Cash loans: Borrow money responsibly

Sadly, life isn’t all financial plain sailing. There comes a time when most of us will be caught short – maybe the car finally packs up, perhaps you’ve forgotten an all-important anniversary present – but thanks to the advent of short term loans, there’s no need to go without.

In the past, the obvious choice for borrowing money immediately would have been a credit card or, for those larger purchases, a bank loan. Both means have their financial pitfalls, however, not least a lack of control and flexibility. What if you could borrow money as and when you need it on your terms? Think this sounds too good to be true? Well, think again.

By utilising fast loans on the internet, you can secure the exact amount of money that you need to borrow, which means waving goodbye to unnecessarily large credit limit extensions or bank loans that are bigger than you require (which only means paying more interest further down the line).

The first rule for anyone looking for a cash loan is to only borrow you need and no more. The second rule is to pay this amount back as quickly as possible in order to avoid paying unnecessary interest. These principles are rarely adhered to by lenders, but in the ashes of the recession one provider has emerged with you, the borrower, in mind – not just its profits.

This lender is Wonga, a fast loans specialist that allows you to borrow a set amount of money ahead of that all-important purchase. The company sticks to the mantra of responsible lending – by providing stringent identity to credit checks to all its loan applicants, its customers can be sure that they take on a debt that is manageable, thereby eliminating the possibility of becoming saddled with unnecessary payments.

Every person that secures a Wonga line agrees a reasonable time frame in which their loan has to be paid off in full. Compare this to credit card providers, which are usually happy to see their customers pay off the minimum amount each month, safe in the knowledge that they can earn a hefty amount of interest over a period of months or years.

So, how much should you borrow? Well, first-time Wonga applicants are entitled to apply for £400, and this sum can be secured for a period of between one and 30 days. The application process takes place entirely online, meaning the cash that you’re keen to get your hands on can be with you in a matter of minutes. It’s really that simple.

Thanks to the combination of choosing to borrow only the amount of money you require and selecting a payment plan appropriate to your circumstances, you can be sure of never having to pay over the odds next time you want to borrow cash. And with providers tightening their lending criteria in the wake of the economic downturn, Wonga’s innovative approach is welcome not only because it offers greater control and flexibility, but because it is responsible.

Understanding stock trading across global financial markets

If you’re savvy on global financial markets and share dealing, chances are that you’ll have one eye on New York, with the Big Apple home to the US’s national stock exchanges.

But if you’re an investor who isn’t from the US, what do you do? Perhaps you’re based in Europe and are confident that the price of oil will increase during the next few months. It’s possible to buy a number of oil-based assets, but this will have to be done using the World’s most powerful currency; the US Dollar.

If oil does indeed appreciate in value, you can look forward to securing a return on your investment. However, things aren’t this simple as your sale price will be converted back into your home currency, a currency that is likely to have changed in value against the US Dollar since you made your investment.

For this reason, investors are reminded the value of currencies is always changeable; what you think may represent a good investment, oil for example, could actually result in you making a loss. Fortunately then, there are more factors to consider to help investors make a healthy return.

Among the most important of these is time. If you’ve identified a suitable stocks or shares investment, is it likely that your home currency will strengthen? If so, it would be more sensible to invest in a short term market. The opposite is true if your home currency is likely to weaken; you’ll have to think a little more long term.

If it’s possible to identify a value range that your currency will not leave, you can opt for either a short or long term investment. However, bear in mind that your profits will be implicated if you go with a long term market and your currency strengthens. It’s not just time, though; investors need to also consider leverage and associated Internet costs.

There is certainly huge potential for investors considering trading across global markets. Indeed, there are approximately 9.5 million people who have made at least $1 million in this way, while the overwhelming majority (98 per cent) of existing millionaires have been able to boost their existing wealth through savvy investments. Interestingly, 80 per cent of stock market millionaires started with practically nothing.

Each investment requires three key components; money, mentality and method; with the latter involving putting your money and investment mentality into the global market environment. But aside from investors, what other parties are involved in global share dealing?

Investors come in two forms; small and large. They are joined in the global markets arena by business enterprises, established corporations and governments. Many of these will have dealings in the World’s major stock exchanges; the London Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Australian Stock Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Euronet.

