There is no set in stone plan for a company blog because different approaches will be necessary for different businesses, but we can take a look at some simple ways to generate ideas for your blog.

All About You

There are various ways to run a company blog. If you are already a big company with a serious following then you can legitimately make your blog about your business. You can discuss internal developments, project updates, staff changes and future plans. You can appeal to customers for input and use your blog as a platform to engage with them and inform them about what you are doing.

Most companies do not have a following like this and so when they make their blog all about their business and keep it self-referential they get no traffic and the people who do arrive are quickly turned off. Think about what your blog is for and how to deliver something of value to your visitors.

Using a Blog to Attract Targeted Traffic

The vast majority of businesses add a blog in order to increase the flow of traffic into their website. Quality content related to your business will boost your website ranking and pull in targeted traffic. In simple terms if you sell silver jewelry then your blog posts should be about silver jewelry and related topics. Start by thinking about what your desired customer would type into a search engine in order to find your business. This will allow you to create a list of keyword phrases that you can use to generate topic ideas.

We aren’t going to go further into SEO and keywords here but you can use Google AdWords or Wordtracker’s free keywords tool to generate lists of keywords you might want to target and ideas for related keywords and phrases.

This is a good direct approach for small businesses. Continuing the silver jewlery example you could generate a lot of different angles for individual blog posts hitting the keywords you want to target – advice on jewelry for special occasions, how to clean silver jewelry, how you design a piece, how you make a piece, great gift ideas, sourcing materials, trends in the industry and so on.

Establishing Thought Leadership and Topicality

Another approach which is more common in the B2B world where companies are selling services or products to other businesses is to try and establish their expertise. This is about commentating on and, more importantly, offering an opinion on industry trends. It is a way of showing that you know exactly what is happening in your industry and building confidence in potential customers that you know what you are talking about. By discussing topical issues you can project yourself into the discussion and really build some brand awareness.

Bland Blogs Don’t Work

All the planning in the world is not going to make any difference at all if you don’t have some insight, some passion or some opinion to share. It’s fair enough to maintain a professional veneer but try to avoid making your posts too bland. If you don’t have the time to write enticing blog posts yourself then outsource it. You can give a writer specific directions and leave it up to them to establish an engaging voice. Many company blogs are ghostwritten.

Once you have your blog up and running pay close attention to the stats. You’ll soon be able to see what is delivering the most traffic and which posts users are commenting on. Use that information to decide on follow-up future topics.

QR actually stands for Quick Response and the codes were originally used in car manufacturing in Japan. Since the smartphone explosion they have been adopted by many businesses because anyone with a smartphone can scan a QR code. They are usually used to point the user at a website which offers more information about the product or service being advertised and enables them to make a purchase. They are ideal for linking the physical world to the virtual world, a simple way of providing an accessible link to further information online.

What Would I Use a QR Code For?

There’s really no limit to how you can use them. Here are a few ideas for where to use QR codes.

• Products – a QR code on the label of a product can lead interested consumers to further information or special promotions.
• Posters and adverts – whether you are highlighting a product or an event you can add a QR code to the ad and it provides an easy link to further information.
• Brochures and leaflets – with limited copy space the addition of a QR code allows you to offer more to interested parties.
• Business cards – a handy link to all of your online details from your business card is definitely a good idea.
• Tickets – this allows people to buy tickets for events online and then print them out at home dispensing with the need for physical delivery.

Use QR Codes Imaginatively

There are a lot of other interesting ways to use QR codes.

• You could stick them on badges at a conference to provide more info on each participant.
• You could use them in locations at festivals or even tourist spots to allow people to check exactly where they are (this ties in nicely with navigation services on smartphones).
• You could allow people to scan them to buy products when waiting in line or in stores for home delivery later.
• You could use them as a way for customers to access freebies or coupons.
• You could use them to provide up to date information on a service or location.
• You could use them to trigger video or audio or even augmented reality overlays to bring a static ad or location to life.
• You could use them to access “how to” instructions on a product, ideal for flat pack furniture or DIY.

