Date: Tuesday, 21st May

Time: 6pm - 8:30pm

Location: Manchester


The Chapter Meetings will begin in all cities at 6pm with coffees, teas and a buffet.

Speakers (tbc) will begin at around 6.30pm and speakers sessions, discussions and Q&A activities will run until around 8.30pm.

From 8.30pm until close attendees will have the chance to network and talk further over a glass of wine.


To attend this meeting email Richard Draycott.

DATE: Tuesday 21st May 2013
TIME: 6:45pm
LOCATION: The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX
PRICE: £75 for 5 sessions OR book with "Build Your Own Website" (10 sessions total) for just £135.


Using free software, you will learn to design, and create your own Posters, Flyers, Letterheads, Business cards and more. Suitable for complete beginners, participants will need to bring a laptop.


Week 1 - Design principles.

R+D - good design Vs Bad Design.
What is your message.
What assets do you need to bring this message across (text, pics).
Font selection and why this is important.


Week 2 - Learning the software.

Breaking the rules then reining back!


Weeks 3 + 4 - Design

Making a template for:
Poster
Flyer
Letterhead
Business
Email Signature


Week 5 - Appraisal

Group feedback


Trainer: Matthew Thomas

Matthew taught Creative photography and Graphics at Liverpool Community College for 3 years and Mary Seacole House for 15 years. A graphic designer who designs for bands, theatre companies, councils and many more, he has also worked a typesetter for Conde Nast (Vogue & GQ publishers).


To attend this productive event please click here!

Date: Wednesday 22nd May 2013
Time: 5:30pm
Venue: The Rose Bowl, Leeds Metropolitan University
Price: Free

Following a course in Law and IT, Anna opened her own digital marketing company with 3 business partners, employing 11 members of staff, with offices in Manchester and Tel Aviv. She has worked with household names from The Amy Winehouse Foundation and MoneySupermarket to Wonga and Expedia EA

She won Young Businesswoman of the Year 2012 in the Women in Business Awards and her agency was been shortlisted as one of a handful of nominations in the City of Manchester Business Awards 2013, Best Start Up category.

All events are free of charge, also offering a great opportunity to network amongst a range of successful entrepreneurs, generate new business contacts and enjoy our complimentary buffet.

Leeds Enterprise Network - May 2013 - More Information & Tickets

DATE: Thursday 23rd May 2013
TIME: 9am - 5pm
LOCATION: Blackfriars St, M3 2EQ, Manchester
PRICE: Conference Pass (£125 + VAT)

You and hundreds of other business professionals from the world’s most influential brands will learn the secrets of digital marketing success in a unique event that will push boundaries, re-write rules and leave you with no alternative but to succeed. Guaranteed.

Digital Marketing

Creating a plan to prioritise on the right digital marketing investments
How digital marketers can learn new tricks from the Growth Hackers
Using Analytics to drive performance
10 of the latest developments you need to act on in the 6 key digital communications channels

Organic Search

What types of data can be structured data?
Why do we need to call-out structured data?
How do I implement this?
How do I test it’s working on my pages?
What are the benefits to my business

Email Marketing

How to improve your data acquisition and make sure you're legal at the same time
Ideas that can help your campaigns create more impact across all devices
What can be done to help get your message into the users inbox
Which stats are important and how successful has your campaign really been

PPC

Mobile specific strategies using Enhanced Campaigns
Local strategies using Enhanced Campaigns
Conversion tracking and reporting using Enhanced Campaigns
Ad optimisation using Enhanced Campaigns
How Enhanced Campaigns will affect other AdWords products (Product Listing Ads, GDN, Scheduling, Conversion Optimiser and more)
How to switch to Enhanced Campaigns if you already have a mobile or tablet strategy
How to switch to Enhanced Campaigns if you do not yet have a mobile strategy

Mobile

How mobile can be a positive tool in reducing business costs
The importance of understanding your users and their needs
Why it's vital to respond to customer demand and criticism

Content Marketing

The importance of digital content to your brand
Planning and structuring content
How to scale content
Measuring content ROI

Social Media

How to develop a cross channel brand presence and tone of voice for your business
How to measure social media success
Key tools of the trade. How to develop a B2B social media presence
How to use Google+ for business for search and social synergy

What else?

