting to meet them face to face. This will give you the chance to show off your skills and personality. You never know what might happen because of it.

Most importantly though make sure you are asking for experience and not demanding to be put on the payroll.

That's All for Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

What should I do for this campaign?

"Don't come into this office with problems, only solutions"

Not exactly the best thing to hear from your boss but some of the best advice out there when it comes to the workplace. Especially when you consider that learning is a process one that never stops. Mainly due to teh fact it is impossible to know everything and there will ALWAYS be a difference of opinion.

But what has this got to do with marketing or advertising?

As a student I am expected to conduct my own research and locate supporting arguments or case studies for my academic work. But in preparation for entering the job market, I will be dealing with real projects, real businesses with no margin for error. With this is the added disadvantage of loosing the academic experts to check the work before the results are published.

So what should i do for this campaign?

When working with a client, it is important to keep some basic rules in mind:

1. Get to know the product/service - It is vital you know what you are selling, if you don't know then how do you expect the customer to understand your message?

2.Get to know the problem - Before you start yelling at your screen, if theer wasn't a problem then you wouldn't be working on this campaign. It can be as simple as increasing sales or awareness for the company or as complex as launching a product into an unknown market.

3. Know your limits - the world is your oyster but time is your enemy and keep in mind your clients budget, money doesn't grow on trees

4. Come up with answers - Don't focus on what you can't do think about what you can, low budget? Maybe consider an online campaign opposed to a tv or print campaign, it time is your restriction maybe you could organise an event launch.

5. Keep it simple - remember every campaign will be designed and executed differently with unique results, don't expect everything to go to plan. So don't make it impossible to amend.

The most important thing to remeber is that there is no cure, no jim will fix it answer. Just hard work, so give it complete focus and you can reap the benefits.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

Why is branding important? (Written for 2am Design)

You can see original post via this link http://2amdesign.co.uk/blog/why-branding-important

Otherwise read below

Advertising campaigns that are led by a brand give the consumer an opportunity to ‘get to know’ the brand. What they look like, what their values are as well as how they act. Think of it as getting to know a friend.

Edward is the guy that you went to school with. You can remember the first day you met him. He was different from the rest of the crowd but still wearing the same school uniform as everyone else. As you got older changed jobs, moved schools, got new friends, lost old friends, you can still recognise Edward even without the school uniform. Over the years you’ve watched as Edward has changed to Eddie, changed his clothes, grown up, as well as developing his quirks (He’s the guy that will sing Man I Feel Like A Woman at the Christmas staff do). But even when Eddie wears that awful Christmas jumper, you still keep him as a friend and companion.

Eddie is Heinz and every memory you have is a product Tomato Ketchup, Salad Cream, Mayonnaise, Beans, Spaghetti Hoops, Weight Watchers & Soup. The list is so much longer than the 57 types stated on the label, but to many Heinz is a household favourite. Like Eddie, it’s part of the family. By creating this connection with the audience advertising as a brand provides more character. Brands are able to convey a message without showing a product for example the 2009 campaign which didn’t even show Heinz ketchup until the end of the advert.

http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA9036

As strong a connection the consumer has towards a brand, there are scenarios where you may just want a pen. This could be a free pen from the local bank, it would do the job of putting ink on paper. When a product leads a campaign it often includes facts, what makes it better than other products, why you should buy it and when you need it. A product is disposable and the loyalty is to the functionality first.

When the brand enters into the mix it brings out a whole new element of the products image. Emphasising the characteristics you remember from the brand onto the pen you have in your hand. By creating a bond first with the product then with the brand it can lead to a loyalty to the product even after it’s reached the end of it’s working life. You may hold onto the broken fountain pen because it was your first Parker pen, it’s functionality is not different to any other fountain pen, it still performs the same job, but the Parker name adds value to the product.

There are occasions where a brand will detach itself from a product. This can be because a product is being launched into a different market, or that the market is changing. A recent example of this is Tesco’s decision to launch products without it’s popular brand attached to them, the first products within this move are ChokaBlok ice cream, Nutricat cat food and Lathams dog food. All of these will have their own brand development and strategies independent to current ranges under the Tesco name such as Tesco Finest Range and Value ranges. This move is not about replacing big brands, it’s about working along side current products and ranges. It also is not trying to alter how the public view the Tesco brand. It is a product independent of the big labels, which is how product driven campaigns can benefit. It can give new life to a product without the connotations of the brand being imposed upon it.

