I continue to develop the collaborative working relationship with GrowMyCharity.com even appearing on Exeter FM and we have a had a great year supporting numerous charities across the South West with some great reviews of seminars we’ve run, you can read a few on LinkedIN or Speakermix. 2012 promises to have more seminars and more develop in the sector and I hope to be collaborating with new companies as the year develops (if you could add anything please get in touch).

This year we have seen the launch of Google +, is it any good, still I’m not sure to be honest, for me the engagement levels are no where near what they are on Facebook or Twitter BUT it has the might of Google behind it – so what, Buzz and Wave have both fallen by the wayside and is Google + currently any different, we shall wait and see??

So turning to this blog I run, what have been my top posts of this year, well lets begin.

Number 3 – Super Yacht Aviva

Why is this number 3?Well mainly as the Super Yacht Aviva was a very impressive sight at Tower Bridge over the summer, and a nice owner and crew.

Number 2 - Sainsburys in Dawlish opens

This issue of who opens a supermarket in Dawlish has raged for quite a few years and when Sainsburys won the battle I was keen to see what a new eco store looked like, this post has been highly commented on!!!

Number 1 – starting GleaveMedia

Having worked in the Internet industry since 1999 and helped two small Exeter web companies to grow it was no small feat to start on my own in the spring, I have to say the response and great comments i have received have truly vindicated this decision of wanting to put the customer at the heart of all I do, thank you once again.

So there you go, short and sweet 2011 a year on this blog in review, thank you to my friends and colleagues who continue to support and engage I look forward to working with you all in 2012.

GleaveMedia – http://www.gleavemedia.co.uk

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/gleavemedia

Spotted on our recent trip to London the Super Yacht AVIVA III moored up at Georges Stairs next to Butlers Wharf a favoured location of mine, and with Tower Bridge in the background.

This very impressive looking super yacht was apparently built in 2007 (according to Wikipedia) and is 70m long and can accomodate 16 guests and 20 crew across her 6 decks.

The yacht apparently is owner by a part owner of MB plc who also own Browns Brasserie which happens to be on Butlers Wharf, wonder if he popped in for dinner?

Please read the synopsis below and click on the links to see more and book.

Twitter for Business click here

You may already be on Twitter or you may be thinking about it.  Whichever applies to you, going back to basics allows you to learn and apply the best techniques to grow your audience and your business online.  I’ll also show you some common mistakes and how to avoid them!

We will explore the purpose of Twitter and where it fits not only within social media but also within a wider marketing strategy. We will be looking at Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites, how they interlink and what drives traffic.

Click here for more info or to book.

Solicitors and Social Media how to get it right click here

You will have read in the Gazette and elsewhere that more and more solicitors are developing followings online. This session, run by former corporate commercial solicitor James Barisic, will guide you through the basics of social media, looking at Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – and show you how to get the most out of it.

Click here for more info or to book.

Both events are at the St Giles Hotel in Bedford Avenue, London.

Spotted outside a country hotel on Devon a truly wonderful Jaguar XK 150, I need add no more!

In an increasingly busy and competitive world, hiring an independent web professional for your company’s website build and development surely is just good common sense.

The key difference between an Independent Internet Project Manager (myself) and a web company’s own account manager is how they prioritise your business needs. I work exclusively for the YOU the customer, whereas a web company’s own account manager works for that Internet Development Company.

I am delighted to offer a service where i can work for your business using all my experience to ensure you get a website built that is delivered on time, within budget and exceeding your expectation, removing all the pain and hassle from dealing with technology company’s covering stuff you may not understand or being sold stuff you just dont need or even simply have time to deal with – I remove the hassle, manage the trouble and deliver what you want.

As for experience well I have been in the web industry since 1999 and I pretty much know all the tricks of the trade, having worked in my time for two leading Exeter Web Design Companies, KMS Internet and Optix Solutions.

You can find my LinkedIn Profile here http://www.linkedin.com/in/alistairg and a couple of quote from satisfied customers are taken from this profile.

“I can sum this up in very few words: “Alistair REALLY knows his stuff.” You want a few more? OK – He’s a focused and realistic marketing professional. If you want a no-nonsense, down-to-earth and plain English approach, you really should be speaking with Alistair.”

Sue Haswell – Big Results Marketing

“Al is a very detail processed individual which has managed the business link between our two companies for the last 3 years. He has at all times provided excellent support and direction in difficult times. His ability to see through the issues and resolve the route has always been an inspiration to me.”

Aboo Cattran – Sportsman Gun Centre.

You can find our more on my blog here http://www.alistairgleave.co.uk/website-project-management/ or contact me here .

By using the power of SlideShare that presentation is below, i have had to remove a few images and links – you have the key parts below.

Alistair Gleave & Danny Frayne, originally uploaded by alistair gleave.

Today i was kindly invited into the Corporate box of Exeter printers Quickprint South West. I am pictured here with owner Danny Frayne prior to the start of the game.

The match was between Exeter and MK Dons and finished 1-1 with a goal in either half, it was a good game and Exeter had a number of great chances to take all three points, they will just have to make do with the draw and 1 point.

Thank you Danny for the invite…. @quickprintSW a great local printer.

Since 1994 all passenger flights out of the UK have been subject to APD or Airline Passenger Duty, basically a tax on everyone who leaves the UK on a plane – important as you dont pay on say Eurostar!  In 1994 this was just £5 for a economy short haul, say a flight to Barcelona or £20 for the economy long haul to say Sydney.  Well at the end of last year (November 1st) these went up again to £12 for economy short haul and £85, yes £85 for economy long haul.

The Dutch however have taken a different route, they got rid of their passenger tax after just 12 months when it was discovered that the cost to the economy was 1 billion euros and the Dutch government had taken just 300 million euros in revenue.

So my top tip is, do your sums before you book the flight, for example; for a family of four to fly to New York you pay £340 in tax before you even get a flight price, so can you get to Amsterdam Schiphol for less, bear in mind these wont be connecting flights, but even so can you save ?

This post follows on from my free Google grants for Charities that can be found on my blog here.

If you are a Charity and want to use the power of YouTube to connect with your supports through this incredibly popular visual medium then YouTube can help through its non-profit program that over four distinct program benefits.

1. premium branding and increased upload capability
2. you will be listed on the not for profit channels and video pages on YouTube
3. you can add calls to action overlayed on the video, so you have space to add a message and YouTube encourage you to do just that.
4. finally you have the option to ask ‘the crowd’ so you could for instance asked an expert YouTuber to create a video just for your charity.

As with all YouTube content there are some basic rules to follow;

• Upload videos that get the viewers watching and talking, then ensure you answer any responses you get.
• Upload content regularly, much like your website don’t let it go stale.
• Don’t forget to embed the code for the video across other platform, news, blog and Twitter to name but three.
• And finally be yourself, if you are fake then you will be found out!

You can find out more on http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits