Chinwag's Guide to being a Fantastic Guest Blogger
Hello and welcome into the world of guest blogging for Chinwag.com! Before you get stuck in we’d like to run through some hints, tips and guidelines.
We believe that links (and keywords within links) are not the most important thing. We believe it’s much more important for you to network with our blog readers and build a positive brand image.
In fact, posting a blog on Chinwag is a great way to share ideas, thoughts or anything else with influential and like minded folk who have been lovely tendered by Chinwag since 1996.
Our community is important to us and are a pretty influential bunch and with our help we can get you and your blog seen by people who appreciate great content.
Topics/Content
For the most part, you’re welcome to write whatever you like however we love to partner with bloggers who provide exclusive Chinwag content, who then can take advantage of our large and vibrant community.
Subject wise, we recommend that you stick to topics relevant to our Chinwag community (the Digital Sector, Digital Missions, Digital jobs, recruitment and careers, etc). One way to do this is to get an idea of the main topic, and add your own area of expertise.
Also:
- Please avoid any hint of racism, sexist or religious bias, or any suggestion of nasty, snide, or condescending tone.
- Colloquialisms and slang are generally accepted, obscenity and vulgarity are not.
- We’d prefer blog posts to show readers the arguments and facts that led to the writer’s conclusion, as well as enough argument and fact on both or all sides of the issue to enable the reader to decide whether to agree or disagree.
- Try to be catchy and unique (ie. something not really covered yet, or another perspective of something that has been mentioned previously).
Formatting: Titles and Sub-headers
We prefer to use short paragraphs or bullet points to make blogs easier to read.
Images
We welcome the use of images, however all images must be properly attributed AND have been credited.
We would recommend using flickr.com, where you can search specifically for images with Creative Commons licenses.
Please use a photo for the top of your blog post - this will need to be 460px wide. Any photos used within the text should be half this size - 230px wide.
It's best to have one large image at the top of the post and smaller ones lower in the text. The big image will get squished when the summary appears on the homepage.
Comments / Once it’s live...
Participation can only be beneficial to you - the more you get involved, the more people will remember your name and the more valuable connection you make.
Once your guest blog goes live, we highly recommend you respond to as many comments as you can! This will show readers that you genuinely want to give people real, useful advice on whatever it is you write about.
Don't forget to promote the post through your social networks: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. We'll automatically send it out through ours.
Signature and Credit
Please make sure you have filled in the “Blog Profile” part of your Chinwag Profile (this can be found under the ‘profile’ tab. Your Blog Profile will show alongside all your blog posts - we highly recommend including links in this section.
Other
All blogs are moderated before being published. Please don’t be offended if we make minor alterations, or email you to suggest changes.
Please note, overly promotional blog posts may be heavily edited or potentially not be published.
What do I do next?
Firstly, you'll need to register on Chinwag, which you can do here.
Once you are registered, you'll need to drop us an email at help
chinwag [dot] com to let us know, please include a link to profile or the name you registered with and we'll be able to enable Guest Blogging permissions.
We recommend you complete your profile as much as possible. As a Guest Blogger, you'll be able to complete a "Blog Bio" section, which will appear at the bottom of any blogs you post.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with helpchinwag [dot] com.
Happy Blogging!