The possibilities are endless, from simple directions to a personalized audio message. The QR code is a powerful tool. At the very least you should use them to direct people to a mobile optimized website with all of your vital business info and a call to action. Whatever web page you do send people to make sure it is optimized for mobile devices or you’ll just frustrate them.

How to Create a QR Code

The great thing about QR codes is that they can hold a lot of information and anyone can create their own QR code and use it to promote their business.

There are a lot of QR services online, many of them free. I used Kaywa to create this QR code. It is a simple and straightforward QR generator that allows you to create your QR code in seconds. You’ll find a host of other options if you want something different.

Once the code is generated you can download the PNG file and use it on any materials you like. You can also just copy and paste code from the site to place it on the web but QR codes work best as virtual links from the physical world.

Adopt QR Codes the Right Way

Just like any other marketing tool you have to use QR codes the right way to make them worthwhile. Think about the practicality of scanning the code for the consumer – subway posters don’t make a lot of sense because there’s no reception down there, elevated billboards could be equally tough for people to scan, and TV ads are over too quickly.

It’s also a good idea to give people an incentive to scan, give them some idea about why they should bother. You need to make sure that there’s some value when they get there or they’ll be turned off and annoyed.

It’s likely we’ll see newer options like augmented reality and NFC being employed in more interesting ways to allow people to interact with the physical world using their smartphones but QR codes are popular right now and they are so easy to implement that you really have no excuse not to use them.

Got any other good ideas about how to use QR codes? Post a comment.

The way people use their mobile phones is changing and the big gain in 2012, according to Flurry, is in social network use. While gaming has traditionally eaten up the most time they report it is now tied with social networking on an average of 24 minutes per day each. The average time people spend on their phones each day has also gone up from 68 minutes in 2011 to 77 minutes this year. Time spent reading news through apps has also increased slightly to 12 minutes each day on average. These trends are good news for content marketers engaging in social media campaigns and using apps as a content outlet.

How Big Are Mobile Social Networks?

We know that more and more people are accessing social networks on their phones but which ones? Should content marketers be focussing on a few key locations or trying to hit a range of the most popular social networks? To start with we need some figures to work with and Tomi Ahonen recently posted an estimated list for mobile users which looks like this.

Social Network (Owner) . . Users . . . Home Base

Facebook mobile . . . . . . . 425 M . . . USA
Mobile QQ (Tencent) . . . . 200 M . . . China
Sina (Weibo) . . . . . . . . . . 150 M . . . China
RenRen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 M . . . China
iMessenger (Apple) . . . . . . 58 M . . . USA
Mig33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 M . . . Singapore
Twitter mobile . . . . . . . . . . 55 M . . . USA
Blackberry Messenger . . . . 50 M . . . Canada
Mxit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 M . . . South Africa
Nimbuzz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 M . . . Netherlands
Skype Mobile (Microsoft) . . 40 M . . . USA
Gree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 M . . . Japan
Instagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 M . . . USA
Mobile Cyworld (SK) . . . . . 25 M . . . South Korea
Mobage Town (DeNA) . . . . 25 M . . . Japan
Mocospace . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 M . . . USA
Whatsapp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 M . . . USA
FourSquare . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 M . . . USA
Mixi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 M . . . Japan
MyGamma (Buzz City) . . . . 5 M . . . Singapore
Flirtomatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 M . . . UK
Itsmy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 M . . . Germany
Funbook (XL) . . . . . . . . . . . 2 M . . . Indonesia
Frenclub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 M . . . Malaysia

Source: TomiAhonen Consulting Estimates April 2012

As you can see the trend is worldwide and there are many more examples like those listed above that are specific to a country. For starters that means mobile content marketers can pick and choose their targets according to the audience they want to appeal to, both in terms of nationality and other demographics.

Social Networking Apps

The potential for new social networks is still huge. Facebook buying Instagram points to some possible consolidation as they look to completely dominate the scene but the meteoric growth of Pinterest proves a newcomer can muscle their way in if the idea is good enough.

The idea of location-based flirting seems to be taking off in a big way, take a look at apps like Skout and Flirtomatic.

