Lara's Log

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Older Entries
Newer Entries

Kraft work well in the online realm

Posted by: on: January 12, 2010

Kraft shows how a large consumer retailer can target its users effectively with their launch of iPhone apps.  They are
focusing on providing ‘real services and real solutions’ and taking advantage of the increased interactivity of their
consumers.  They’re behind the iFood Assisstant – helps you decide what to have for dinner tonight while your in the
supermarket.  They’ve also developed the Trisket Small Plates app, which helps you figure out what wines goes with what
snacks or meals.  Nothing ground breaking in the concept, well executed and genuinely useful products.
They also collaborated with American Greeetings to get into the inboxes of many American moms. American Greetings, Kraft Foods got together to “spread holiday cheer…an e-card program that benefits Feeding America, the nation’s leading
hunger-relief charity.” The original target was 1 million meals, but this has been smashed and a new target of 3 million
meals donated has been set. A great example of a traditional product based company utilising the internets to great effect.
More info on the apps: http://adage.com/video/article?article_id=141020 (click on the third box on the right)
More info on the collaboration with American Greetings.
Tags: ,

Search Share has changed with Microsoft and Google rising and Yahoo! dropping

Posted by: on: January 12, 2010

Not great news for Y! (who helped spawn Google btw), who have already signed a deal to farm out much of its search operation to Microsoft and if it loses more of its share of the search market, will reduce the value of the deal with MSN.

Yahoo! also saw French engineers go on strike this week. Strikes, in France? Surely not I hear you cry. Sarcasm aside, they were striking because Carol Bartz, Yahoo!’s new CEO wants to close down the R&D center and put 78 engineers out of work. Their ultimate come back is to start a blog…using Google’s software. Ouch.

More info on Search Share: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/google-and-bing-keep-rising-while-yahoo-drops-again/

More info (and video) about the strike: http://yahoo-it-was-you.blogspot.com/

Tags: , , ,

Google bids $500 million on Yelp

Posted by: on: January 12, 2010

If you’re anything like me when I read that headline, you’re thinking…who the hell is Yelp and why should I care? Well
gather round til I tell all…
According to the site, “Yelp is the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what’s great – and not so great – in
your area.”
In cold hard facts, Yelp is an local-social network with about 26 million users across the US, Canada and the UK.  I’m
thinking of it as a kind of TripAdvisor meets Facebook…and Google has its eyes on it, bidding TEN times over the
estimated generated revenue to get its gFingers all over it.  But why?
Google is focused on developing more local content, as that what users (i.e. us) want, don’t you know.  Anyway, Yelp has a lot of eyeballs looking at it each month – roughly 8.5 million a month at last count – to read its user generated content on topics specific to local locations.  Acquiring Yelp will mean Google has direct access to this content while simulataneously providing fantastic advertising space opportunities for Google’s advertisers.
What’s that got to do with us? Directly? Probably not much. But it does represent another step towards total gDomination. Which depending on how much you believe their ‘Do no evil’ motto is a good or bad thing.
More info on this: http://searchengineland.com/google-to-buy-yelp-for-500-million-32174
Tags: ,

Today’s Musings

Posted by: on: January 12, 2010

Things that have happened in the eWorld this week. A review of lots of stuff…not everything but most of what caught my eye this week.

Google Phone begins to Buzz

Google this week allowed the first of its gPhones, the Nexus One, roam free in the ‘wild’ in the relative safety of a select technology bloggers and lucky Google employees.  The latest in the smartphone generation and hearlded as a step away from traditional mobile phones, which are tethered to money hungry mobile phone companies, the Nexus One was to demonstrate what life would be like on entirely VOIP networks. VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones would need only Internet access to connect make and receive calls, texts, etc.  In reality, it doesn’t. Or rather, it doesn’t, yet. It is slimmer and faster than the Droid, and is ‘much nicer looking in person than in pictures’. BTW, smartphones are set to account for 50% of all mobiles sold in 2010. Time to get rid of the ol’ brick Nokia one then I guess http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/14702/comms/smart-phones-to-account-for-50pc-of-all-mobiles-sold-in-2010

More details

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/hands-on-with-the-google-phone-nexus-one-super-snappy-but-not-a-voiponly-phone-1844814.html

1st hand account: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/exclusive-google-nexus-one-hands-on/

Today’s Musings Update

Posted by: on: December 3, 2009

View of Edinburgh from Edinburgh CastleWow, it’s been a while since my last post – my bad!

A lot has happened since then, most important being that I’ve moved from my home town of Dublin, Ireland to Edinburgh, Scotland!

I’m now working as an SEO Specialist for Dmarkable – the online marketing section for PR company, Beattie Communications.  Have only been here a little while, but really enjoying it – keeping busy and getting to wax lyrical about the wonders on online marketing to a whole new country! So far no haggis or anything deep fried but I have seen my fair share of kilts and hear ‘och aye’ on pretty much a daily basis.

