Month: October 2021

Jetting off to Twitter Space(s)

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing
Round Twitter Logo grahic on the background of different shades of blue circles

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As you may have heard, Twitter has recently announced it’s new, modernising feature called Twitter Spaces. Describing their new addition as “a place to come together”, we certainly set our expectations high as we eagerly waited to test it out first-hand. Finally, as it become available to the general public, we thought we’d give you a rundown of its key functions.

What is Twitter Spaces?

Spaces is an audio feature that resembles an online chatroom. It allows participating users to congregate within a Twitter group and use the voice messaging function to engage in live conversations. All Spaces are public access meaning that every user can join any chosen Space as a listener – except for those blocked through the account of course. When you create a Space or are a speaker in one, the Space will appear at the top of your timeline visible to your account followers.

The user creating the Space is the host and can select co-hosts as well as speakers through sending a request once the group is established. When created, a maximum of 13 users can be speakers, while listeners can request for speaking permission to be granted by the host. Account holders wanting to create a Space need to reach a minimum of 300 Twitter followers and once they have done so, they will then be able to host and speak.

Improving on inclusivity

Twitter has actively encouraged users to utilise a certain feature of Spaces, hoping to improve upon the platform’s inclusivity. The first time a user creates a Space or is a speaker within one, consent is requested for live time speech captions to be made while using the Space. When consent is granted, it allows users to click a ‘Show captions’ button, allowing them to view live captions of all hosts and speakers who gave their permission. Changes to live captions can be carried out at any point within your device settings and play a major role in improving experiences for users with hearing impairments.

A safe Space for Everyone

Many of the settings can be modified and changed from its default settings to personalise your space, but there are also safety measures put in place to maintain online security. Twitter will have access to copies of Space audio messages/captions for one month, during which an evaluation and rule violation reviews take place. If any rules were deemed broken, Twitter then retains the right to hold those copies for an additional three months during which counter appeals can be made. Users will also be able to report Spaces as well as any accounts within the groups, while hosts and co-hosts will be able to keep their Spaces safe by blocking offending users and removing them from the Space.

Business benefits of Twitter Spaces

While Spaces is available for everyone, businesses are also gaining many unique advantages from the new feature. Spaces is already proving to be a beneficial tool in business marketing and communication as it provides a direct and personal way of interacting with your audiences while being in full control of the conversation. It opens doors to fantastic new opportunities for customer engagement such as:

  • Regular/semiregular Networking Events
  • Q&A Sessions
  • Offering advice and business support
  • Interviews
  • Open-mic discussions about new products and services
  • Discussing changes and upcoming events

Currently a full version of Twitter Spaces is only available on iOS and Android, however Space on the web will likely be an addition in the future. If you’d like to discuss any of the subjects we’ve touched upon or any other matters, make sure to reach out to our team. We’d love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions.

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

The Benefits Of Offering Personalised Business Experiences

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing
Someone sitting at a table with an onpen laptop while using a tablet for online shopping

Online businesses and e-commerce are continuing to thrive well into 2022, successfully adapting to the market’s ever-changing demands. While personalisation frequently gets lost in the process, a tailored experience is often the biggest factor behind a returning customer. A product or service meeting both your individual requirements and expectations can be anything from a flexible arrangement to product suggestions based on your purchase history, but as we delve deeper into the significance of a personalised experience, it’s clear that it deserves to be on every business’ priority list.

Feeling heard and understood

Being on the receiving end of information that is not relevant or helpful is not only frustrating, but also a common occurrence for many customers. Many businesses make the mistake of overwhelming its clientele with impersonal advertisement and spam like marketing, ultimately straining their customer relationships. While advertisement and sales are undoubtedly important, the most effective way of getting your service considered is through presenting it in a way that is pertinent to your audience. It helps the customer feel understood as well as building trust, which is crucial for future interaction. The simplest way of utilising personalised marketing is through:

  • Product recommendation – Many softwares offer personalised recommendations using tools that study our online behaviour and purchase choices. They review our preferred content and present us with similar and relevant products using predictive data information. The technology mimics a personal shopper and immediately bestows a friendly interaction between the business and its customers.
  • Location targeting – Location based advertisements allow for the targeting of customers in a predetermined area as well as, delivering advertisements based on the customers visited locations. It’s a fantastic tool in building the feeling of relevance and providing relevant recommendations. The method is proven to be equally cost effective as well as offering higher precision.
  • Social media presence – Apart from boosting visibility and brand awareness, social media is an incredibly efficient way to engage with consumers. In our day to day lives social media is mostly used in keeping up to date with our friends, peers, or interests and thus by association it already draws a parallel to the clienteles’ personal lives. It creates a sense of community between a business and its audience, while encouraging direct interaction, brand loyalty and revisiting.
  • Personalised emails – Targeted and personalised emails may just be the reason behind the message not being immediately moved to the junk folder. While mundane, impersonal emails often get treated as spam, personalised emails prove effective in getting audience attention. From the welcome, anniversary or birthday emails to the well-known “did you forget to check out?”, it’s those finer details that make the experience feel so tailored and customised.
  • Webpage greetings – Much like personalised emails, webpage greeting can really spruce up the visuals of your site. Many webpages opt for a “Welcome back” message as well as a “Thank you for your purchase” or a “See you soon” which creates the feeling of an established bond through informal greetings. If logged in to an existing account, the registered account holder name may be featured alongside the greetings – adding the final touch of personalisation.

Instant results

After the introduction of personalised marketing features, many businesses see immediate benefits. Customer feedback and satisfaction rates are higher, as well as general consumer engagement increasing across all platforms. Brand affinity and trust improves, while more customers return, creating more stable sales. Finally, the overall brand reputation improves and the overall revenue spikes.

We hope you’ve found our blog helpful, if you’d like to chat about your thoughts, ideas, or anything else, please get in touch! We’re always happy to help and share our experience:

makeithappen.. E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com T: 01903 688789

Supporting digital inclusion through collaboration and by giving back

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support
Get Online Week poster with various business logos

Have you heard of Get Online Week? It is a digital inclusion campaign run by the Good Things Foundation and has been going for over 20 years. For an entire week in October, thousands of events in communities across the UK are curated and organised with the aim of giving everyone the chance to find the help they need to improve their digital skills.

65% of adults

think that keeping their digital skills up to date will be important for their future (Good Things Foundation, 2020)

It’s been a challenging few years and one thing has become abundantly clear; businesses, community groups and individuals need and want to gain more digital skills, knowledge and confidence.

Pre-pandemic, local community group WorthingDigital regularly put on informational talks and events covering a range of topics from blockchain to augmented reality to social media marketing. During the first lockdown period, WorthingDigital teamed up with CityFibre to organise Get Online Week events to support the Worthing business community, delivered by professionals happy to share their knowledge and expertise. You can actually still learn from them too, as they are on the WorthingDigital YouTube channel.  

This year, WorthingDigital continue to support this digital inclusion campaign in collaboration with CityFibre and partners with an even wider range of online talks and a very exciting in-person event as well. Topics include Internet safety and security, make your own website, social media marketing and mental health, to name a few.

Mark Ford and John Dalziel, founders of WorthingDigital say:

“After a year when everything went online, digital literacy has never been more important. WorthingDigital is very glad to be supporting Get Online Week again this year.”

Anyone is welcome to join these free sessions, please visit www.gow2021.com to see what’s on throughout the week starting October 18th.

A highlight of the week will be a mental health talk which marks the first in person WorthingDigital event since lockdown. ‘Why I put my name next to death: Art, death and curiosity’ with Louise Harman, winner of the University of Sussex Social Impact Award 2021 is on Thursday, October 21st at 6pm in the new Freedom Works Digital Hub on Stoke Abbot Road, Worthing. It’s free to attend but places are limited so please let us know you’re coming on the event Meetup. We look forward to seeing you!

James Hobson, Regional Marketing Manager for CityFibre in the South says:

“I’m so proud to be a part of this initiative, which has grown year on year.  In today’s world, digital confidence and skills are so important, brought into even sharper focus with the pandemic.