There are also apps that offer an alternative private network to Facebook for sharing your life with family and friends. Take a look at Path or more specific apps like Pair, which is for couples, and Kidfolio, which is all about sharing your child’s development.

Networks like Gree are also partnering with companies like Crowdstar to blur the line between social networks and gaming. Many kids especially are using in-game chat and social games to talk to their friends and this trend is set to grow.

There’s no end of opportunity in this space but how do content marketers take advantage?

Building Your Brand

The same rules apply in the mobile social networking space as elsewhere when it comes to marketing. Provide people with something of value and in return you will build brand awareness which leads to trust and eventually loyalty.

Companies that have embraced the growth of social networks and the swing to mobile devices amongst Internet users are already reaping the benefits. It is vital to have a brand presence and the earlier you engage with a social network on the rise the more you can get out of it.

It is also much more measurable than many other avenues of promotion. You can see how people engage with your brand through social media and analyse the return on your investment.

The Boston Consulting Group is suggesting that smartphones and tablets will account for four out of five broadband connections by 2016. Amongst mobile users in general we are seeing a trend towards apps and social networks in particular. Put that together and the case for focussing on a mobile content marketing strategy and a social network presence is overwhelming.

By now you’re probably thinking, “Well, that’s great for Instagram and all, but what does it have to do with me?” Well, if you’re an entrepreneur and you want to extend the reach of your brand, then you should definitely consider Instagram as a means to do so.

Instagram is more than just a photo-sharing app. It’s an active community filled with users that are constantly documenting interesting moments through pictures. As a business owner, you’ll be able to tap into this community and make an impression on customers by sharing photos of your own. Snap a picture of your office. Take photos of the stuff that you sell. Heck, take a picture of the sky and comment on what a beautiful day it is. Chances are, a customer will see it and remember you for it.

Link Instagram to Your Business Page on Facebook

If you already have a business page on Facebook, then the best way to get your Instagram juices flowing is to connect your brand’s Facebook page to the app. To do this, go to the Sharing settings in Instagram (Profile tab >> Edit sharing settings) and select Facebook. When you get to the Facebook Options page, tap “Post to” and select the business page that you want to link to Instagram. Once you do this, the photos that you choose to share on Facebook should appear on your business page.

Note that this method only works for the iPhone and Instagram has yet to release an update for Android devices to post directly on the brand page. For more information about linking Instagram to Facebook brand pages check the Instagram Support Center.

Create a Location Page

If your business has a physical address, then you should create a location page for your company on Instagram. This will allow users to tag your company in their photos. So let’s say you own a restaurant and one of your patrons snaps a photo of the food and posts it on Instagram. When they tap the “Where?” field before uploading the photo, they’ll be able to see the restaurant’s name and tag it in the photo.

All business locations that appear in Instagram are provided by Foursquare’s database, so be sure to get your business into that database to allow users to tag your business in their photos. For detailed instructions on creating a location page for your business check the Instagram Support Center again.

Grow and Engage Followers

The things mentioned above are the technical details to getting started with Instagram. The real gold, though, is in working to grow and engage followers. An effective way to do this is to run contests in the community. Take a leaf out of the book of the Brooklyn Bowl, a local bowling alley in New York. When they started using Instagram, they decided to connect with fans by holding a contest. They asked customers to take photos of anything in the location (bowling shoes, balls, food) and include the hashtag #brooklynbowl for a chance to win 2 tickets to an upcoming show.

You can also follow the footsteps for T-shirt website Threadless by posting photos of new arrivals as well as behind the scenes snapshots of how their products are created.

Are you having a sale? Post photos of interesting products that customers can get discounts on, or better yet, take a picture while the sale is in full swing and encourage users to join the fun.

Most importantly, make it a point to like other photos in the community and add comments to interesting images. Don’t just talk to a wall and post pictures that are all about YOU. Remember that just like any social network, Instagram is a two-way street and social media etiquette goes a long way.

