Vince Update videos - Cup Cakes, Buns and Ginger Beer...

Vince is the codename in the office for our name change which will be announced on the 17th June at a special event in No.29 (click here to see get an Open Invitation and special offer for membership).

We are now only 21 days away from the launch and things are starting to happen so we've decided to capture some of the preparations and discusiions on video and put them out as short clips between now and the 17th.

Here are the first two update videos:

Find more videos like this on Podcastmatters

Find more videos like this on Podcastmatters

Thanks to Tim Barlow from Attacat for being a sport in the secod of these videos.

We've got lots more videos to follow - next one will be Belinda Roberts from Winning Entrepreneurs and, if we're due to meet you in the near future, you might be asked to feature as well!

Keep following the blog to get the latest updates.

Open invitation to No.29

Attendees at our New Media Breakfast in Glasgow will be familiar with No.29 in Exchange Square where we are fortunate enough to host the event however, you may not have had the chance to see the rest of the club and the facilities it has to offer. Here's a great invitation for you to see the whole place and enjoy a relaxing glass of wine at the same time.

29 Private Members Club would like to Invite you to our “Open House Evening” on Wednesday 16th June from 6pm till 8pm.

All areas of the Club shall be open so that potential new members can view the venue whilst enjoying a glass of wine and canapés with the compliments of 29.

Members of the 29 Team shall be on hand to explain the benefits of membership and also show you around.

New Members will also benefit from our Corporate Discount If you Join up the evening (£110 + VAT per annum)

Please RSVP to ann.patterson@lynnetleisure.com or Call Ann on 0141 225 6654 for further information

Social Media Podcast No.20 now available

In Edition No.20 we talk to Iain Murray and Shona Lyttel about Connected FM's commitment to social media as an integral part of their marketing and how their whole web presence revolves around transparency and engagement.  We also discuss the reasons for the forthcoming Podcastmatters name change on the 17th June.

Also mentioned: A rare Zappos mistake and how effectively they dealt with it, John McGuire and Phoenix Car Company's network site, the iPad, the sony Bloggie and Iain's usual gadget, App and software roundup.

We also talk briefly about the forthcoming New Media Breakfasts in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.  The Glasgow (4th June) and Edinburgh (10th June) breakfasts have Ben Rogers of Attacat presenting on Google Analytics and how to get actionable date from your stats.  The Abedeen breakfast (9th June) has two sessions with me discussing podcasting and how it might be useful for your business and, Tim Barlow form Attacat will discuss Search Engine optimisation and pay-per-click advertising.  Tim has already presented this topic at previous Glasgow and Edinburgh breakfasts and everyone found it to be an extremely useful insight into the importance of search and how it works.

You can find full details on all the breakfast events and booking details here.

You can download the Social Media Podcast from iTunes by clicking here.

Things are starting to happen

Today is a bit of a milestone for Podcastmatters and Design Matters. As you are probably all aware, we are merging the businesses and launching the new company and new name on the 17th June so, why is today important?  Today we received our stationery from the printer (who is sworn to secrecy) which is the first time we have seen the new name in print and we are all delighted with the result.

Seeing the name in print somehow makes it all a bit more real; up until now we have talked about it, we've created the branding, we've even started work on the web site but, actually holding a printed version in your hand seems to move everything on to a new level.

When we first announced the name change we put a countdown clock on the network site with 72 days to go and that seemed like lots of time to get everything done; now it's at 23 days, 20 hours and 12 minutes to go and the "To Do" list seems to be getting longer.  The invitations have gone out and plans are well underway (or so I'm told) for the launch event at No.29, if everything goes to plan that will be a great night.

The whole experience of changing the name has been great.  Over the past 24 years we've helped many organisations with their branding from start-up businesses to companies wishing to rebrand but strangely we've never actually been involved in quite such a radical change as this.  After the 17th June we will probably share more about this whole experience in the blog and on the Social Media Podcast and, if you are changing your name, we'll be happy to share our experience in detail with you.