Network with Marketers, Business Owners, Copywriters, Designers, Brand Managers, Analysts, Account Managers, PR Managers, Event Managers, Social Media Experts from a whole range of SME & corporate businesses from the north & surrounding areas.
Enjoy a sumptuous lunch and as much coffee as you can handle in Manchester city centre.
Earn CPD points
A guaranteed seat for every speaker session
Use the FREE Wi-Fi to keep up with your working day and implement your new strategies straight away

To attend this great learning event please click here!

As one of the UK’s largest industry events, we were amongst a real mix of businesses and individuals from across the digital, direct, data, CRM and social media sectors. We managed to catch up with a few familiar faces and met some new acquaintances too...

                                       

After a wander around and a quick coffee, first up was the Manchester Digital’s Cartologie panel debate. Led by Richard Hudson, Chair of Cartologie Network; panellists included Steven Whitehead, Group Commercial Director at The Hut Group; Alan Williamson, Head of eCommerce at Thomas Cook Scheduled Businesses; and last but not least, Rob Smith, Director of Strategy at Blueleaf.

During the debate, the three industry professionals shared their thoughts on the North West’s reputation as a leading location to build an eCommerce business, and went on to explain ways in which we can continue to keep this status as a region. Although there were a few technical issues at the beginning of the session which involved a bit of shouting and re-shuffling around the room, it was a positive debate and very interesting to hear their predictions of what’s to come.

Following this session we had another meander around the conference hall, checking out the stands and meeting with people we’d been tweeting throughout the morning. In a big venue like Manchester Central, social media like Twitter and Foursquare prove a big help in meeting up with other attendees you know, as well as helping know who to look out for.

After some new introductions and catch-ups, Joe from the Orchard team ventured over to the ‘Forget Social Media’ session, which was chaired by Mike Cornwell, CEO of The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM). This seminar focused on the importance of traditional marketing, highlighting how similar it actually is to the new digital age. Matt Camps, Digital Strategist at The IDM; Katrina Gallagher, Managing Director at Digitangle; and Suzanne Kay, Regional Manager at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), discussed how it’s important for us to keep aspects of our basic digital strategy, however we must work smarter by keeping up-to-date with any key changes. Although it was ironic that a session about ‘forgetting social media’ involved Q&As entirely on this topic, overall, Joe found this seminar very insightful and stimulating.

Other than the typical Manchester rain and our Managing Director, Mike Carter causing a minor rebuild of our friends at Manchester Digital’s stand, we had a great day and are already looking forward to next year!

                                       


Do your homework

Make sure you research the company thoroughly – check out their website and any other online platforms where they have presence. Get yourself some extra brownie points by mentioning a recent news story or post which has caught your eye – it shows you’re enthusiastic and interested in what they do.

Plan your outfit

We all know how good we can feel in the right outfit – it boosts confidence and gives off a great impression the minute you walk through the door. So with that in mind, iron that shirt and shine those shoes and you’ll automatically feel more poised and relaxed.

Practice makes perfect

Ask a friend or family member to sit with you whilst you explain what you know about the company. Get them to ask you challenging questions to prepare you for the worst. If you’ve been asked to present during your interview, make sure you practice in front of one or two people – rehearsing in front of someone you know is often harder than in front of a stranger, and is a great way to challenge your self-confidence. This will also enable you to get feedback in areas that you could potentially improve.

Get your beauty sleep

The better sleep you have the night before your interview, the more ‘on the ball’ you’ll be when the interviewee starts asking you questions. Also, the tired look isn’t really ‘in’ (ever), and neither is yawning throughout – this will only make you appear bored and disinterested. To help you sleep the night before, do something relaxing such as taking a bath, avoid caffeine, drink plenty of water and maybe even treat yourself to a cup of cocoa…

Fuel your brain

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so even if you’re feeling extremely nervous, make sure you eat something to get that brain going - porridge, bananas, yoghurts and fruit/nuts are all good options. Also, if you rely on that morning cuppa to get you going everyday, allow time to sit and drink your usual. The same goes for eating and drinking before an afternoon interview – your brain needs powering at all times of the day!