Image credit: beta75.se on Flickr

Sure, social networks have made it easier for people to reach out to journalists and bloggers, but do you really think a simple tweet or wall post is enough to get them to check out your company? Hardly. Besides, even if you do manage to get around the spammy links and mindless chatter in social networks and catch a journalist’s attention, you would still need something to point people to. This is where your trusty press release will come in.

An effective press release is an article that’s newsworthy and covers all the bases when it comes to What, Where, How, When, and Why. It’s a credible source that journalists and consumers can always refer to if they want to get the “real deal” about your company.

On top of this, a press release offers a lot of benefits when you want to generate buzz and add credibility.

Journalists Still Love Press Releases

The press release is the most heavily-relied on tool by the media when it comes to finding news. According to a survey by PR firm Text 100, when they asked journalists to rate the usefulness of a press release, they gave a score of 72%, the highest among the given categories. Meanwhile, social networks like Twitter and Facebook, only received scores of 53% and 47%, respectively.

How exactly do members of the press want to receive news releases? According to MyPRGenie, nearly 94% of journalists prefer to receive them through email, indicating that the best way to catch a journalist’s attention is by sending an article straight into their inbox.

It Can Get You Found on Google

When you use online news release distribution services such as PRWeb and PR Newswire, your press release gets submitted to major search engines, allowing you to be seen in Google News, Yahoo News, and the like. So whenever someone searches for current events in your industry using any of the major search engines, your press release will appear in the news category, giving you more visibility and more potential leads.

It Can Make Your Company Look Much Bigger

Give your company a publicity boost by publishing a press release. Even if you’re just a small startup that’s new to the industry, getting your name published and having it appear in search results can instantly build up your credibility. When people perceive your company as being established, they’re more likely to contact you.

It Keeps You on Your Customers’ Radar

Publishing press releases on a regular basis can also strengthen your relationship with existing clients. Seeing your name in the news will build their confidence in your company, increasing the chances that they’ll give you more repeat business.

It’s All About YOU!

Another great benefit of putting out a press release is that it puts you in the driver’s seat. It gives you the chance to craft your own message and tell your story exactly the way you want it to be told. And don’t think that there aren’t stories about your business that are worth sharing. Anything new about your company, such as an update in your product line, would make a great story.

If you can’t find news within your company, then MAKE some. Do some research on growing trends in your industry, and publish the results. Make an infographic out of the statistics that you find and make sure to get them in the hands of the press.

Image credit: Mactitioner on Flickr

The age of mobile technology is upon us and smartphones are being bolstered by tablets which share the same operating systems. Beyond making calls and sending texts people use their smartphones for a variety of other activities. Mobile devices accounted for 8.49% of all web traffic in January 2012 according to StatCounter. On average people spend more time consuming media on their phones than they do on newspapers and magazines combined. Mobile traffic is an attractive target for content marketers but what’s the best way of targeting it?

The App Explosion

There was a great deal of excitement about the advent of apps and the number of available apps for the most popular platforms, iOS and Android, has grown impressively. There are hundreds of thousands of apps out there and the annual revenue generated from app sales, in-app purchases, subscriptions and advertising is in the billions. Gartner projected $15.1 billion in 2011 based on 17.7 billion downloads.

What About App Reach?

The app bandwagon filled up pretty quickly but the results were often unexpected. A tendency to focus on download figures masked the fact that around a quarter of apps downloaded were only used once. According to Localytics in 2010 26% of all apps downloaded fell into this category.

You also have to consider that, although smartphones are selling fast they are still a relatively small percentage of the overall mobile market. The much discussed iPhone accounted for less than 20% of the total smartphone market in 2011 (Canalys) and by July 2011 smartphones still only accounted for 40% of the total mobile market in the U.S. (Nielsen). That is, however, growing fast and with tablets widening the user base for apps they are definitely worthy of consideration as a marketing tool.

People Spending More Time On Apps

It has taken a while for people to get used to the app markets and understand what they can offer but recent research strongly suggests that apps are the way forward. A whopping 64% of the time people spend on their mobile devices is spent using apps. Social media accounts for 5.5% of that, both stats are from this Nielsen report.