Please keep following the blog for more updates as the 17th draws closer, it's exciting times for us and we would like to share them with you.

New Media Breakfasts in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen

We are delighted to confirm the dates and topics for the next New Media Breakfasts in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.  Firstly the dates and venues:





Glasgow - 4th June, 8am at No.29 Members Club, Royal Exchange Square Glasgow
Edinburgh - 10th June 8am at The Tower Restaurant, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
Aberdeen - 9th June venue to be confirmed

The topic for the Glasgow and Edinburgh breakfasts will be:

Actionable Insights with Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the most widely used website statistical service with over 50% of the top 100,000 websites having installed it. At this breakfast we’ll be trying to ignore the technical aspects of installing & setting up Google Analytics and instead look in detail at some of the reports available and the insights you can take from these.

The breakfast will look at the following:
· Importance of setting KPIs
· Tagging & segmenting different traffic sources
· Identifying weak & strong pages within your site
· The dangers of averages!
· What visitor information can tell you
· Optimising online & offline advertising

If anyone would be willing to share their Google Analytics data in a live demonstration during the breakfast please contact the speaker directly.

About the speaker:

Ben Rogers is a Director of Attacat Internet Marketing, the Edinburgh-based search engine and internet marketing firm.

Ben joined Attacat in 2008 with a strong technical background, having studied Computing Science at Aberdeen University. His passion for stats makes Ben a natural when it comes to analytics; he even passed the Google Analytics exam within 3 hours of it being launched, making him one of the first 100 people in the world to gain the Google Analytics Individual Qualification.

Ben has a proven track record of finding unique solutions with Analytics as well as improving website performances through clever use of data. He has also held numerous Google Analytics seminars and training sessions, whether it be a general session for beginners or a bespoke solution for individual companies.

Ben Rogers on LinkedIn
Ben Rogers on Twitter
Ben Rogers on the Attacat Website

Click here to book the Glasgow New Media Breakfast

COMPLIMENTARY FOR 29 MEMBERS
This event is complimentary to 29 Members - If you are a member you should email Malcolm to reserve your place.

Click here to book the Edinburgh New Media Breakfast


ABERDEEN BREAKFAST 9th June

1st Session
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION AND PAY PER CLICK MARKETING
Presented by Tim Barlow, Attacat Ltd

Search engine optimisation and pay per click marketing may be grabbing less headlines in the internet marketing world these days. However, they are still very relevant for businesses and gaining in relevance all the time. Search needs to be an integral part of any online marketing plan.

We'll examine the various different elements that make up the Google search experience and how businesses should go about seeking to appear in each different type of listing including:

• Sponsored links
• Regular "natural" results
• Maps/Local
• Shopping Results
• Video

We'll also examine some of the current trends towards more personalised results and social search.

About the speaker:
Tim Barlow is the managing director of Attacat, the Edinburgh-based search engine and internet marketing firm. Tim has been involved in search engine promotion since 1999 when he managed the first Innogy website for National Power. In 2001, Tim launched Pastures-New, one of the UK's leading rental portals, gaining similar levels of traffic with a marketing budget of £100 a month as Rightmove were then achieving with a multi million pound TV campaign.

Attacat was set up in 1994 to take advantage of Tim's knowledge. Self-taught in the art of search engine optimisation and internet marketing (there simply weren't formal courses in those days),

Tim passionately believes that good SEO is not rocket science or a black art but simply the result of effective online marketing and web design.

This approach has been proven time and again by Tim and his team achieving long lasting high ranks on competitive one and two word phrases for clients in a variety of fields. Pay per click (such as Google AdWords) has been a long time specialism of Tim and Attacat. Indeed Tim was one of the very first Qualified Google Advertising Professionals in the world and Attacat has held the company version of the qualification since its inception. Attacat use pay per click (PPC) to drive £10s of millions of business for a variety of clients from classic e-commerce sites to B2B businesses in niches you probably never knew existed.

Tim speaks regularly at Chamber of Commerce events.

