MSc Marketing at Salford Business School: One Year Later

Time flies and it seems to move faster when you keep yourself busy. Just what I've been doing ove the last 12 months: Keeping myself busy. 

It was a sunny but windy day of 2014 when Marta submitted her dissertation after a year of sleep depravation and thousands of hours of sitting down reading, summarizing, analyzing, writing, editing, reading and rewriting. Now that I rethink it I don't actually remember how weather was. Most likely rainy (sleep depravation times, remember). 

The day after the DD-day (Dissertation Deadline) I came back to the place I had been working as an intern, now as a full-time worker. For a person who's been living on internship salaries and zero-hour contracts, having a full-time position felt like a dream. Contract, holidays, salary over the minumum wage, travel expenses... the whole lot: the paradise of the postgraduate. 

It's been a year of hard work at Web Shop Direct: Getting used to the company, learning about the tools I use in my everyday, but also learning about the products and the sector. I not only need to choose the best plugin for my blog about tights or knowing how to analyse on Google Analytics the traffic coming to this blog, but also sharing interesting and useful content. So, yes, I've been learning about hosiery and, on the meantime, I've become a little bit of a Fashion victim. Ask me about Fashion trends or celebrities, I rule it. 

Grades came and I happily got a Distinction (Yay). Then Alex Fenton asked me to join the Little Chip Awards on the Placement/Aprenticeship category and (surprise suprise) I happened to win it. Yes, it's an award for being an intern, but I have always been a good intern (References can be provided on request). 

More recently our amazing website for pretty amazing bikinis and swimsuits has gone responsive and, luckily, UK Tights has also moved to a responsive design. Furthermore, a new online store for Fine lingerie sets and lovely nightwearis coming live very soon. As you can see I can't help myself: I like keeping myself busy and I couldn't ask for a better job (or a greater job place). 

I'm going to use my own recipe and creating a calendar of contents with posts for every month. Does this sound good to you? In the meantime, why don't you tell me (and whoever reads this) what did you do on your first year after uni? 

My first collaboration with Passport to Trade 2.0

Internet Mobile has evolved in Spain and Spanish Social Media habits have changed, impulsed by the greater sales of smartphones and tablets. When I started to prepare my colaboratio with Passport to Trade, I didn't know how far Internet Mobile has changed the Social Media landscape in Spain. 

Why is guest blogging so appealing for me?

On the one hand, it is an ideal excuse to research about one particular topic. Information is power, so it is always good to know more. Besides, Social Media is a matter I feel particularly attracted, as it changes all the time. Even before I had planned to study Marketing, I was a quite active Social Media user. Before Facebook and Twitter, I spent my hours uploading pictures in Flickr, sharing staff in Fotolog and I even had two Space Groups (The ones from Msn, not a MySpace). Nowadays, I am the one my friends ask to know "What is that of Tumblr" or "What is Pinterest for". 

On the other hand, I have always blogged in Blogspot. Although I know how to use Wordpress, I have always used Blogspot. It is my pending task and I hope I can start to sort it out early, as I have realised Wordpress has loads of SEO pluggins and customisation options. 

Finally, the project is just amazing. 

What is Passport to Trade 2.0 about?

Well, #P2T2 project (as you can find on Twitter) is an European program to help small and medium-size companies and students going abroad. Passport to Trade 2.0 is a guide about online and face-to-face communication in 31 different cultures. It worths a look if you want to learn something about other European cultures. It is also available in nine languages, besides English. University of Salford - Business School is part of this project along with seven more European organisations. No doubt why Business Culture website has been shortlisted for the European Search Awards 2014. 

I am glad to have been part of this project. I hope I can write some more posts in the future. 

What is your opinion abour guest bloggers?

How to choose the right Christmas present

Christmas morning, you are about to open Santa's presents. Full of energy, anxious and happy... but five seconds later you feel disappointed. Why did Santa pick up the wrong present? Well, Santa didn't follow these easy steps when buying Xmas presents.

Some of Santa's presents. By Mike Fleming

The present is not for you!
Tired of getting shocks or scarves every year? When you are buying for someone else, you just need to think about other's needings and likes before buying something you like. Your Grandpa doen't want a Premium Spotify subscription, although I would love Santa would buy me one.

Be creative!
Little budgets require an extra creativity, which can be developed in two aspects: the packaging and the present itself. Every year my friends and I hold a Secret Santa. Presents should be under 5€, so creativity is a must. I bought my friend a Cadbury caramel bar and this original IKEA lamp. My friend loved them.

Be social!
Use peer to peer opinions to find the right present. Ask the "experts". In my case, having a camera makes me the person everyone ask when they want a new camera. Between you and me: I have no idea about cameras. I am only an expert in Google and Social Media research.

Use Internet and Social Media to compare!
Comparing features and prices is easier with Internet and Social Media networks. So, when people ask me for advice, I look up and compare on Internet some cameras, I select some ones between the budget and I pick the right one. I also have a few photographers friends, whom I ask, too.

Follow the trends!
Be viral! If a product is very trendy, if it has been sold in mass... your teenager daughter/son would love it. Pay attention not to spend loads on it, as viral products are usually quite expensive, too. When not sure, just review the 5 tips list I have given you.

Good luck finding the right present and Merry Christmas!