Interestingly people are spending more time on the web and on apps than they used to. According to Flurry the average time people spent on the web on their mobiles per day in June 2010 was 64 minutes versus 43 minutes on apps. In June 2011 that had changed to 74 minutes on the web versus 81 minutes on apps.

The old argument about whether it is better to optimize your web presence for mobile or create a dedicated app could be influenced by this evidence. Of course there are many other benefits to creating a mobile app in terms of usability, potential features and branding but it is also more expensive and it is a real challenge to create an app capable of sustaining consumer interest. Getting traction with a marketing app is not easy.

So Should You Create An App?

For anyone looking to create an app for marketing purposes there is a lot to consider. For a start you’ll need to think about which platforms to target. Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS account for around 75% of the smartphone market according to comScore. However, developing your app for multiple platforms will increase costs. If you are targeting just one platform then it has to be Android as it represents more than 50% of the total smartphone market.

It’s not enough to create a simple app that offers little more than a portal link to your web presence. The golden rule of all marketing applies – you must offer value to the consumer. If you want people to download your app and actually use it then you need to make it useful. The most popular apps tend to have an accessible user interface that’s simple to use. They offer fast and easy navigation via the touch screen which immediately makes them more attractive than websites in a browser.

If you don’t intend to offer more than that, some form of interactivity, maybe exclusive deals or competitions, then mobile web optimization might be the way to go.

Mobile Web Optimization vs Mobile Apps

If you optimize your website for mobile then you can effectively appeal to a far larger mobile audience which also includes feature phone users. The main advantage over developing apps is greater reach for less money. You will have to spend more to develop an app for multiple platforms than you ever would on a mobile website but you might find that the right app will result in greater engagement and more conversions.

Content marketing for your app is also going to be a vital follow up if you decide to develop one. With so many apps on the market you don’t just need a great product that is free to download, you also need to promote it in the right channels.

Just remember this – don’t develop an app just for the sake of it. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “We need to have an app because apps are hot right now!”

If you develop an app that doesn’t offer some advantage over browser access to your website, an app that doesn’t have some kind of hook or purpose to engage people, an app that blends seamlessly into the ever-expanding crowd – then you are effectively throwing money away. If you’re going to do it, then do it right. With a good design and the right developer, topped off with careful mobile app promotion, you could really boost your brand.

When delivering a webinar on mobile technology or services, they all seem to follow the same format:

• A look at the size of the market (stats galore) mobile is growing fast – selling you on the need
• Smartphones and tablets should be targeted
• How can you optimize for mobile traffic or
• How can you engage in content marketing on mobile platforms
• Question and answer time

So how often do you really need to hear that the mobile marketplace is growing? And that you should be considering mobile access for every content, media and entertainment product you produce? Oh, and my favorite redundant points that always make the grade, that bandwidth and screen size are a concern.

Mobile is more than just being defined as a set of technical constraints, it is a personification of a lifestyle. Connect with your audience on how you can appeal to the always connected social media addict or the tech-savvy business person on the go.

Besides taking the effort in not boring someone to tears, what are some planning and delivery aspects you should be paying attention to when delivering a webinar about mobile, video, gaming, media, or communications?

Format

Think of your webinar participants as looking for fast-paced, less lead time, shorter, more frequent webinars. They’re usually a younger audience, so some characteristics that may help you:

• Planning on the go: Two week lead-time is plenty. No one wants to make a commitment a month from now. What can you do for me tomorrow?
• High energy: Shorter in length webinars. I’d recommend a 15 to 20 minute presentation with a 5 minute Q &A.
• Thirst for information: Instead of a big webinar once every 3 months, do 1 a month. With the fast pace of technology changes in mobile, coming up with ideas to talk about shouldn’t be difficult.
• Multi-tasking: Your attendees are definitely going to be texting during your webinar, so choose a presenter who will verbally punctuate their words and be concise. Hate to say this, but stay away from people who have strong accents or people who are difficult to understand.