2nd Session
CAN PODCASTING HELP YOR BUSINESS?
Presented by Gordon White, Podcastmatters Ltd

Podcasts are among the most intimate forms of communication. They offer the opportunity for you to talk directly in the ear of someone who has chosen to listen to your content. At this breakfast we will look at the various different types of podcasts and the tools trequired to make your own podcasts.

We will also have the new Apple iPad on display and we'll show you how that can be used to make audio podcasts. You will also get the opportunity to try it for yourself during the meeting.

This session will look at the following:

• What is a podcast?
• What is RSS and how does it work?
• Different types of podcast content
• Audio and Video Podcasts - what are they?
• Different ways to make a podcast - Agency and in-house
• How it can help your business
• What does it cost?
• How long does it take?

We'll also look at some of the companies using podcasts and how they use them as an effective internal or promotional communication tool.

Organisers:
The New Media Breakfast will be run by Podcastmatters Ltd, a leading new media company involved in Audio and Video podcast production, Niche Network creation and new media consulting for a wide range of organisations across many industry sectors.

Cost:
We are applying a nominal £25 charge for attendance and any profits from this event will be donated to CLAN (Cancer Link Aberdeen and North).

More Information:
For any further information please email Nicki Murray or telephone 01224 701383.

Timetable for the Event:
07.00 Tea/Coffee on Arrival
07.30 Search Engine Optimisation and Pay Per Click Marketing
08.15 Tea/Coffee/Bacon Rolls and Networking
08.45 Can Podcasting Help Your Business?
09.30 Questions & Answers
10.00 Close

Click here to book the Aberdeen New Media Breakfast

Social Media Podcast goes Top 10

Delighted to see that the Social Media Podcast has gone to No.6 in the Audio Podcasting category of iTunes and, No.7 in the combined Audio and Video Podcasting category.  It started the day at No.39 & No.63 respectively.

If you want to know why, you should be coming the the New Media Breakfast at the Tower Restaurant in Edinburgh on Thursday this week - all will be revealed!

Full details and booking info for the Breakfast are here

Download or subscribe to the Social Media Podcast here.

Social Media Podcast No.19 now available

In edition 19 Gordon White, Kyle Murdoch, Iain Murray and Shona Lyttel chat about the iPad 3G tariffs and whether it's really worth taking a 3G package. We also discuss the dangers of exceeding the monthly bandwidth charge and how we've been caught out in the past. Iain does his usual look at gadgets and Apps and explains why his shiny new HTC Legend has been fired in the space of one episode of the podcast!

We hear from Tim Barlow at Attacat who answers a listener question about the value of regularly updating your YouTube Channel and whether it plays any part Search Engine Optimisation.

You can download or subscribe to the podacst here

Social Media Podcast No.18 - The Digital Economy Act

The Digital Economy Act went through parliament under the "was up" procedure - in this episode we speak to Valerie Surgenor, IT Lawyer with Macroberts who explains the "wash up" procedure and some of the key aspects of the Digital Economy Act. Valerie explains where she forsees issues with the act and explains a little about the procedure for making future amendments.
Listen to the podcast
Subscribe to the Social Media Podcast
Download the iPhone App

Can podcasting work for you?

Podcasting is something everyone can do; no need for expensive equipment or dedicated facilities, podcasting is now within the capabilities of anyone with a newish computer or even a 3G mobile device.  But, why should you podcast?  Will it work for you?  What kind of podcast should you do?  If you want the answers to these questions and more, take my advice and go along to one, or both, of the podcasting events taking place in Glasgow in the next couple of weeks.

The first of these is this Wednesday at the Scottish Social Media Dinner at the Urban Grill & Brasserie from 6.30pm.  There will be three very interesting speakers and many people (some expert, some beginners, some just wanting to find out more) at the dinner and, no matter what your current knowledge, there will be something of interest to you.  

Full details of the Scottish Social Media Dinner and booking information are on Craig McGill's Contently Managed blog.  Alternatively, you can book your place here.

