November rain and cache in the attic

Dear ,

Nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain. So said Guns N’ Roses in 1992. Had Axl Rose visited Bromley on a wet Wednesday in November, he might well have changed his tune. November is probably the worst month ever invented, but in the words of Abe Simpson, that doesn't mean you can't live a long and pointless life. But worry not - this month we're defying the weather and bringing you a cheery assessment of all things internet. So get yourself comfortable, pour yourself a hot water bottle, and step right up for Step Internet 6.0.

Yours,

Steppy x

It’s in the algorithm of the night

Anyone who’s ever thought of throttling a self-service checkout machine will understand that we live in an increasingly computerised world. There are millions of us who go to sleep each night with the words “unexpected item in bagging area” rattling around our brain. For the small business owner, a changing web landscape will present both opportunities and pitfalls aplenty. So, is your business technology-proof?

First, some context. According to Oxford University, new technologies could make 45% of American jobs obsolete in the next 20 years. Think about it - why hire a taxi driver if you could use a driverless vehicle? Why do we need university lecturers if you can study the course online? It surely won’t be long until cyborgs serve us coffee or retina eye scanners help us open the front door. Locksmiths beware; no one’s going to phone you up and say they’ve mislaid their eyeballs. For the small business owner, the implications are delicious and/or terrifying, depending on your perspective. “Improvements in the algorithms that translate text and speech from one language to another will one day make translators redundant,” claimed a recent Guardian piece. If you're thinking of selling products online, just imagine being able to communicate properly with customers in Lahore or Bangalore with one click of a Google Translate button. On the other hand, some experts predict technology will replace humans to such an extent that costs will become virtually zero, opening up a file-sharing utopia and a whole can of wriggly worms about whether we even need money at all.

Whilst we may lament the passing of lorry drivers and checkout girls, the stark reality is that automation, “machine learning” and cyborgs-serving-coffee are here to stay. So just like the cold November rain, we better get used to it.

How to make the most of social media

Every day we’re approached by clients asking us to help them wade through the social media jungle: in those exact words. Yes, Facebook and Twitter can seem bewildering, but with a little bit of thought, you can develop an eye-catching online marketing strategy for your business. When it comes to your Facebook content, a key word to consider is value. What can you tell your customers that they don’t already know? If you're an expert in hairstyling, say, you might want to upload videos which share tips with your followers. What’s more, you’ll want to inspire interaction, so why not think of thought-provoking questions that get your audience talking? Read more about what the experts are saying about how to make use of Facebook. Elsewhere, this blog gives some tips on visual-based content sharing. It suggests that “warm colours” like yellow, orange and red are suitably attention-grabbing for your social media uploads. And finally, whatever you’re doing online, make sure you include Google + in your thinking, says this blog. All things considered, when it comes to social media strategy, a little bit of planning goes a long way.