Another very effective tool worth leveraging is the case study. People like it when there is a demonstration of a company leading by example. The key is not to just explain how to do this, illustrate it at the same time. Provide point by point steps for people, practical advice they can take away and implement is the most valuable. Also highlight the mistakes you have made or seen others make, people always like to know the pitfalls.

Mike Agron, from WebAttract, has done hundreds of webinars over the past several years. He knows that case studies are an extremely valuable tool for any webinar. WebAttract’s website highlights lots of case studies of his own product, and he uses them quite regularly in his own webinars.

Audience

Your webinar needs a clear audience in mind. Don’t try to “boil the ocean” by addressing too many audiences in one webinar.

Are you targeting marketers, PR firms, mobile app developers, website owners? I see too many of these webinars try to cover points for all these audiences, or water down the message so much so it can be applied to a diverse set of audiences. Both of those tactics are no-no’s.

Another thing to take into account is matching use of technical material to audience. Are you assuming the attendees have some knowledge beforehand? Mobile tech companies can sometimes be too technical. Website owners can be large website owners, where they may have a high degree of technical sophistication, or most likely very small companies. So make sure if you are targeting a PR firm, marketer, or small business website owner, simplify your terminology or use terms and explain them. It can obviously be off-putting.

If you think there is going to be a lot of confusion, because your use of technical terms is crucial, then have someone man the chat and/or Twitter to answer questions while the webinar runs. It can avoid frustration for the audience and can also serve as the basis for a set of accompanying articles. How does the 4G LTE network compare with HSPA+ or WiMax? What platforms offer the best return on investment and is Android fragmentation going to be an issue? If they are asking these questions to you, they/others might be asking those same questions in Google. Wouldn’t it be nice for one of your articles addressing this question to come up in search engines?

Goals and Calls To Action

Knowing what you want to accomplish as a result of putting on a webinar is important. For Mike Agron, goal planning and followup are the most critical parts of the webinar delivery process.

Are you trying to demonstrate that you and/or your company are gurus in the Mobile/Media industry? Are you trying to raise awareness for the next killer app?

If your goal is to get an attendee to try out your mobile development platform, then your ideal result would be to see a trial download after the webinar. Have you made that process as brain-dead simple as possible? Some ideas for you to use:

• Create a custom download page just for webinar attendees highlighting some of the key points in the webinar and personalizing the download message.
• Give everyone an easy to remember URL to that landing page at the end of the webinar
• Include a link to that page in the email thanking them for attending that webinar, or the “sorry we missed” you email followup

One of the best webinar outcomes though, is starting a conversation. To know what types of conversations you should be having, WebAttract recommends segmenting the leads into one of three buckets:

• Presales Leads
• Sales Ready Leads
• Marketing Nurture Leads

Each one of those types of leads should have a specific followup plan. To learn more on this aspect, WebAttract has a lot of great advice for every step along the way. Check out their Webinar Best Practice videos for some ideas.

It’s important to recognize that the value of a webinar isn’t over once the event has been delivered. Not only is the recording of the event valuable, but all of the material that can be generated around this content can be leveraged.

If you take all of these things into account, you’ll differentiate yourself from the pack. Isn’t that what we are all striving for?

According to IDC that market is set to grow dramatically in 2012. They estimated 68.7 million units shipped in 2011 and they are forecasting 106.1 million units to be shipped in 2012. Both at home and in the workplace, tablets are really starting to take off. This may be a good time to consider your tablet content marketing strategy.

The important factor here for content marketers is that over half of all tablet owners use their tablets to read news and send email. The Pew Research Center has lots of eye-opening stats about tablets and how they are used. 53% are using their tablets to read news on a daily basis. Tablets are perceived as the ideal device for consuming content, whether it’s a blog post or an in-depth article. 42% said they regularly consumed in-depth articles or analysis. The majority of people are using the browser to access the content, but dedicated apps and aggregators are also quite popular.

The trend is that people prefer to read news on their tablet over a traditional newspaper or a desktop PC. They are likely to read content they did not initially set out to find. They are also quite likely to share that content through social media or email. Business people are also starting to use tablets more frequently at work. Tablets are not just ideal for web browsing and email, they are also ideal for watching video content.