The second podcasting event this month is at the Glasgow New Media Breakfast at No.29 on 30th April.  The breakfast meeting will explore why you might consider podcasting and different styles you might employ.  In addition, it will look at the equipment you can use (and most probably have already), where to publish your content, how to promote your show and the cost involved.

Full details of the New Media Breakfast and booking details are available here.  Alternatively you can go directly to the booking page here.

If you’re interested in finding out about podcasting, go along to at least one of these events and talk to some people who are already doing it and, who are happy to help with your questions.  Personally, I would recommend going to both and really get a cross section of views.

Neither of these events is for profit; both have been organised to help you understand podcasting and help you to make up your own mind if it can help your business.

The iPad - Two weeks on...

We've been using the iPad for two weeks now and, if you listened to the Social Media Podcast review, you'll know that we concluded that it was a very cool and beautifully designed toy.  We have shown it to many people now and most feel the same way - whether it's useful or not people still want one.

Well that was then.  We used the iPad in a client meeting on Wednesday and suddenly we realised it is the most remarkable tool for presentations, especially if it's a web based topic you're talking about.  The ability to pass the iPad to the client, the ability to find a web site and flip it over to show the client and, the speed at which it works makes it a truly fantastic meeting room device.  No need to get the laptop screen at the right angle for someone else to view and no need to huddle round the screen, it was a genuine eye opener.

Battery life is amazing and it makes you wonder why the iPhone is so bad.  After a one hour meeting and constant use the battery was still 92%.   The iPad doesn't seem to heat up either, maybe someone can explain why that is?

We weren't looking to justify the purchase price but, it's nice when suddenly something you were happy to own as a gadget becomes a truly useful and impressive work tool.

Social Media Podcast goes to No.1 on iTunes

We are delighted that the Social Media Podcast No.17 has gone to No.1 in the podcasting category for Audio and combined Audio & Video charts on iTunes in less than 24 hours.

The panel consists of Valerie Surgenor, IT Lawyer with MacRoberts, Shona Lyttel, PR & Marketing Manager with Connectedfm, our resident gadget man Iain Murray, CEO with Connectedfm, Alex Dobbie, Designer in Residence, Glasgow School of Art, Kyle Murdoch and Gordon White from Podcastmatters.

We also chat with John McGlynn of the Airlink Group who was kind enough to bring the iPad from New York for us and he tells as a bit about the experience in the queue and some of the people he met.

We also talk briefly about the proposed name change at Podcastmatters Ltd which will happen on the 17th June 2010 and more detail about the reasons for that will be outlined in a future podcast very soon.

Finally we catch up with Colin Gilchrist to talk about the Edinburgh Coffee Mornings and the Edinburgh New Media Breakfast.

Subscribe to the podcast here and it will download

iPad Review Podcast goes to No.2

We are delighted that the Social Media Podcast No.17 has gone to No.2 in the podcasting category for Audio and combined Audio & Video charts on iTunes in less than 24 hours.

The panel consists of Valerie Surgenor, IT Lawyer with MacRoberts, Shona Lyttel, PR & Marketing Manager with Connectedfm, our resident gadget man Iain Murray, CEO with Connectedfm, Alex Dobbie, Designer in Residence, Glasgow School of Art, Kyle Murdoch and Gordon White from Podcastmatters.

We also chat with John McGlynn of the Airlink Group who was kind enough to bring the iPad from New York for us and he tells as a bit about the experience in the queue and some of the people he met.

We also talk briefly about the proposed name change at Podcastmatters Ltd which will happen on the 17th June 2010 and more detail about the reasons for that will be outlined in a future podcast very soon.

Finally we catch up with Colin Gilchrist to talk about the Edinburgh Coffee Mornings and the Edinburgh New Media Breakfast.

Subscribe to the podcast here and it will download

Social Media Podcast - The iPad

We were lucky enough to get one of the first iPads in Scotland, less than 24 hours after it was launched in the USA so we got a panel together to try it out, discuss the features and, chat about whether there really is a market for this type of device.