Keep calm

Plan your outfit and route at least a day before, to ensure that nothing can go wrong before you arrive. When you’re actually in the interview, keep eye contact as much as possible, be aware of your body language and smile. Also, don’t be afraid to laugh and be yourself when appropriate – it reveals your true personality and shows that you’re human.

Ask questions

Interviewees always ask if you have any questions, so to save yourself from stumbling or blanking on the day, prepare between three to five questions in advance. It demonstrates that you’re not afraid to query.

And finally… GOOD LUCK – you’ll be just fine!

         

Having accomplished one of the greatest managerial careers in football, the Scotsman will take his place as director for Manchester United knowing that he leaves behind a remarkable chapter in the club's, and football's history, as well as some unforgettable quotes, such as “squeaky-bum time”.

Ferguson will stand in the Old Trafford dugout for his final time as manager this Sunday afternoon when his team face Swansea City, on a day which will no doubt be extremely emotional for him, his team and Manchester United’s entire fan-base too.

As the ‘king’ of Manchester United leaves his long-term role as manager behind, we now know that the club will be welcoming current Everton manager, David Moyes to follow in his immense footsteps. Moyes has already established a strong relationship with Ferguson, and as well as building his own empire and legacy at Everton. He has shown himself to be a highly driven, passionate football man, with a very similar work ethic to Ferguson.

Whether it’s in football or any business, when recruiting for such a hugely important role, succession planning is crucial. With a first-class football club such as Manchester United already running so successfully, if a major figure leaves, it makes sense to look to replace them with a similar individual to ensure continuity – basically, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

However, if you’re in a situation where an establishment is struggling and the structure of the company may not necessarily be right, it is likely that the business will decide to have a complete shake-up, maybe bringing in a different type of individual, or even numerous roles to change the configuration of the company completely. In most cases in football, managerial change comes about following perceived failure, so major change is the norm.

Obviously each situation is different when recruiting; therefore it is vital for any business to plan as well as they can for future occurrences. Everton Football Club will now be going through the exact same process as Manchester United, and with the awareness that Moyes' contract was coming to an end and hadn't be renewed, hopefully they will have laid some groundwork already.

As an established, well run club themselves with a manager who has served them extremely well over a long period of time, do they too bring in another experienced English Premier League manager at an equivalent level, with a similar outlook, or do they go for change to bring a fresh approach? It is clear that succession planning has been fundamental for Manchester United, and will be for Everton too…

For all those avid Manchester United fans out there, you can view a picture gallery of Sir Alex Ferguson’s highlights, courtesy of the Manchester Evening News.

Founded back in May 2003 by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant, LinkedIn started out simply as a social platform enabling professionals to upload their CV’s and connect with likeminded individuals and businesses.

Having increasingly developed over the past decade, LinkedIn has certainly changed the way individuals search for jobs online and build business contacts. Gone are the days of just emailing across your CV to the Managing Director of your dream company – prospective employers are now interested in a much more personal approach to recruiting staff, and look to individuals’ colleagues and previous employers for their recommendations.

As an employer though, things can get a little unnerving if a potential candidate turns up to an interview and starts discussing the high school you attended. Which is exactly what happened to one Manchester based Marketing Director we know. He chose to deactivate his LinkedIn account soon after.

Not only has the social network adapted operationally over the years, it is also evident that LinkedIn has developed progressively on a visual basis too. Back in 2003, this was how LinkedIn looked to users…



Starting out with a very basic homepage, LinkedIn’s initial challenge was to hit 1million users, and after one month of the network being live, it reached a total of 4,500 users. Ten years on, they now have over 225,000,000 registered members using the latest version – with more than 11,000,000 users in the UK alone!

To celebrate its first decade as a company, LinkedIn uploaded a brief history gallery to show how it’s evolved into a dynamic social network for businesses and individuals around the world. Take yourself along LinkedIn’s journey so far at ourstory.linkedin.com.

All our team are active on LinkedIn, as you'd expect, and they're always happy to connect to people involved in the digital, creative and marketing sectors. You can follow our Orchard Linkedin Company Page too.

Related Blog Posts:

• Follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook and say hello on Linkedin
• Your CV & Social Media profiles: Honesty really is the only policy, as the search engines never forget
• Facebook: Friend or Foe?
• Can Companies Afford To Neglect Social Media Customer Service?