This week Beyond Analysis are hosting one of their very popular breakfast seminars.  Beyond Analysis converts data into decisions and deliver true ROI for retailers and financial services institutions.  Their client list is impressive and includes Kingfisher Group, Robinsons (Asia) and Maplin to name but a few.  Visa liked the work Beyond Analysis did for them so much that they took a stake in the company in 2011.

We're delighted to be speaking alongside Peter Ayliffe, President & CEO of Visa Europe, who will identify the opportunities for retailers and consumers, given the mass of data now being created as a result of the changing world of payments.
Also speaking is Diana Hunter CEO, Conviviality Retail Plc. Diana will give us the convenience and grocery retail perspective on how data-led insights can deliver results for the newly IPO'd Conviviality (Bargain Booze and Victoria Wine).

To apply for a place, please email Beyond Analysis' events team with your name, job title and company name. We look forward to seeing you there!

This is a great (and beautifully styled) info graphic from Quicksprout. 

In a nutshell, to get maximum re-tweets you need to:

1. Make your tweets 100 characters
2. Say Please Retweet
3. Tweet on Friday lunchtime between noon and 2pm
4. Include a URL and a hastag.

And if you can do all of that in 100 characters or less, and make it a compelling and interesting read then you're a genius or a magician!  Good luck.

Google have just released an excellent research paper on the impact and effect of mobile searching.  They have identified the key 'what happens next' moments after someone searches on their mobile.

One of the key take-aways from this is that 55% of sales (whether online, in store or on the phone) happen within an hour of a mobile search occurring.  Google, naturally, will use that statistic to justify investment in super-targeted mobile advertising. 

The research also reveals that mobile searches are most often done at home or work in the afternoon and evening, mainly because it's "more convenient than firing up the home computer".  I wonder if, in the future, we will even identify our personal devices as mobiles as all the capabilities of tablets and smart-phones morph into one, compact super-computer. 

The full study is below and well worth a read.

Very exited to be heading to Cannes to participate in the bi-annual Visa Insights Conference.  Even more excited to be on a panel alongside the brilliant Paul Alexander from Beyond Analysis and Alastair Lukies of Monitise.

I'm speaking on a panel titled 'Unlocking the value of payments: how to monetise data (without alienating your customers)'.

In prepping for the session, I've been thinking about the key messages I think are important to get across. As per usual, it all comes back to focusing on the customer.  Customers want fast, smart and simplified shopping, regardless of what they are buying.  And they increasingly want to do so in a multi-channel environment.  Did you know whilst 51% of retail mobile searchers go onto to visit a retail website, 24% of customers actually stroll down the street and visit a physical store?

I'll update this blog more as the conference progresses - but for me, the headline message is that retailers need to increasingly view themselves as media content companies, not just shopping destinations. Brands will pay a premium to be prominently present at the 'Final Moment of Truth' when a consumer decides which product to add to their basket. And brands, naturally, as well as retailers want to reward customers for their loyalty.

And so what's one of the best ways to place the most relevant product in front of the right customer at the Final Moment of Truth leading to an increase in conversion rates? Data analysis, naturally!

Here's the final cheat sheet from the excellent Linchpin SEO.  Having worked closely with our clients on an integrated social media commercialisation strategy we are more than conscious that the little details make the biggest difference.  So, use the cheat sheet below to get ahead and ensure the maximum ROI for your Facebook channel.  Note, if you're not currently measuring your own stats based on the criteria below, then now is a good time to start!

There's a super article on LinkedIn today which talks about how FOCUS (or lack thereof) is the number one mistake that entrepreneurs make.  It's a great article and well worth a read.

In essence it says if you and your entire company can't articulate your top three priorities, then chances are you're spreading yourself too thin and won't achieve the key objectives to reach your goal.

I would say this article isn't just a must read for entrepreneurs, but also for large companies too.  My experience with working with large companies is that there is never a lack of great ideas or even entrepreneurial spirit - however, there is a common theme in an inability to execute and 'make things happen'.  Organisational structure and politics aside, if the strategic management level isn't aligned in working towards a common focus - then you can bet any amount of money that organised chaos will reign supreme beneath you.

The best idea in the world remains just that, unless you can make it happen.

The infographic below from Linchpin is fairly self explanatory.  If you want interactions for your tweets, then tweet on a weekend!

Simon Cowell this week launched The You Generation with none other than @OneDirection, the first global talent competition opened on March 20th and will close on March 30th.

This is an interesting partnership for Syco with both YouTube and Skype.  Of course it makes perfect sense asYouTube is the largest video audience in the world and Skype will promote the competition to their 250 million monthly users.  

Given that One Direction's world domination was largely fuelled by social media, all they need is one hit from the entire year and I'm sure the investment ROI will pay off handsomely.

Watch the video below for an interview with Simon and also get a sneek peek inside his office!

If you're a brand with a presence on Facebook, but only post during the week then you're missing out, according to this excellent report from LinchpinSEO.

Interaction for weekend posts is 14.5% higher than weekday posts according to their research.  Yet only 14% of posts are published on a weekend.  The full info graphic is below, sorted by industry it's' an excellent resource.

Interesting article on why Facebook ad clicks don't matter.  Slightly self serving naturally, as Facebook commissioned independent data analysis giants, Datalogix, to prove the impact of Facebook adverts as having a positive brand awareness impact and offline sales increase.

Of course this gets around the fact that the clicks on Facebook adverts are much lower than the click through rate on Google ads, even if Facebook do claim that their targeting and relevance is superior.

My take on this, if you want a direct response campaign - don't use Facebook.
If you're a huge brand and want to do a brand awareness campaign - then do!

A nicely timed release, given Coke's statement yesterday about social's zero impact on sales! (See our post from yesterday).