The panel consists of Valerie Surgenor, IT Lawyer with MacRoberts, Shona Lyttel, PR & Marketing Manager with Connectedfm, our resident gadget man Iain Murray, CEO with Connectedfm, Alex Dobbie, Designer in Residence, Glasgow School of Art, Kyle Murdoch and Gordon White from Podcastmatters.

We also chat with John McGlynn of the Airlink Group who was kind enough to bring the iPad from New York for us and he tells as a bit about the experience in the queue and some of the people he met.

We also talk briefly about the proposed name change at Podcastmatters Ltd which will happen on the 17th June 2010 and more detail about the reasons for that will be outlined in a future podcast very soon.

Finally we catch up with Colin Gilchrist to talk about the Edinburgh Coffee Mornings and the Edinburgh New Media Breakfast.

Subscribe to the podcast here and it will download

What you need to know about Podcasting & try the Apple iPad

GLASGOW NEW MEDIA BREAKFAST
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PODCASTING and TRY THE NEW APPLE iPAD
8am on 30th APRIL 2010 at No.29, Glasgow

Podcasts are one of the most intimate forms of communication, they offer the opportunity for you to talk dirctly in the ear of someone who has chosen to listen to your content. At this breakfast we will look at the various different types of podcast such as Audio, Enhanced Audio and Video and, time permitting, we will attempt to make a podcast during the breakfast featuring interviews with some of the attendees.

We will also have the new Apple iPad on display and you will get the opportunity to try it for yourself during the meeting.

The breakfast will look at the following:

• What is a podcast?
• What is RSS and how does it work?
• Different types of podcast content
• Audio, Enhanced and Video Podcasts - what are they?
• Different ways to make a podcast - Agency and in-house
• What does it cost?
• How long does it take?

We'll also look at some of the companies that are using podcasts and what they do with them

About the speaker:
This breakfast will be presented by the Podcastmatters team

The New Media Breakfast Glasgow is on the 30th April at No.29, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow. You can book your place below.

COMPLIMENTARY FOR 29 MEMBERS 
This event is complimentary to 29 Members - If you are a member you should email Malcolm to reserve your place.

COMPLIMENTARY FOR 29 MEMBERS
This event is complimentary to 29 Members - If you are a member you should email Malcolm to reserve your place.

I look forward to seeing you on the 30th.

Social Media Wallpaper for iPad

This is a Social Media Wallpaper I have created for my iPad, feel free to use it yourself and please follow me on Twitter @gordonwhite

My new iPad

This is the first blog post made from my new iPad and what a lovely thing it is. We are doing a review of the iPad in our next Social Media Podcast to be recorded on Tuesday afternoon and we are looking for one more member of our review panel for the recording. If you would like to take part, please email me to say you are interested.

The podcast will probably be recorded late afternoon or early evening.

That's all for now, I'm off to explore what else it can do.

What a good breakfast

We had a great turnout for the New Media Breakfast in Glasgow this morning with a fantastic insight to Search Engine Optimisation and Pay-Per-Click advertising from Tim Barlow from Attacat
.

Tim has done a great blog post on the event and taken the time to post some of the many Twitter  messages sent before, during and after the event.

Please take a moment to read Tim's blog post here.

Tim will be doing the same presentation at the Edinburgh New Media Breakfast on the 15th April at The Tower Restaurant in Edinburgh.  If you would like to come along please book here

Want to know the truth about Search Optimisation?

I had a very pleasant lunch yesterday with Tim Barlow and some of the team at Attacat, a great bunch with lots of knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm. Naturally, the conversation was focused around social media and search optimisation and it occurred to me that perhaps companies could be so wrapped up in adopting new 'sexy' social media tools that they forget about search optimisation.

Search is still the primary method by which someone will find your web site and it shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, you could argue that it is more important than ever; the increase in businesses using social media platforms in addition to their tradition web site could mean it's getting more difficult to be noticed on search engines.