In the consumer/customer mind set a brand can become like a friend, someone you trust and rely on. By promoting this image you can emphasise the positive attributes and create a consistent representation for future products or services of the brand.

Now I just need to learn how to read

After a very helpful meeting to review my dissertation topic and summary. A rough idea of the angle i wish to follow, I have left with an a4 document of "to-do's".

The majority of which involve reading and research, contacting and collating as well as a lot of notes.

I have decided to follow the route of charity advertising, with main focus being on smaller charities and the return on investment they receive. Whilst completely in the planning stages, I am having to re-evaluate how I read text.

This is a lot more than my bad habit of reading a book ( i only remember the chapters where I have been interrupted) with journal articles and case studies galore I am having to break out the highlighter, buy more ink and destroy more trees. The trees I will replace because I feel bad enough as it is writing in old note books never mind printing out articles I may only quote once or twice.

My first section of reading is focused around the Delphi Technique, which is a research tool. To then go on to online surveys and reviewing business research techniques.

Over the next 3 months I will be using online resources which will include newspapers, tv programs and online videos to establish more of a background within the field of charity marketing.

That's All For Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

The Boring Stuff that Makes Campaigns Successful

I often hear the phrase, Learn to walk before you run. For any campaign it is important that background research has been conducted. A lot can be learned through researching the market. How consumers and those who don't buy your product view and interact with your brand. The second i utter the words market research, I can already guess you've started rolling your eyes or screaming 'No More Surveys' at your screen but market research is so much more than questionnaires. But to find out more i'll describe the tools you can use.

1. Interviews

Although you may not know it, the 'questionnaires' you answer over the phone are technically interviews.

Interview - A conversation with/or questioning of a person, usually conducted for television, radio or a newspaper.

There are many ways an interview can be conducted via telephone, web chat or in person. This tool allows for qualitative data to be collected as well as gaining more detail with option to clarify responses unlike questionnaires which have a set format. Although very time consuming often provide more insight into what reactions are provided with the responses.

2. Focus Groups

A focus groups generally consist of 3-8 people and can either be lead by a researcher or observed externally. There are many advantages to this, the opportunity to see interactions between people when certain issues are discussed. The disadvantages of this tool are the stages of group formation which can hinder the process of gathering information. A great way of seeing people interact and be influenced by others.

Projective Techniques

These are used within questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. A way to gather qualitative data. Like filling in a speech bubbles or drawing in a scene.

Now the summary of what can you use to gather information done and dusted.

Who should you include?

In a perfect world you should ask everyone who sees your product to find out a 98% accurate opinion of what you know (2% left to those who won't tell you the truth). But in common practice the information is narrowed down to certain age groups, locations, buying behaviour, wage brackets, family, ethnicity, amount of holidays you take, health and any other variation to make you individual. By dividing up these respondents limits the results you get back making a bias on your results without even influencing the statistics you get back.

With research you get back it has to be enough to prove your campaign will be successful, if you change the results to fit your campaign. You may as well have not done the research at all.

That's All for Now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

Location, Location, Location

As well as a day-time favourite, Location, Location, Location applies to business.

Recently whilst hunting around for internships, calling companies and chatting to those who work there.

First Location : Where are you studying?

Second Location : Where are you from?

Third Location : Where the business is based?

Answers :

1. University of Central Lancashire ( Preston )

2. Worcester (Midlands)

3. Anywhere in the UK

For any graduates currently job hunting, trying to get a job in current climate is extremely difficult. Causing many students to apply for jobs across the country. Although London is popular with many graduates ( Just something about the "big smoke" ) now companies across the UK can expect to hear from everyone, not just the locals.

Key thing with any application is to make sure its tailored to the company. Does that also mean altering your location?

Where everything is online, we can contact across the globe in seconds (thank you worldwide web) we still tend to stick close to home or where we know. There are many rumours of a north south divide when it comes to employment, but there is probably still stereotypes that run around europe as well.

We all know how importance location is to ensuring your business has best chance of success. Should we also consider our location when it comes to launching ourself as a product to the employers of the market?

