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Brace yourself for the Digital Revolution. It’s only just begun.

If you've grown wary of all the New Media hype, put your scepticism on hold. Far from petering out, argues Paul G. Roberts, digital technology’s effect on information and communication, in all of our interconnected lives, is guaranteed to keep accelerating. In this first of two parts, Roberts traces the origins of information sharing from prehistoric times to the present day. We have come a long way -- and even with media communications more democratic than ever, there's still plenty of room to grow.

Fatigued by sexy ads? Six sneaky methods marketers use on Facebook

The goal for every marketer who uses Facebook is twofold: first, to find creative ways for their target audience to ‘Like’ their page and secondly to engage with the content on their wall. Many times, that can involve some questionable methods for winning consumers over.

The importance of investor relations in today’s market

The Global Financial Crisis, from its early roots in 2008, has been a tumultuous period to endure – as the name suggests. Australian companies have been faced with global contagion that's influenced our market through European economic bailouts, soaring unemployment rates, and a fall in export sales caused by a high Australian dollar. Many CEOs are worried investors won’t inject money into their company while the world is stuck in what appears to be a sustained bear market period. The same CEOs seem to think it’s better to keep a low profile; playing it safe rather than trying engage with potential investors.

You don’t have to be a designer to think creatively

By enhancing your creative thinking you can benefit many different areas of your business and even your life. These range from marketing strategy to business development, improving your problem-solving skills and exploring new markets.

Do you know your competitors as well as you know yourself?

How well do you really know your competitors? No doubt, you are probably aware of your main business rivals but do you have some level of intelligence at your fingertips? How much do you know about what they do, what your customers think about them and how your business matches up? Understanding your competition can give you a new perspective on your own business and is an important step when planning your marketing strategy.

Strategic insights – were they behind the couch the whole time?

Most successful business owners are on the hunt for strategic insights or what I call ‘light bulb moments’ - revelations that allow a business to take its next big step.

Five lessons learnt during THE (OK, my) Great Computer Server Meltdown of 2012

If it has ever happened to you, you know what it feels like. Last week our computer network was hacked with a Trojan. Chaos ensued. We had firewalls and anti-virus scanners running and these things still managed to get through. While you can never plan perfectly for a crisis, here are some of the big points that we’ve learnt and may very well be helpful for you and your business. Learn at my expense, rather than at yours.

Using Pinterest to engage your audience

Although Pinterest is a relatively new form of social media, it’s rapidly gaining ground. The [other] social network can be used to great effect as a way to engage your brand’s audience. Where Twitter is all about words, with Pinterest piccies matter.

From 'Gunna' to Doer: three keys to starting up smart

I left behind a well-paid senior executive role at a financial institution to start a company that takes on the secretive online broker industry. I made that decision to leap, even though I have a young family of four. So what made me do it? In reality it was very subtle – three things called confidence, perspective, and balance.

Five key principals for establishing a successful recognition program

I recently met with a company that had attempted to deliver a reward and recognition program. Despite their best efforts and intentions, it failed to inspire staff.

Measuring social media? It’s a numbers game alright, but there's more to it

Social media marketing can encompass a variety of different channels. But, deep down, it is all about conversations and interaction between your business and those online.

How to avoid committing any of the seven deadly sins of business pitching

I hate the word ‘pitch’. And yet it’s come up at least 250 times over the last six weeks. I’ve spoken with business folks at all different stages of entrepreneurship – from people who’ve just closed their first week in business, to those hoping to be bought out by bigwigs.

EOFY blues? Here’s light for the end of next year’s tunnel

EOFY — end of financial year — is never fun, certainly not as much as a night out. But despair not. If you start now — and do all the smart things — your next EOFY could be a walk in the park. To set you on the right track, here are top 10 tips from MYOB:

The shelf life of thank you

A culture of recognition has to start at the top. ‘Thank you for doing a great job’ acknowledges exceptional staff behaviour and costs nothing to say.

What’s in a (business) name? More than the bard bargained for

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” the Bard of Avon wrote, memorably. But it is not a spirit that is widely imbibed in the world of business. The easier thing is to simply copy the name, or, shall we say, brand. Just what is the importance of a business name?

Five ways to get a pay rise

Is it time to channel your inner rap star? Nope, not the crotch grabbing, Kim Kardashian dating part, although… We’re talking about making those dolla dolla bills, y'all.

I'm calling for a design revolution! Why designing a product should be hard, not...

People like easy. People like simple. People like comfortable. So, why do so many things that we experience on a daily basis seem to be the opposite? The only possible difficulty concerning ease of use should be in the initial design of that ease of use. Things themselves need to be easy to use.

What to look for when recruiting sales people

Selling is increasingly complex, which means sales recruitment is critical. Many managers prioritise sales experience in the recruitment process, but this can prove a big mistake. By focusing on industry know-how, you could be seeing the same old people with the same tired ideas.

Pitching for Glory? Use a Story! 7 storytelling success secrets for entrepreneurs

Stories are what sell you as an entrepreneur. Stories get people excited about your product. They can be ugly, but they must always be authentic. Here, we lift the veil on the storytelling secrets that every entrepreneur should know and use -- and guarantee that your pitches will never be the same again!

Cloud computing made easy

If you hang in the right circles, you may hear variations on the concept of cloud computing. Cloud computing also goes by the name of the cloud, hosted services, utility computing, grid computing, Software as a Service (Saas), Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). With so many super-catchy titles, just what the heck is it? So glad you asked…
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