Photos (cc) ~C4Chaos and Indi Samarajiva
Topic:
Are you looking to take the next step in your marketing career? If so, why not join Milkround - the UK's most widely used graduate recruitment website. At Milkround, we are seeking a Marketing Executive to join our marketing team. The role will be responsible for developing a marketing plan to increase the awareness of, and attract clients to Milkround. The successful candidate will work closely with the sales team to ensure Milkround deliver a best in class service to all Milkround clients. Ideally, you will have already held a permanent position within a marketing department and you will be able to demonstrate the successful implementation of a marketing strategy. The role will include: Defining and implementing marketing strategies targeted at new and existing clients. Ensuring all marketing activity is targeted towards three main objectives: increasing the number of clients, increasing revenue and increasing market share. Manage spend across client marketing, ensuring the plan is delivered on time and on budget. Ensure the corporate image and brand identity of Milkround is consistent. Support the sales team in their relationship building with clients If you have experience of creating, developing and implementing a marketing plan, plus you have experience of digital and offline marketing please apply below. Deadline: 18/05/2012
BrightLemon is an innovative digital agency specialising in building online communities and social networks for some of the most influential online brands in government and education. We are now looking for a savvy PHP / LAMP Developer to join our dynamic team. This is an excellent opportunity for a talented PHP developer with a good understanding of the LAMP stack to join our rapidly growing company. What's more, you'll receive ongoing career development and training, with allotted time for personal development. About the role Working alongside a talented team of developers and designers, you will be responsible for back end Drupal development for social networks. You will also assist in creating interactive websites for clients such as Amnesty International, Breast Cancer Care, British Rowing, the British Council, Business in the Community, the Department for Education, Fujitsu Siemens, the Greater London Authority, Plan International, the Tate Modern, TeachFirst, University of Cambridge, University of London and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Highly organised, as a PHP / LAMP Developer, you will be a strong communicator with a keen eye for detail. Working to tight deadlines, you will be able to bring projects in on time in competitive environments. 2 to 5 years experience of software development in PHP, LAMP and Drupal is required. Taking both responsibility and pride in your work, you will be leading key areas of development, analysis. Even though our core projects are based around Drupal we like to marry that with a range of new and emerging technologies including Solr, RDF, Jenkins, Varnish, Memcached and Google App Engine. To be considered for this position, you must have: Excellent PHP development experience A strong understanding of the LAMP stack, security issues and web standards Experience relating to Drupal Aegir and Drush Desirable skills/requirements: Experience in any future facing technologies such as Symfony, Hadoop, Mashout, Mongodb, Twig, Backbone.js, Node.js and Boostrap. Experience in developing Drupal modules A good understanding of front end web technologies and knowledge of Agile and Scrum methodologies This role is based in London and is full time. To apply for this role of PHP Developer, please send your CV and a covering letter to jobs@brightlemon.com. Absolutely, Positively, Strictly no recruitment agencies please.
Job Ref: 01077 Business Group: FT.com Salary Range: £Competitive + benefits + bonus Type: Permanent Closing Date: Friday, June 01, 2012 FT.com is the award-winning website of the Financial Times, providing the gold standard in global business news and information. The FT.com product team is responsible for shaping, building and managing all our digital products - from FT.com on the desktop, to our award-winning mobile applications and our mobile website. We are looking for people who can build on the success we have already gained among our growing audience of international readers. The SEO Executive's primary role is to help our readers easily discover our rich content through external search engines. This person will report to the Search Product Manager and will liaise with key editorial members to help improve search engine performance of content across FT.com and other associated titles. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a good understanding of SEO, with an emphasis on editorial optimisation, analytics reporting and troubleshooting. They will be comfortable performing keyword analyses for multiple geographical markets, and will use web analytics to find opportunities to optimise content across FT.com. Your responsibilities: Build on SEO standards that the FT has already established Work closely with editorial to ensure key search entry points are exploited to their potential (i.e. enhancing metadata so we can increase our relevance to searchers) Be the guardian for editorial consistency across our metadata, flagging any issues with editorial and ensuring pages are optimised in a timely way Regular monitoring of keyword and website performance using Google Webmaster Tools and other analytics tools to identify errors, weaknesses, trends and opportunities for performance enhancements and content relevance Monitoring realtime stats to ensure articles are appropriately optimised around trending terms Monitor our use of social media, contributing ideas for increased referred traffic via these channels Keep up-to-date with industry trends and contributing to training and ad hoc editorial, marketing or product support Forward planning - keyword research for regular events What you'll bring to the role: The right candidate must demonstrate an ability to work independently on a day-to-day basis but with regular support and collaboration with the Search Product Manager. Essential Have proven experience in SEO with knowledge of current search landscape, ranking factors and content relevance. Analytics experience and willingness to learn new skills to get the best out of available data Execution focused and capable of setting own priorities for work ahead Have experience working with international teams Numerical, analytical and verbal skills; quick thinker and clear communicator. Results-driven, high-performing, high-quality work attitude Desirable Experience working in SEO for a leading news organisation Have a strong personal interest in the news media, relishing the chance to help build the future of one of the great global brands in media In return, we'll give you: A competitive salary, bonus and excellent benefits package 25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 after 2 years Extensive training and learning opportunities Subsidised gym membership An office in the heart of London near St Paul's, London Bridge and next door to Borough market 50% off all Penguin and DK books Pension plan Private Healthcare Season ticket loan Pearson is committed to equality of opportunity. We are determined to create a diverse group at all levels of our company -- and we welcome all members of the community we serve to apply for openings with us.