I also think it's a particular area of new media that gets a bad name; everyday I get emails promising me a No.1 listing on Google, how can they possibly promise this? People ask many questions about search optimisation:

• What do search optmisation companies actually do?
• Why do I have to keep optimising my site?
• Can anyone guarantee a No.1 listing?
• How do I decide what to spend on search optimisation?
• Can I do it myself or should I use an agency?

Hopefully we can answer some of these questions for you; Tim Barlow is the next New Media Breakfast speaker, on 26th March in Glasgow and the 15th April in Edinburgh. Tim will give a completely honest and open presentation about search optimisation and, you will have the opportunity to ask him these and any other questions about search optimisation and pay-per-click advertising.

If you would like to attend the New Media Breakfast in Glasgow or Edinburgh please select one of the links below to see full details and booking arrangements

GLASGOW EVENT

EDINBURGH EVENT

Social Media Podcast No.16 now available on iTunes

Google Execs get jail sentence, Gadgets Galore and where to get a Social Media Policy free

Iain Murray from Chardfm makes his debut as our Gadget advisor, we're still trying to give him a name so please let us know your ideas at gordon@podcastmatters.co.uk Iain discusses lots of great gadgets, web sites and mobile apps.

John Mackenzie, Partner at Pinsent Masons the law firm behind out-law.com joins us to talk about the recent ruling in the Italian Courts which led to three Google Execcutives being handed suspended jail sentences. John explains the law behind this case and why it could be a landmark ruling.

Steve Cook from Empire HR http://www.empirehr.com tells us why it's so important for organisations to have a Social Media Policy and the implications for the companies that don't give out proper guidelines to employees.

Download or subscribe to the podcast here

New Media Breakfast Glasgow 26th March - Search Optimisation and Pay Per Click

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION AND PAY PER CLICK MARKETING with TIM BARLOW, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ATTACAT
8am on 26th March 2010 at No.29, Glasgow

Search engine optimisation and pay per click marketing may be grabbing less headlines in the internet marketing world these days. However, they are still very relevant for businesses and gaining in relevance all the time. Search needs to be an integral part of any online marketing plan.

We'll examine the various different elements that make up the Google search experience and how businesses should go about seeking to appear in each different type of listing including:

• Sponsored links
• Regular "natural" results
• Maps/Local
• Shopping Results
• Video

We'll also examine some of the current trends towards more personalised results and social search.

About the speaker:

Tim Barlow is the managing director of Attacat, the Edinburgh-based search engine and internet marketing firm. Tim has been involved in search engine promotion since 1999 when he managed the first Innogy website for National Power. In 2001, Tim launched Pastures-New, one of the UK's leading rental portals, gaining similar levels of traffic with a marketing budget of £100 a month as Rightmove were then achieving with a multi million pound TV campaign. Attacat was set up in 1994 to take advantage of Tim's knowledge.

Self-taught in the art of search engine optimisation and internet marketing (there simply weren't formal courses in those days), Tim passionately believes that good SEO is not rocket science or a black art but simply the result of effective online marketing and web design. This approach has been proven time and again by Tim and his team achieving long lasting high ranks on competitive one and two word phrases for clients in a variety of fields.

Pay per click (such as Google AdWords) has been a long time specialism of Tim and Attacat. Indeed Tim was one of the very first Qualified Google Advertising Professionals in the world and Attacat has held the company version of the qualification since its inception. Attacat use pay per click (PPC) to drive £10s of millions of business for a variety of clients from classic
e-commerce sites to B2B businesses in niches you probably never knew existed.

Tim speaks regularly at both Edinburgh and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce events.

The New Media Breakfast Glasgow is on the 26th March at No.29,
Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow.

You can book your place below.

COMPLIMENTARY FOR 29 MEMBERS

This event is complimentary to 29 Members - If you are a member you
should email Malcolm to reserve your place.

I look forward to seeing you on the 26th.