That's it from me for now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

What is so GREAT about Free?

It appears to be the only offer than doesn't get turned down by the general public. You see it everyday. Free Sample, Free Gift, Free Trial. But as we willingly accept the free pen that doesn't work or the extra pizza we wont have time to eat. Very few customers actually consider the value of the free item.

Even though the quality of the item may be questioned, if you have been given a free gift then asked what value you put on it it is HIGHLY unlikely you will value it as it was "purchased" at 0p.

It appears that as buyers, we hate to make a loss. Nothing new, there you may say but probably not quite in the way you are thinking. When you buy an unfamiliar product you are risking the money you have paid for the results you get back. A personal Return on Investment so to speak. But when you have been presented with an item that costs 0p (FREE!) that has been no monetary investment, meaning no risk potentially no loss.

My general knowledge of behavioural economics is limited, but I have just finished reading Dan Ariely - Predictably Irrational . A very interesting book on how we react to certain triggers. There are many experiments involved, showing great information on how people react without the heavy reading of why they shouldn't be acting in this way.

With products you can very quickly put a value on them. But what about applying the concept of free to a service you have been provided with?

During first few weeks of term, standard direct mail offers appeared through the door screaming TRY THIS TAKEAWAY or words similar to that effect. I attended the freebie freshers fair, picked up things i didn't need and discounts i wouldn't use. But the one offer that caught my attention came through an email a Love-Film promotion. 30 day free trial.

I signed up, waiting for the catch. Inputted my address. Then had to hand over details incase i wanted to keep the service, which i was able to remove as soon as I'd had confirmation email (which i did). Then the 30 days started, dvds came through and it was fun. Free films when i wanted as i wanted. Then at 21 days i had an email letting me know free trial was almost up. I signed up for the £10 a month service and haven't looked back.

Some would say it's a great product and something i clearly wanted. Although, i'd never needed films on demand before, I bought them when i saw them or went to cinema. So what made me sign up after the free part?

I'd developed a sense of ownership for the Love-Film service. As consumers we are creatures of habit, not wanting to change from our favourite brands. With services we become attached and find it difficult to go back to before, a downgrade as such. Soon an item you never actually wanted has become essential luxury to you, due to a free trial.

The element of giving up applies to our reaction to loss. Once we have ownership of an item, we do our best to keep it.

This ownership adds extra value to any item, so a 0p item becomes worth £1 or more due to personal value. "It's Mine" brings a loyalty that can't be bought but can be tempted by FREE.

That's it for me for now
Amy

@MissAJBurton

Summertime and the living is easy...For some anyway

Good Thursday Afternoon

The last summer,as so many friends and family in full time employment keep reminding me. Although instead of planning wild parties and world tours which will take me months to pay off. I've decided to get working on my reading list for my dissertation.

I've got two dissertation topics flying around in my head. The first is to analyse charity campaigns, not for whether an emotional or rational campaign works but how you maximise the money you get back. With cuts to public sector funding many of the smaller charities are struggling, so I want to find out what methods are most effective for spreading a message enabling charities to spend their money in best way possible. If they have to spend any money at all. I have met with a few tutors on this topic and all found it to be an interesting topic.

The second topic is a bit more based on current job market and how new graduates are getting jobs. After getting in contact with a few online legends (I really admire these people for their creativity) I started wondering if I could see how social media is impacted job hunting/head hunting. I need to try contact a tutor to see how far i should develop my research into this topic.

That's it for me for now

Amy

@MissAJBurton

If you are curious about these legends I have provided their twitter tags or websites so you can see their work.

@98rosjon

#givejonnyroseajob

@antoniaharler

http://www.socialglitz.com/i-am-worth-hiring/

How to apply for Job : 2010 style by Laura Tosney

(www.lauratosney.co.uk)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdSf4lDiNs4&feature=player_embedded

Graeme Anthony – C.V.I.V

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EzNll1U2N8&feature=player_embedded

Gareth Cash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW-wnaUs59Q&feature=player_embedded

Amy Wordsworth

www.amywordsworth.co.uk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ZOzCXzlds&feature=player_embedded

Employ Kyle

http://employkyle.com/

@employkyle