Each is represented by stock symbols, commonly known as ticker symbols, while participants may be either real or virtual.

With the World emerging from the effects of the recession, increasing numbers of investors will be hoping for a return on their money; something that requires a strong element of luck and risk.

MAP and Terrapin install bedroom and bathroom pod in disabled Gloucester girl’s home

An innovative pod consisting of a bedroom and an inbuilt wet room has been installed by Modular Adaptation Pods (MAP) for a disabled girl in Gloucester.

Gloucester City Homes (GCH), which manages the property occupied by six-year-old Terri-Anne Taylor and her family, asked MAP to develop suitable accommodation for the girl after her needs were evaluated by Gloucestershire Care Services children’s occupational therapy team.

Working alongside manufacturing partner Terrapin, MAP delivered the pod to Terri-Anne’s home in the Coney Hill area of Gloucester on Monday, 19th December. The accommodation was delivered on a lorry before being hoisted into position behind the property.

The pod, which is fully furnished internally and externally, will allow the six-year-old to live more comfortably and have more independence during her time at home.

Ray Philpin, MAD and Terrapin’s managing director, explained that the pod was specifically designed for Terri-Anne’s circumstances.

“It was developed especially for the customer’s needs, as all our pods are,” he commented.

“The unit was constructed at our base in Milton Keynes in one week. A team of 12 designers, electricians and plumbers were involved, although only three people could work on it at any one time.”

Mr Philpin went on to say that while this is the first modular adaptation pod that Terrapin has been involved with, the company will be working on a further similar project in Gloucester and separate developments in Ipswich and Wrexham.

Because the pods are constructed off site, the units are particularly suitable for projects where restricted access would otherwise be a problem. This guarantees exceptional quality as workmanship can be undertaken and completed in purpose-built surroundings before the unit is shipped to its intended destination.

After the foundations were completed by a team of contractors in one week, Terri-Anne’s pod was lifted into position and installed in a matter of hours. This ensured disruption to the six-year-old and her family was kept to a minimum.

Had the bedroom and en suite bathroom been built using traditional construction methods, the project would have taken a number of months to reach completion.

Lisa Howarth, GCH’s head of housing services, said the pod will have a positive impact on “the health, independence and dignity” of Terri-Anne.

“We are delighted to be able to deliver an innovative solution that ensures Terri-Anne and her family can remain in their family home,” she commented.

Dawn Taylor, the six-year-old’s mother, told the Gloucester Citizen that the modular adaptation pod will “make our lives and Terri-Anne’s life a lot easier”.

The competition, which closes at midnight tomorrow (23^rd February), received approximately 50 entries within the first few hours of going live. To enter, all fans need to do is answer a few simple questions such as ‘does your child play football regularly?’

“This is a fantastic opportunity for fans to experience a cup final at the national football stadium,” stated Mary Thompstone, Snack Media’s Beko Account Director. “We’re very excited to have made it possible.”

After a hugely successful launch last year Beko Mums United continues reach an ever-increasing audience; the page is certainly moving the right direction.

Already Beko Mums United has amassed a loyal group of almost 6,000 mums and dads who are interacting with the page on a daily basis, and this group is growing week on week.

The competition marks the start of an exciting new period for Beko Mums United, with further promotions in the pipeline. Thanks to tailor-made content, careful management and pioneering ideas the campaign has managed to achieve all its short-term goals. And exciting developments are sure to follow.

The revamped EmptyLemon.co.uk will feature a more user-friendly design, a regularly-updated blog and a new careers advice section tailored for IT professionals.

Andrew Kelly, EmptyLemon’s development manager, thanked Snack Media for providing original content and for offering “very useful suggestions” that formed part of the IT jobs board’s SEO and marketing strategy.

“Their articles have been interesting to read, the turnaround has been quick and they are always forthcoming with recommendations that enhance the user experience,” he commented.

In addition to providing the blog and careers advice content, Snack Media was responsible for designing the new blog and adding features and widgets to ensure the content is monetised.

The new EmptyLemon.co.uk also features a news feed, with original, tailored content sourced by Snack Media’s editorial team on a daily basis.