In between meetings with clients, I’ve been able to read up on all stuff that I didn’t have time for previously…as well as checking out some pretty cool sites.  I plan on commenting on these as and when I see/ read/ digest them.

Most recently I’ve been playing around on Google Wave.  Still finding my way around it – have no idea if I’m using it correctly, but thoroughly enjoying the instant messaging influence.  It reminds me of a mix between Twitter, Email, Facebook, and Project Planner software.  You can organise ‘Waves’ on any topic you wish, people can search for these topics and join/ collaborate with you on said topics – Simples! As a certain cravat wearing mammal is fond of saying.

So far I’ve joined a WhiskyWave, which seems to be going splendidly. Don’t you just love it when work and pleasure combine?  Am planning on creating a couple of waves myself – one on SEO in Scotland, and another on New in Edinburgh.

Will update as they occur. In the meantime my Google Wave address (or Wavdress as I like to call it)  is larawalsh@googlewave.com.

While I’m at it, my Twitter account is twitter.com/crofttie

LinkedIn: ie.linkedin.com/in/larawalshlinkedin

L

Tags: , , , ,

Today’s Musings

Posted by: on: August 25, 2009

Today I’m off to London to find my fortune…all the while visiting friends and viewing the sites.

Will update on my return.

Til then,
Lara

Today’s Musings

Posted by: on: August 22, 2009

Today I updated the site with more details on the projects I’ve completed this year…so far!

Photos and images to come.

Lara

Project: FreightFox

Posted by: on: August 22, 2009

First work done on FreightFox was to rearrange the home page and add text that explained what the site was about and how to use it. This was to help SEO but more importantly to benefit the user’s experience.

Once that was completed, I set about editing the meta tags to include keywords and creating text on pages to include keywords also.

Following this, I set about tackling the question of how to develop news, job and resource sections.  This resulted in deciding to create an entirely new site with it’s own .ie domain name.  I also decided to use WordPress to publish it.  This was decided from a number of factors: time, cost, and ease of use for future administrators of the site.

After conducting research on the themes available, I settled on Atahualpa as it was easily customisable and provided the core parts needed.

Plugins used:

  • Add to Any
  • All in One SEO
  • Bad Behaviour
  • Breadcrumb NavXT
  • Contact Form 7
  • Executable PHP Widget
  • Google Ajax Search
  • Hackadelic Sliding Notes
  • OIOPublishers
  • PS Auto Sitemap
  • Register Plus
  • Report Post
  • Role Manager
  • SpamShiv Lite
  • WP-RSS Import
  • WP to Twitter

I also worked with a programmer to develop our own FreightFox plugin. This enables us to relate pages to each other based on certain topics. The idea behind this is so that when someone posts a press release, they can relate it to their profile on FreightFox.

Aside from the actual creation of the site, I have also developed FreightFox’s online presence through the creation of a Facebook page and Twitter Account, as well as publishing press releases online and leaving comments on industry specific blogs and forums where possible.

I also created and implemented a number of email campaigns, announcing the launch of the site, as well as promotions for the printed directory itself. This was done using Constant Contact.

I also designed a number of designs for the site also, using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

I also managed PPC campaigns for FreightFox using Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Project: Irish International Freight Association

Posted by: on: August 22, 2009

Malahide Promotions were asked to work on promoting the Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) upcoming Diploma course.  The following campaign was decided upon:

  • Press releases announcing the diploma course were placed:
    • In the IIFA newsletter and on their website,
    • On Chambers Ireland website and magazine,
    • On online press release sites such as 24-7pressrelease.com, and
    • Submitted to trade magazines and newspapers
  • Creation of video to be posted on the IIFA website and YouTube.  Press releases were created announcing the use of YouTube as an advertising medium for the diploma and distributed as the previous press releases.
  • Creation of Facebook page for the IIFA, with the view of providing course information for the participants as well as providing a space for them to discuss issues or topics.

The success of this campaign was evident from a full attendance of the course.  Additionally, the publicity of the IIFA has been greatly increased through these efforts.

Tags: , , , , ,

Project: Malahide Pilates

Posted by: on: August 22, 2009

I worked with Annette Cashell to create this site from scratch.  I used WordPress for this site as it met with the time, budget and usability constraints.

The theme used is the Diet Theme, with a different main image.

After consulting with Annette, it clear that she wanted to be recognised for qualified pilates classes in Malahide and Portmarnock.  With this in mind, the name malahidepilates.com was selected and the text on the site was created to optimise the site for keywords such as “pilates classes in Malahide”.

I recommended that the site structure contain pages titled About Pilates, Benefits of Pilates in order to help with the sites’ SEO.

I worked with Annette to write the text of the site, to maximise its SEO – including keywords in the text and in the meta tags and images.

I have also subsequently added a flash video to the home page, which cycles through testimonials from her clients.

Tags: , , , ,

Older Entries
Newer Entries

Categories

Blog at WordPress.com.