Upcoming changes to Facebook for Business Pages

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Category: Businesses

Created on Saturday, 20 January 2018 10:53

Written by Northern Living

Facebook have for some considerable time pretty much required business Pages to pay to 'Boost' their posts in order to gain more reach. There have been ways for businesses to circumvent this by sharing their post into local interest groups or For Sale groups. However the upcoming changes to the Facebook algorithm are likely to put an end to this, or at the least be very restrictive. We've already seen some clients ability to share into groups disabled for up to seven days for this activity. Including ourselves!

There are ways you can still reach your existing customers and those who have 'Liked' your Page, but it does require some interaction from them. In order for your potential customers to see all your business posts it is necessary for them to select the 'See First' option. It may well be worth encouraging them to follow the steps below before these changes come into place:-

1. Find your Page on Facebook.
2. Click the down arrow on the 'Following' tab
3. Change the 'In your News Feed' preference from 'Default' to 'See First'

Obviously not all businesses use Facebook as a promotional tool, but it is expected by the public for most types of business. Although the Boost post option will undoubtedly bring considerably greater numbers of views to a given post it is not the most targeted approach. For example, if you choose to boost within a certain geographic area this approach is similar to the old fashioned leaflet drop. You know for a fact that at least 90% of those leaflets will end up in the bin unread. On Facebook this can be a somewhat damaging one way street. Once a Facebook user has selected 'Block all from.....' you will never be able to present your products or services to them again, unless they change their preferences.

Many local businesses are now actively researching alternatives to Facebook. Many of whom are showing considerable interest in listings sites such as Gumtree. Once a very clunky and underused service Gumtree has not been stagnant. Vast improvements have been made over recent years resulting in a much more user friendly interface and considerably greater numbers of regular users especially in the UK. We are not suggesting that you put all your eggs in any specific basket, but you would be well advised to reappraise your approach regarding Facebook as a cost effective tool.

The official Facebook post can be found here

The Plastic crisis?

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Category: Businesses

Created on Tuesday, 16 January 2018 18:56

Written by Northern Living

There are vast concerns about the amount of single use plastic which ends up in landfill, in our seas or simply blowing around your area when it's windy and the re-cycle bins blow over. Rightly so.

But have any of us actually stopped and thought about who is responsible? Presently we have a 5p “Tax” on single use plastic bags at Supermarkets. The revenue is supposed to go to local Environmental Causes. Have you heard of any of your local Supermarkets giving large sums of money to local Environmental Causes? Has your cause benefited in any way shape or form? I fear generally the answer is no.

Let us put a slightly different angle on this.

When you go to the Supermarket to buy a lettuce, have you ever found the words “ I don't want that one, the half plastic cover has come off” slipping inadvertently through your clenched teeth? I'm guessing not, unless you happen to be shopping at your workplace after shift and have been subliminally programmed. They will tell you that the plastic covering is to preserve freshness. All lies, I afraid. It's all about profits. It they can force their suppliers it insert said lettuce in a half plastic covering before boxing them for them all the better. They will also be obliged to stick the label on the plastic for them which carries the four digit product number and a bar code. How does this increase profit? Well they don't need staff training for the checkout operators to tell the difference between an Iceberg, Red Leaf Lettuce or indeed a Spring lettuce . Because they've burdened their supplier with the packaging and presentation the staff simply need to lay the tray on the shelves and let the customers take what they want. Bonus, they can send the cardboard back to their suppliers to dispose of and they'll never see the plastic again. Win -Win.

Extend this concept to plastic cocktail sticks, plastic straws, plastic coffee cups, plastic once only use water bottles, plastic meat trays and coverings, frozen goods bags......

The next proposal as a “tax” on once only use coffee cups. When an organically waxed degradable paper cup would do the job just as well.

So who should pay? Not you the consumer, I'm quite sure. You didn't request all the excess plastic packaging.

So how is this for an idea? Make the coffee chains and supermarkets pay the “tax” themselves and guarantee that they cannot pass the cost to you, the consumer. Stand at the checkout and simply say “Not I don't want a 5p bag or a bag for life, I want a paper bag with handles free of charge” and stand your ground. Or in the coffee shop simply say “It's to go, in a paper cup if you please”. You might be defeated on the first few visits, but if you start stripping all the plastic off your goods and leaving them behind they will soon get the message. Especially if we all do it....

There is no room for profit over people. There is less room for profit over the planet....

A bit of advice for Job applicants

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Category: Businesses

Created on Saturday, 18 February 2017 16:20

Written by Northern Living

This is not in any way intended as self promotion. But we though that a little advice from 'Those old dudes' might be of interest. After all some of, or all of, the people running businesses will be in our age group.

(1) Let's settle this first so we get the offense out of the way. We do not owe you a job. We want you to earn a good living whilst making us money. That is how it works. if you think you can do better, you might like to find the funding to start your own business?

(2) This is more to do with our ability than yours. However, if you send us a phone picture of your CV in various segments, via Facebook, Twitter, bogApp etc. the chances are that we won't be able to read them. You might live on and by your mobile phones but we do not. We tend to use Laptops or PCs. Mainly because we have to be able to do serious things like accounts, printing etc. If you send us a CV which we can't read due to image compression in social media sites, this is simply not our fault.

(3) On-line application forms. OK you don't link them. But we are not stupid enough to leave our email address visible on our website for every Spam-Bot on the Internet to abuse. If we provide you with a form to complete please add the correct details in the logical boxes. Name – Name, email – email etc. The Comments box is not for you to copy & paste the text content of your CV into. This results is that pretty text formatting that you have added or possibly paid to have created, being removed. All we get is the raw text. Which doesn't look overly impressive. First impressions etc. You'll find that the 'Upload CV' button works really well. As in that we actually get your CV in the format and style you intended. You'll be surprise by the number of file formats we can deal with!

(4) Pestering.... Sending messages to our Facebook page every two days is not a cool gig. Please see (1) above. We don't owe you the job of your dreams. If for whatever reason we have decided that you are not suitable for the post. Then I'm afraid no number of prompts will change our decision. You really would be better applying for another post, with somebody else, who you've not ticked off.

(5) Social Media Tagging your mates. “Look this is where I'll be wrkn” Firstly, it's not a word dude / dudess. Secondly, we can see the text in your tag and you've just reduced your chances.

(6) Silly email addresses. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is not an appropriate email address for a job application chum. IF you have three legs, effectively this should be between you or your girlfriend. I really hope she's satisfied.

(7) Weird / Obtuse / Obscene Social Media Posts. Yes you've worked out the form page. Well done you. But in doing so you've allowed us to find you on Facebook etc. Unless you've bolted your security settings down. (This will also make us suspicious). Look at what you post. Would you employ you if you were say 20 years older? Would you trust you with our customers? Would you trust you with cash?

In the day, way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth we had a comedy character called Yosser Hughes who's tag line was “Giz a Job – I can do that” - Don't be Yosser!!!!