This will attract visitors to the site and propel the IT jobs board to a position of authority within the employment sector.

One of the dynamic new features of EmptyLemon.co.uk is The Elemonator – a game for jobseekers that that lets them battle against recruitment agents on a quest for that dream job.

“Many exciting new developments have occurred at EmptyLemon the past few months and we are really looking forward to the next website release and also the release of our new game, The Elemonator,” Mr Kelly added.

In addition, rather than writing for an uninformed audience (common practice for most copywriters), technical copywriters are required to write for individuals who are as (or in many cases more) experienced than themselves.

Each point they make, therefore, has to be carefully considered, to avoid leaving the author open to criticism. Consequently, technical copywriting tends to be done by the most experienced writers, the cream of the crop.

Technical writers are called on to complete a wide range of copywriting jobs, including:

• Article writing
• Producing web copy
• User manuals
• Sales sheets
• Marketing material
• Whitepapers

If you’re considering a career in technical copywriting, or are searching for a writer for article writing (or any of the above services), there are a number of things to consider – characteristics that make for a great technical copywriter.

1. A clear writing style

It’s easy for a writer get lost amidst reams and reams of technical jargon when tackling more complex topics. It is of fundamental importance that technical copywriters keep their writing clear, concise and easy to follow. Verbose, overly complicated sentences and paragraphs are to be avoided at all cost.

Technical copywriters tend to approach projects as if they were writing user manuals – creating short sentences, with one, clear instruction per point. Similarly, when it comes to article writing, technical copywriters will utilise subheadings, numbered bullet points and even charts, tables, pictures and diagrams to help them get their point(s) across.

2. Research and analytical skills

Research and analytical skills are perhaps the most important characteristics of a technical copywriter. Of course, all copywriting jobs require a degree of information gathering; however, it’s fair to say that technical writing requires a more advanced level of research and analysis – the toughest jobs may even require degree-level expertise.

Coupled with the ability to research a project thoroughly is the ability to critically analyse any information that is unearthed. The sources of all information, for example, have to be carefully interrogated, as do the key points.

3. Communication: understand your audience

You may have the necessary technical expertise, and have thoroughly researched your topic, but if you do not possess the talent to communicate your points you cannot be a successful technical copywriter.

In addition to a clear writing style (see point 1), understanding your audience is key to good communication. For example, article writing for individuals without any existing knowledge of the subject area requires a completely different approach to article writing for an audience of experts.

4. Keeping it interesting

It is easy for technical copywriting to quickly become dull and boring. This is simply because most technical documents by necessity have to contain lots of detailed information.

However, the best technical copywriters have a natural instinct for keeping their work interesting – there are many ways to do this:

• Focus on the benefits of the services or products they are talking about
• Include examples of usage in user manuals
• Talk about why the reader needs the product
• Keep work concise, clearly laid out, neatly presented and to the point

5. Knowledge

Technical writers are required to have, at the very least, a basic working knowledge of their subject area. Of course, it goes without saying the more complex the project the greater the required knowledge base.

Most technical writers will have a strong background in their chosen field (whether through a previous career or education), in addition to a solid body of work. The best advice for those starting out as technical writers is to build a portfolio slowly and carefully. Be fairly choosy with the projects you take on to begin with as these will influence future ventures.

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Technical copywriters are faced with a unique challenge: making products and services easier to understand whilst simultaneously making them more attractive to users. This requires writers to combine technical expertise with writing ability – two skills that do not always neatly dovetail together. The upshot of this is that good technical writers are in high demand.

A successful UK copywriter should have one goal in mind: to create relevant, engaging content that provides a measurable return on investment for their clients. Our copywriting professionals, therefore, are not just great writers – they know the ins and outs of internal communications, marketing and client relations, too.

A professional copywriting agency will assume an all-encompassing role in a content strategy – this will usually involve a face-to-face meeting between a UK copywriter and a client, which will allow the agency to determine their customer’s requirements in detail. Our flexibility and skill set, though, allows us to join the creative process at any stage – from defining that all-important tone of voice to writing and publishing a high-priority press release to a fast turnaround time.