ABOUT PUTITOUT putITout is an independently owned digital production company. We work with London's top advertising, digital marketing and PR companies to create web and mobile applications. We employ 27 full time staff across our 2 offices located in London, UK and Lahore, Pakistan. The London office is principally committed to client facing project management, sales and design, while the Pakistan team are responsible for technical delivery (coding and testing). The company has doubled in size over the past year, delivering over a hundred projects across mobile and web. We are expecting to match that level of growth in 2012. THE POSITION: DIGITAL DESIGNER putITout is looking for a proven designer to join the London team. This individual will have digital design experience and be responsible for designing web and mobile assets for our portfolio of clients. The position will report to the head of production and will involve designing websites and mobile applications. The successful candidate will need to thrive in a fast-moving business environment, have strong client design skills, be a problem solver and have a strong attention to detail. We are a small agency that is growing very quickly. We are looking for the right individual to become an important part of our very capable and growing team. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Produce design concepts in response to creative project briefs Create designs for websites, mobile applications and mobile websites Produce suitable design assets to be used by technical team Support internal design requirements Manage communication between technical team and client Work collaboratively with the entire team and provide support REQUIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign as well as a full knowledge of the Macintosh platform and peripheral HTML & CSS would be nice but is not required Diligent with a keen eye for detail Be able to work under pressure and work to tight deadlines Reliable and responsible for your own deadlines Team player and easy going Fast and decisive Self motivated Experienced in preparing artwork for the web Be able to learn Must be able to work as a member of a team Outstanding communication skills Bright, charismatic and inspirational with the ability to win credibility internally within a small team TO APPLY If you think you qualify and are excited about applying for the above position please send your CV with a cover letter to Charlie@putitout.co.uk Please indicate "Digital Designer" in the subject line.
Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company's strength - delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately - is at the core of the Bloomberg Professional service, which provides real time financial information to more than 300,000 subscribers globally. Bloomberg's enterprise solutions build on the company's core strength, leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively. Through Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Government and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the company provides data, news and analytics to decision makers in industries beyond finance. And Bloomberg News, delivered through television, radio, mobile, the Internet and two magazines, Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg Markets, covers the world with more than 2,300 news and multimedia professionals at 146 bureaus in 72 countries. Headquartered in New York, Bloomberg employs more than 13,000 people in 185 locations around the world. The Role The FX Electronic Trading team is seeking a software developer with an excellent knowledge of C/C++. The successful candidate will be driven by solving business problems, take ownership of aspects of the platform, and be involved in the full software development life cycle from the design phase to supporting production issues that may arise. You will be team-focused, a clear communicator and ready to take on and deliver challenges in a fast-paced environment. Bloomberg has become one of the major forces in the FX market with a rapidly growing bank-to-customer trading platform which is part of the Bloomberg Professional Service. The team is responsible for building and maintaining a 24 hour low latency multi-bank streaming trade application, as well as for integrating new sell-side clients onto the platform. Requirements Solid C/C++ development experience is essential, with experience in the full software development life cycle Working knowledge of UNIX Experience of relational databases Other desirable skills Unix or perl scripting Knowledge of the Financial Information Exchange (FIX) Protocol Experience of multithreaded low latency systems
We have got a fab new opportunity for a Mid-weight to Senior Web Developer in Berkshire. Our client is a very successful Digital/Experiential agency-They have doubled in size in the recent years and are doing really well. They are looking for a permanent front-end developer �to join their busy team. Essential skills: HTML, CSS Javascript, jQuery libarary Flash AS3 (with knowledge of video and external asset integration, movie optimization, XML integration) Desirable: Agency background( preferably digital agency) Facebook development experience Debugging/ compatibility experience Photoshop This is a permanent position however they would consider a freelancer in as short to mid term. Feel like you have the relevant skills and experience? Are you hardworking, passionate and creative? �Then please get in touch with your CV and recent work. Salary depends on seniority and experience.
Are you a Flash developer looking for a new challenge-then read on Our Client is a successful integrated B2B agency specialising in brand engagement and internal communications. They are urgently looking for a permanent Flash Developer to join their busy team of 40 staff at the offices in Berkshire (ideally you will be a driver or cyclist as they are not near public transport) Primary Technical Skills Flash, Flex, FlashDevelop Solid understanding of AS3 (and AS2 for legacy projects) Knowledge and use of third party AS3 libraries Secondary Technical Skills Understanding and experience of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript Experience with the JQuery library Experience with the full Adobe Creative suite Mobile and AIR development Developing cross-browser and cross-platform compatible solutions Good understanding of video and audio codes and compression Experience with sending and receiving data (XML, jSON, WebServices) Experience working with version control systems such as SVN Final Cut / After Effects Desirable Skills Agency experience is an advantage Understands the importance of branding to an organisation and working with brand guidelines Able to work alongside Art Directors, Senior Designers, Account Handlers and Developers Ability to work as part of a team to provide technical support Strong problem solving skills, and a desire to learn Be comfortable working in a team, brainstorming ideas and communicating with Account Handlers and clients Assist Account Handlers with timelines, budgets and plan of action for the Technical elements A proven track record in developing interactive solutions with portfolio examples Understands the importance of design and user experience Works to a high standard, be mindful of budgets and deliver on time A passion for new technologies and approaches Ability to write efficient, well documented code A sound understanding of back end integration Be Mac & PC literate The salary bracket is £25-£35k depending on seniority and experience levels. Please send me your cv and samples of work you have done (relevant to the job spec)
I have a fantastic digital designer role for someone very creative, this client needs someone with beautiful ideas! The role: Digital Designer (some development skills needed) -This is at THE most amazing retail brand ever in the UK – It is a really Fun brand and they require a design/digital agency background and very crisp clean conceptual digital design in your portfolio. You need to be passionate about great design and appreciate how front-end and data source integration combine to produce a great digital product experience. You must have Retail experience, Experience designing first class web / mobile web / app experiences, Knowledge of Flash, XHTML and Retail DM, banners, mailers.