At CityFibre we look to leave a lasting legacy in all our full fibre locations across the UK and this is a great example of the difference we can make working alongside dedicated and innovative local experts.”

Guest blog post written by Meg Fenn, contract designer and marketer, champion of creativity, and WorthingDigital committee member.

4 Simple Ways To Optimise Your Home-working Environment

MOMENTUM Business Support Health & Wellbeing, Home Working
White wooden desk with an open laptop, headphones, mobile, house plant , camera and mug

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Many of us have experienced less than perfect working environments, but with work-from-home roles on the rise we can finally take the reins and customise our working space. As employees across the world reap the benefits of ‘home offices’, we decided it was about time to share our top tips for how you too can optimise the space you work in. 

It all starts with light

The backbone of one’s general wellbeing is light, and without a good natural source it’s easy to feel run down. Natural light is known to effectively improve health and wellbeing among humans; it stimulates the production of vitamin D, improves bone health, and is a proactive element of good sleep. Studies have shown that a lack of sunlight has a significant impact on our Cortisol levels which can often trigger SAD (seasonal affective disorder), evoking feelings of stress and anxiety during periods of low sunlight exposure. The immediate solution is to set up your working space in an area with a good natural light source such as by a window or near a glass door. If you are more sensitive to light, try setting up in indirect light but make sure that your environment is still well lit throughout.

A little bit of green, a lot less stress 

In recent years, designers have been incorporating the colour green into a series of public spaces. From restaurants to libraries, green has been popping up more and more, soothing with its calming tones. According to colour psychology, colour wavelength has a significant impact on our emotions. Those with a longer wavelength such as red can evoke feelings of excitement and warmth, while others with shorter lengths such as green can stimulate a sense of soothing and calmness. So, if you’re not ready for a bold wall colour, one of the best ways of making your workspace greener is by introducing plants. Not only do live plants improve air quality in the home, but they also aid in minimizing stress, staying alert and promoting creativity. Surrounded by plants you will boost your morale while catching a glimpse of that all-important colour green. 

Differentiate your downtime

Home-based roles have revolutionised millions of offices, however when working remotely it is vital to exercise a level of self-control. Mental associations can play a big part on our performance, thus separating your work from your downtime can be an great start to optimising your environment. The quality of work is often much lower when in a proximity to a bed, as well as our sleeping schedules falling victim to reduced amounts of melatonin from extensive computer usage. When able to, set up your home office away from the bedroom and you will soon discover the advantages. If you find yourself without an alternative, try to keep distance between the desk and your bed or opt for a physical divide with the use of smart furnishings. Finally, limit the use of electronic devices in/before bed and experience a restful start to your working day.

Calm your senses

Humans have five basic senses: touch, sight, smell, hearing, and taste, each one with an idiosyncratic system that analyses the world around us. Feeding us information about our surroundings, they can often be a catalyst for many behaviours in the workplace.

  • To appeal to your sense of touch, choose appropriate and comfortable clothing. Softer, breathable fabrics will make you more comfortable and could aid confidence. Consider upgrading your office chair to better your posture. 
  • Surround yourself with positive reinforcement and pleasant visuals. Photos, plants and personalised items can help to make one inspired. Try keeping your space tidy, but don’t overdo it, as an empty office can often feel impersonal and cold. 
  • Many studies have proven that scent has a multitude of effects on the brain. While aromas such as chamomile and lavender can calm an overactive mind, cinnamon and rosemary are known to improve concentration as well as attention. 
  • While working from home, many of us have experienced auditory distractions. When possible, try minimising outside noise through headphones or soundproofing foam – a fantastic tool that improves any home office. Alternatively, if you struggle with working in silence, consider office-friendly white noise (available through most streaming platforms). 
  • When on your lunch break, it can be beneficial to choose enriching foods that stimulate your sense of taste. Snacks such as blueberries and green tea are high in antioxidants, while small portions of nuts and seeds can boost Omega 3. Though most importantly, remember to stay hydrated!

With our whole team having always worked from home, we know it can be hard to get the balances right sometimes, if you’d like to chat about your home-working ideas or anything else, please get in touch, we’re always happy to share our experience: 

makeithappen.. E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com T: 01903 688789