At Snack Media, our copywriting team has an insatiable love of words. This passion is combined with our professionalism in terms of brand awareness, strategic outlook and unrivalled attention to detail. Further, our knowledge and experience of the media sector allows us to work on every conceivable platform, from advertorials and news feeds to web copy and social media.

Our UK copywriter team are experts on copy fundamentals, too. We insist on the highest standards in terms of spelling and grammar, are well versed in developing tone of voice guidelines, and have, collectively, years of experience in newspaper journalism, marketing campaigns, SEO and advertising.

A leading copywriting agency will have a proven track record when it comes to devising content for some of the world’s leading brands. A background in journalism and marketing, combined with thorough experience across different sectors and industries – from news, sport and travel to business, gaming and entertainment – allows us to produce sparkling, authoritative copy across a range of media channels.

The team of journalists at a leading copywriting provider will be backed up by the agency’s management team – which will boast a wealth of experience in internet marketing and site optimisation. These senior executives devise content audits for clients’ websites to ensure that future content is fully optimised – something that ultimately leads to higher search rankings in search engines and directories.

It is this two-pronged approach, plus the ability to join the creative process no matter how much background work has been done, that makes the perfect copywriting agency team. If you’d like to find out more about Snack Media’s content and copywriting services, please contact us for further information.

But aside from the obvious differences, there are a few technical pointers that need to be considered when writing for the web. Here are some top tips to bear in mind when creating digital content:

Structure

• People read digital content differently to print – much more scanning takes place.
• Copywriters, therefore, need to divide content into smaller sections with subheadings.
• Paragraphs should be no longer than three sentences, which should be short and snappy.
• For the greatest impact adopt tabloid-style structuring (paragraphs of one or two sentences, a maximum of 25 words per sentence, between four and six sentences per headline).
• When structuring your content start with the most important information – remember that the further down the page you go, the more readers drop off.

Legibility

• No matter how good technology gets, reading from a screen is 25 per cent slower than print.
• Help your readers by making your copy as legible as possible – avoid inconsistent bolding, italicising, capitals and highlighting.
• Avoid ambiguity at all costs – your writing should do exactly what it says on the tin (or in the headline).
• Ambiguous copy drives readers away.

Credibility

• There is no excuse for poor spelling and grammar; it immediately undermines your credibility.
• Proofreading and editing are not optional extras.
• Allied to this point is the use of social media. Strict guidelines should be in place for the use of Twitter, Facebook and all other platforms to avoid embarrassing PR disasters.

Searchability

• Optimise your copy by ‘writing to be found’.
• Enter into topical debates, use words and phrases that people might commonly search for in Google and utilise strong backlinks.
• It’s important to strike a good balance here – don’t overuse keywords to the detriment of your writings.

Variety

• Do not rely overly on text; break it up with images.
• Create time-sensitive content – tie your digital content to current affairs, specific points in the year and events.

Personality

• Keep your brand’s identity in mind – remember to stick to any tone of voice guidelines that you may have.
• The strongest brands have consistent, easily-recognisable identities and this is in part conveyed by their tone of voice.
• See our ‘tone of voice’ blog post for more information.

Accessibility

• Make sure that your copy is fully accessible to all readers, including those who are visually impaired or blind.
• Images should be accompanied with captions and, where possible, audio alternatives should be provided.

By following these points you can create strong digital content that grabs readers’ attentions and ultimately delivers results. Just as with print content, the best way to begin is to create a structure and just start writing – don’t be too concerned with creating something perfect first time around, as that’s what the editorial process is for.

Want to find out more? Simply contact our team and we’ll be happy to discuss your web copy requirements.

Most businesses are defined by three things: the way they look, the way they sound and the way they behave – tone of voice is a crucial part of the second of these categories.

A content marketing agency can help you discover and refine your tone of voice, unifying your content and making it instantly recognisable to consumers.

Why is this important?

Do not underestimate the importance of tone of voice: in a competitive marketplace, where businesses constantly aim to match (and surpass) each other in terms of cost, product quality and customer service, consumers are increasingly influenced (both consciously and subconsciously) by the way in which products and/or services are presented.

Tone of voice is, therefore, a critical part of your business’s identity.