So what is the take away for content marketers? Maybe it’s time to consider optimizing your content for tablets. Include audio and video elements, consider how your layout will work on a tablet device and make sure it is eye catching. For ecommerce retailers there is a real opportunity here to optimize for tablets and create a great shopping experience.

Make no mistake – the user base is growing fast. Over 11% of US adults already own a tablet. As more and more tablets are sold the potential for creating a successful content marketing strategy that caters for tablet devices is huge. Since tablet owners are much more likely to focus on news and content it makes a lot of sense to spend in this area.

The Stats

Let’s ditch the rampant hyperbole on this subject. According to IDC more than 352 million PCs were shipped worldwide in 2011 (that includes portables and mini-notebooks but not tablets or servers.) That still represents 1.5% growth over 2010 figures. In saturated markets like the US, Europe and Japan, PC sales are declining (down 5% in the US.) Those unrealistic expectations that people would upgrade their systems and buy second or third PCs for the home have been exposed. The reality is reduced consumer spending in the current economic climate and the rise in popularity of mobile devices.

According to Canalys 415 million PCs were sold in 2011 but they lump in tablets, netbooks and notebooks as well. That compares to 488 million smartphones sold in 2011. Should they really be compared though? The fact that smartphones are the current must-have items is no indication that they will replace PCs. Have you tried writing an article, working on a spreadsheet or even playing a first-person shooter game on a smartphone? Smartphone and tablet sales are meteoric right now in the same way that PC sales were when they were a new thing. It stands to reason that once everyone has one, sales will slow down. Couple that with the fact that a powerful PC bought today will still usefully serve you for a number of years without requiring an upgrade and it’s no wonder that demand is dropping off. You also have to consider the fact that you can get a smartphone for free with a two year contract and that everyone in a household wants their own.

Falling Profit

The idea that reduced demand equals death is ridiculous. The PC is still a practical device with a role to play and when it comes to bang for your buck, it still offers more than the competition. Isn’t this all based on the capitalist ideal of increasing profits year on year? It’s not enough to have a stable, profitable company, you have to increase that profit by a hefty percentage every year or your business is perceived as failing. The margin on PCs is not big enough. Manufacturers aren’t making anything like the profit that Apple commands by charging a premium for its products. Look at HP’s failed foray into smartphones and tablets with webOS, which was quickly followed up by an announcement of its intention to exit the PC market. Not because it isn’t profitable, but because it isn’t profitable enough.

That desire to increase profit and sell more has led to serious market saturation. It has also led to rampant overselling as sales staff push powerful PC systems on people who simply don’t need them. The average person might want to keep up with their Facebook account, surf the web and send email. They don’t need a high-end PC to do that. In fact they will be better served by a tablet. On the other hand there are still plenty of people who use a PC daily because it is the most appropriate, user-friendly and cost-effective option. Demand for PCs will decline, and it should, but it won’t drop away completely.

Extinction?

It has been suggested that PCs will go the way of the typewriter. The typewriter only did one thing, and it was ineffective at that one thing compared to a PC. The PC is a multi-tasker. There are things that smartphones and tablets are better at, or at least more convenient for, but they can’t handle everything that a PC can. Some people prefer a larger screen, more processing power, a comfortable working position and a physical keyboard. Some people don’t have deep enough pockets to pay a premium for the latest brand-name gadget they’re supposed to desire. Sure, the PC market might shrink, the sales might decline and they might not be the household fixture they once were, but they are far from dead. Until something comes along that does everything a PC does more efficiently and at a comparable price, they will continue to sell.

It’s also worth remembering that a lot of the people telling you PCs are dead and claiming that we now live in a post-PC era are trying to convince you to splash out on a smartphone or a tablet instead. They might not be as glamorous, but there’s no fundamental reason that PCs can’t peacefully co-exist with the new wave of tech devices for a long time yet.