We have a TOP opportunity for a Digital mastermind to join an amazingly inspirational agency in central London. It doesnt get much bigger than these guys ... Their Creative team demonstrate a proven track record in innovative creativity, inspirational art direction, strategic thinking and commercial understanding. Pushing boundaries, challenging creativity and therefore technology, is the norm. Setting the tone, pace and style of the creative for all digital output, we are about big ideas and thinking of new and innovative ways to push technology and create inspirational communication solutions across multiple projects and media. They work with a massive energy provider so this type of experience would be benficial. They run this particular clients Exhibition Programme. This entails design, content management and implementation of the three-dimensional expression of exhibitions and tradeshows worldwide. Subsequently, they undertook the evolution of all their global brand identity through an updated visual language creating greater cut-through and visibility across communications. Role: Overview: We are seeking a talented Digital Creative Lead who can work collaboratively to seamlessly integrate 2D, 3D and brand activity with digital content for our client.. You will be able to think creatively and strategically about new and innovative ways to push technology and create inspirational design. Detailed responsibilities: Hands on creative direction Initiate and lead brainstorms Present creative work to colleagues and clients at a senior level Delegate upwards for support where necessary Confidence in delivering projects from concept through to delivery Strong understanding of commercial parameters of project Collaborate with 2D & 3D Creative Leads to align creative strategy across work Liaising with Creative Strategist to ensure business objectives and ROI measures are identified and addressed within development of work Liaising with the technology team to ensure the best creative solutions are realised, implemented and delivered Able to create presentations; story boards and interface design Identify as appropriate when to delegate work to specialists i.e. motion graphics; flash developer; 3D artist Point person within the team for all digital queries and associated liaison with the wider business in conjunction with the Digital Programme Director Experience and skills required: In-depth experience of bringing brands to life on digital platforms Have a strong understanding of how brands are expressed in digital form, and integrated across multiple platforms Significant knowledge of digital technologies, platforms and channels of delivery Experience of working for major blue chip clients Knowledge and understanding of emerging digital technologies and trends Proven design track record and design agency experience Strong proof of concept, rapid prototyping, storyboarding and technical skills World class interface design Good presentation skills Experience of working with Project Managers to ensure projects are feasible within set timescales and budgets Experience of working to tight deadlines Experience delivering innovative moving image projects A passion for platform independent moving image solutions, distributed via a diverse range of channels Core program required: Flash, After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop Basic understanding of client side programming Personal Qualities A strong conceptual and lateral thinker Excellent communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills Adept at setting best practice working processes Able to articulate and advocate the principles of best practice creativity that embraces integrated channels and platforms to both clients and colleagues. In summary you must be a digital guru, full of big ideas, fresh and enthusiastic!
I have a wonderful new opportunity for a Senior Account Manager/Account Director to join an established agency in Middlesex/Berkshire. The agency is a creative design agency based in Middlesex (on the border so very close to Berks, Bucks and Surrey) they have been going for 21 years and they are still coming up with fresh ideas, their clients (who include BP, SC Johnson, Kodak, Strepsils, Nurofen, KFC, Waitrose and many more) keep coming back for repeat business based on trust as they know this agency can deliver creativity along with great customer service. Their offices very trendy and spacious are perfectly situated next to M4/M25/M3 routes. The ideal candidate would need to be a driver – or cyclist with lots of Digital Experience. This SAM/AD role will need to start ASAP - You will have 7+ years agency experience and be digital savvy Salary £35-40k If you are interested in this role please send me CV and salary and a paragraph on how you suit this role (what digital expreience you have)?
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