Most organisations will have a tone of voice already; a distinct way of communicating. A content marketing agency, such as Snack Media, will develop this, ensuring it is unique and easily recognisable – consistency is the name of the game here – all your content, from the smallest point on your website to the front cover of your brochures, needs a common tone of voice. A strong verbal identity is a consistent verbal identity.

Guidelines are essential to achieve a consistent tone of voice, as is proofreading and thorough editing.

How to make it work?

Like all aspects of content production, in order to get your tone of voice right you need to understand your audience. Alongside this you also need consider your business’s raison d’être. Whereas what a business says is governed by principles, ideas, ambitions, vision and goals, how it says it (tone of voice) depends upon personality (see in Figure 1).

Tone of voice therefore presents an opportunity to convey your business’s personality to the wider world.

Examples:

Here are five examples of different tones of voice that can be used when discussing a product; in this case, wood flooring:

1.    Features

For many years solid hardwood floors have been considered the best of the best, the ultimate in quality and luxury. Now, however, new designs and styles of engineered wood flooring are giving traditional hardwood floors a run for their money. It’s time to get to the bottom of this debate and discover which really is better: hardwood or engineered?

2.    News

A recent survey of estate agents has revealed that houses with wood floors sell faster, and for more money, than those with carpets.

3.    Chatty

Have your kids/pets/relatives/friends run amok all over your carpet? Are the corridors of your house starting to resemble the floor of your local pub? Well, you’re not alone; an increasing number of people are ripping out their old dirty carpets, saying “no” to endless cleaning and installing wooden flooring throughout their homes.

4.    Salesy

TheWoodFloorStore.com should be your first stop when searching for wood flooring online. With fantastic deals on all types of flooring, this company is a clear market leader when it comes to selling and installing quality floors.

5.    Informational

It’s clear why wood floors are so popular; they’re durable, easy to maintain, affordable and look great in all styles of home. There are, however, a large number of types of wood flooring available to consumers; this can lead to confusion over exactly what you’re buying.

Overarching vision versus specific content

Here’s where things gets a little complicated. While your business should have a consistent overarching tone of voice, different pieces of content will require slightly different feels.

So, while all your content may have a ‘friendly’ tone to it, certain elements of your website will need to be geared towards sales and therefore require a slightly different tone of voice.

This dichotomy is one that a professional content marketing agency will help you navigate. It needn’t be a difficult hurdle to overcome; well-rounded, carefully-crafted content can address the specific needs of the separate sections of your website while still adhering to a more general vision.

With a little gentle guidance and a bit of imagination your business can have a unique tone of voice that sets it apart from the competition; contact our team to find out more.

Indeed, two of the UK’s best-known newspapers, the Daily Mail and i (the condensed version of The Independent) reported an increase in sales towards the end of 2011 – despite the competition posed online. Meanwhile, tabloids as a whole performed relatively strongly over the course of the year.

Print media’s scope is exceptionally wide ranging – from newspapers and magazines to marketing literature and display advertising, and just about everything in between. Its breadth of coverage, and guaranteed impact, means that electronic doesn’t represent the threat that some would have you believe.

At Snack Media, we recognise the importance of paper’s tangibility. It is something physical that you can (large display advertising aside) pass to somebody. It has meaning. That something, though, needs to possess value – and that’s where our print media copywriters come in. When sparkling, relevant and engaging copywriting for newspapers and magazines is combined with the medium’s physicality (it’s more difficult, say, to dispose of a newspaper than it is to navigate away from a website), the impact can be huge.

It’s not all about copywriting for newspapers and magazines, though. While it’s true that these are the mainstays of the print media industry, they are not the be all and end all. Perhaps a student accommodation provider needs a new brochure written; a drinks company needs some blurb for one of its new products; or a vision-led film director needs a script written. All will need to utilise a professional print media copywriter – someone that possesses a creative mind, a strategic outlook and an unrivalled passion for words.

Copywriting for newspapers and magazines – or any other type of print – isn’t all about words, though. Attention needs to be paid to design and print, with copy needing to go hand-in-hand with the former to achieve maximum impact. At Snack Media, our design team can offer their creative expertise to devise an effective, reward-reaping print media campaign – something that can be achieved alongside our editorial staff.

If you’d like to discuss your print media copywriting requirements in more detail, simply contact us for further information.