1. Windows to Go

The move towards portable apps and settings has progressed apace in the world of open source computing over the past few years, with a few forward-thinking developers providing similar solutions for Windows.
With the advent of hot-desking and mobile working it makes perfect sense that Windows 8 should feature both roaming profiles – personal data synced to a Hotmail account – and the enterprise-only Windows to Go, basically the local install of Windows 8 including all of your apps and settings stored on a USB thumb drive which can be plugged into any computer.

2. Zune/Media Playback

Windows Media Player is old hat. Microsoft has a much better solution already available. Set to be integrated into Windows 8, Zune offers seamless full screen video playback that can be effortlessly resized either via the mouse or by fingers on a tablet device.
Dynamic HD video playback and the ability to resize the window to display other apps from the Metro UI are additional features, along with management of audio and video files, podcasts, photos and more.

3. Windows Store

Since Apple launched the App Store on Mac OS X 10.6, Microsoft was always going to follow suit. A combination of the Windows Phone Marketplace and Games for Windows, the Windows Store provides easy access to must-have app downloads, both free and premium. It will save you time browsing the web looking for the right apps.
Featuring software geared for use with the Metro UI – complete with live tiles – this tool will enable Microsoft to ensure that apps are safe and suitable for the devices they’re installed on, thereby reducing errors and crashes.

4. Kinect Compatibility

Not too much is known about this feature at present. Microsoft has released a developer’s kit for Windows and previewed laptops with built-in Kinect sensors to lucky journalists but how this will play out isn’t completely clear just yet.
The obvious conclusion to draw is that any Windows 8 computer with a Kinect device will offer Minority Report-style interaction with the Metro UI. A simple hand wave might scroll left or right through the displayed tiles, while pointing might launch the corresponding application, bringing a truly futuristic feel to the new user interface.

5. Refresh and Reset

If you’ve never had to prepare backups of your vital data and documents, email messages and temporary files in advance of reinstalling Windows, then you’re very fortunate. The lack of competent restore and backup tools in previous versions of the operating system is well documented.
Fortunately Windows 8 features the new Refresh and Reset tool. The first option allows you to reload the original system files without losing your personal data, pictures and music, while the second is ideal for deleting everything in advance of selling or giving the computer to someone else.

6. Windows Live & SkyDrive Integration

Although you can create a local account, Windows 8 allows users to sign-in via Windows Live, enabling considerable integration with the service and SkyDrive’s cloud storage. Along with the roaming profiles described earlier, this will enable users to store their photos and documents in the cloud and summon them via Windows Explorer rather than having to launch a separate browser.

7. Wireless Communication

Windows 7 was notorious for poor Wireless G compatibility, resulting in users being forced to establish insecure Wi-Fi connections. Fortunately Windows 8 has been designed to connect to devices in a more dynamic manner. Additionally near field communication (NFC) has been added. Currently NFC is used on mobile phones to pay for goods, but it has potential as a successor to Bluetooth. Meanwhile Wi-Fi Direct can be used for file-sharing or establishing direct connections to other hardware such as mobile phones or TVs.

8. Metro UI

There is very little that can be said about Windows 8 that doesn’t mention or refer to the stunning new Metro user interface. Available elsewhere on Windows Phone and Xbox 360, Metro is a tile-based system that enables easy access to information from applications running in the background. The end result of this, for example, might be to display stocks and share information or the duration of a Skype call.
While the interface can be accessed via mouse and keyboard it is at its best when used with a touch-sensitive device such as a tablet display. Beyond the tiles, Metro is the Segoe-inspired font, the ability to run multiple apps alongside each other, and the integration of services such as Twitter and Skype.

Are You Ready for Windows 8?

When it hits the shelves later this year, Windows 8 looks set to be the most stunning version of the operating system since Windows 95. It’s effectively a new starting point, the beginning of an exciting new age in business and domestic computing where wireless technologies and user-focused tools can finally converge to deliver the type of experience that electronics consumers have been calling out for.

The proof – as always – will be in the using. But with a minimum hardware spec that is believed to be the same as Windows 7 there is little chance of Windows 8 being ignored and every chance that our lives are about to change.