The 2011 Appletree Christmas Card Awards

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for! The 2011 Appletree Christmas Card Awards! I made a number of awards last year, for the best, worst, cleverest and most pointless Christmas card – click here to read that blog. Now I’m delighted to announce the winners of the competition for Christmas 2011. The winner of Best and [...]

CSR Update for Appletree

Corporate Social Responsibility is something we hear more and more about in business. Instead of keeping our heads down and just working hard for our own ends, CSR is about looking into the wider community and environment. It’s about looking at the impact we have and about seeing where else we can all help. In [...]

How many marketing activities do you need?

In the last couple of weeks I’ve heard two different marketing presentations that give very different advice and I wanted to share them with you and let you decide which is right. More is less At the first presentation, we were shown the idea of a wheel with a number of spokes. The presenter said [...]

How WordPress.com can help businesses in the short-term

I read blogging blogs that exalt the virtues of WordPress and what a fantastic platform it is to create a blog. But what they are mainly talking about is WordPress.org, the sophisticated version that is independently hosted, and can perform in total synchrony with your website, or even become your whole website! But its problem [...]

What’s the best marketing you’ve done this year?

What marketing have you done that has really worked? What have you done that hasn’t been a great success? What was your best effort and what will you be doing more of less of next year? 2010 has been a busy year for Appletree so we’ve taken a look at the different marketing we’ve done, with [...]

How would a blog work in the 19th century?

Blogging is definitely a 21st century phenomenon. So why am I thinking of it in Victorian terms? Quite some time ago I posted a question on LinkedIn asking how would a Victorian gentleman view blogging. The responses were as varied as they were interesting, some even replying as if they were Victorian gentlemen themselves! Apart [...]

How consistent is your corporate image?

Some of the things I have accomplished since working at Appletree is to create this blog and maintain its social networking activities. I was very keen to make sure the corporate identity of Appletree was consistent, and Chantal and I focused on the big blue apple posing against the green ones, which signifies a business that stands [...]

Using video testimonials to spread the word

A few weeks ago I went to a really good workshop on social media. I picked up lots more tips about using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter that we’ll be passing on to you through this blog, through our newsletter, Scribbles, and through Twitter (follow us @TopMarketingTip). At the end of the session, the presenter, Nigel [...]

5 ways to promote your blog

I keep an eye on many LinkedIn Groups, especially ones about blogging, and one question was asked ‘What are your 5 favourite ways to promote a blog?’. Well, I couldn’t resist! So here they are: 1. Writing great content with excellent SEO through carefully chosen keywords. 2. Adding your blog to blogging directories to encourage [...]

Do you need to blow your own trumpet?

1. No, you don’t need to blow your own trumpet As a Marketing Consultant, I earn a living from telling people about how great my clients are. They pay me to blow their trumpets, so in this sense, the answer is definitely no. You can pay someone else to do it for you. If you’re [...]