Happy Sunday

Today is the first sunday of the second half of the year.

Indeed the LORD have been Good to us , on this day I wan to say to my God
  " Thanks a Million from the depth of my heart for a list of innumerable things He has done for me and for my family members and everyone I know .. ranging from life to protections to provisions to sound health to divine
Help for success in exams for graduation to daily life for Job (IT placement)  to financial prosperity to Manifold Grace and shield.  Thank you Father, from the depth of my heart I say thank You

Happy Sunday

Posted by Cash On No comments

Today is the first sunday of the second half of the year.

Indeed the LORD have been Good to us , on this day I wan to say to my God
  " Thanks a Million from the depth of my heart for a list of innumerable things He has done for me and for my family members and everyone I know .. ranging from life to protections to provisions to sound health to divine
Help for success in exams for graduation to daily life for Job (IT placement)  to financial prosperity to Manifold Grace and shield.  Thank you Father, from the depth of my heart I say thank You

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has resigned, THE PUNCH learnt.

A senior member of the divided National Working Committee of the party, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, said President Goodluck Jonathan will inform the meeting of the National Caucus of the party tonight in Abuja about the development.


With the resignation, Tukur has escaped being suspended from the party by the members of the NWC if he had refused to resign. Tukur was to be suspended by about eight members of the NWC, while the National Executive Committee of the party would ratify his suspension on Thursday.

 Meanwhile, the wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan is said to be scheming to install Tukur’s successor. The First Lady is said to be rooting for the appointment of the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar. However, the governors are resisting the move.

Posted by Cash On No comments

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has resigned, THE PUNCH learnt.

A senior member of the divided National Working Committee of the party, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, said President Goodluck Jonathan will inform the meeting of the National Caucus of the party tonight in Abuja about the development.


With the resignation, Tukur has escaped being suspended from the party by the members of the NWC if he had refused to resign. Tukur was to be suspended by about eight members of the NWC, while the National Executive Committee of the party would ratify his suspension on Thursday.

 Meanwhile, the wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan is said to be scheming to install Tukur’s successor. The First Lady is said to be rooting for the appointment of the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar. However, the governors are resisting the move.

Make Your Content Stand out

Four Ways To Make Your Content Stand Out

Content marketing is the big marketing trend of 2013. Countless brands and businesses are rushing into content marketing programs. This makes it even more important to differentiate your brand’s content in order to reach customers and prospects.

Use these four tips to stand out in the minds of your audiences:

1 Offer a new point of view

There will always be hot-button issues around which many industry leaders produce content. Differentiate your content by presenting information in a new context. For example, what are the bigger-picture stories around current industry trends? What new developments will change business as usual? Explore these different points of view to keep your content fresh.

2 Consider format

Experiment with different content formats to find out which resonate best with your audiences. Incorporate visuals, videos, blog posts, white papers, social media and more into your content mix. Don't be afraid to break away from the pack and experiment with new formats. If your competitors rely solely on blog posts, try using more video, for example.

3 Be original

Develop your own signature tone, style and content mix to stand out from other content producers in your space. Knowing and highlighting the unique strengths that your business brings to the conversation is just as important as identifying what the competition lacks.
4 Change the conversation

The marketplace is saturated with many brands producing similar content around the same topics. Instead of fighting for a small share of brand voice in overcrowded conversations, invest in discovering new topics that aren’t yet popular.

Once you understand what they are, and why people aren’t talking about them yet, you can develop content to lead the conversation.

The key to creating content that stands out in the marketplace is thinking differently from the competition. Always stay tuned to the competitive landscape:
what your competitors are saying, how they’re saying it and when they’re saying it. By identifying gaps and weaknesses in their content, you can bring unique value to the marketplace. This time and effort will pay off as you develop a distinct and recognized voice in your industry.

Does your content get reads but not leads?

Helpful  ??

Comment and Share

Make Your Content Stand out

Posted by Cash On No comments

Four Ways To Make Your Content Stand Out

Content marketing is the big marketing trend of 2013. Countless brands and businesses are rushing into content marketing programs. This makes it even more important to differentiate your brand’s content in order to reach customers and prospects.

Use these four tips to stand out in the minds of your audiences:

1 Offer a new point of view

There will always be hot-button issues around which many industry leaders produce content. Differentiate your content by presenting information in a new context. For example, what are the bigger-picture stories around current industry trends? What new developments will change business as usual? Explore these different points of view to keep your content fresh.

2 Consider format

Experiment with different content formats to find out which resonate best with your audiences. Incorporate visuals, videos, blog posts, white papers, social media and more into your content mix. Don't be afraid to break away from the pack and experiment with new formats. If your competitors rely solely on blog posts, try using more video, for example.

3 Be original

Develop your own signature tone, style and content mix to stand out from other content producers in your space. Knowing and highlighting the unique strengths that your business brings to the conversation is just as important as identifying what the competition lacks.
4 Change the conversation

The marketplace is saturated with many brands producing similar content around the same topics. Instead of fighting for a small share of brand voice in overcrowded conversations, invest in discovering new topics that aren’t yet popular.

Once you understand what they are, and why people aren’t talking about them yet, you can develop content to lead the conversation.

The key to creating content that stands out in the marketplace is thinking differently from the competition. Always stay tuned to the competitive landscape:
what your competitors are saying, how they’re saying it and when they’re saying it. By identifying gaps and weaknesses in their content, you can bring unique value to the marketplace. This time and effort will pay off as you develop a distinct and recognized voice in your industry.

Does your content get reads but not leads?

Helpful  ??

Comment and Share

LISTS OF AFRICA'S HAPPIEST COUNTRIES 2013, Nigeria Named 5th

So we are the 5th happiest country in Africa according to a report sponsored by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network which was established by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and comes ahead of the annual General Assembly.

Angola is Africa’s happiest country, followed by Mauritius and Algeria,
according to a new global survey of 156 countries released Monday. Angola, Mauritius, Algeria, Libya and
Nigeria are the top five happiest countries on the continent, while Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Lesotho are the
next five African nations that are most content.

See full list below
Overall African rankings:
1-Angola,
2-Mauritius,
3-Algeria,
4-Libya,
5-Nigeria,
6-Ghana,
7-Zambia,
8-Mozambique,
9-South Africa,
10-Lesotho,
11-Morocco,
12-Swaziland,
13-Somaliland,
14-Zimbabwe,
15-Tunisia,
16-Mauritania,
17-Djibouti,
18-Congo DR,
19-Ethiopia,
20-Uganda,
21-Cameroon,
22-Kenya,
23-Sudan,
24-Sierra Leone,
25-Congo-Brazzaville,
26-Egypt,
27-Burkina Faso,
28-Mali,
29-Liberia,
30-Niger,
31-Gabon,
32-Malawi,
33-Chad,
34-Botswana,
35-Madagascar,
36-Senegal,
37- Comoros,
38-Guinea,
39-Tanzania,
40-Rwanda,
41-Burundi,
42-Central African Republic,
43-Benin,
44-Togo

LISTS OF AFRICA'S HAPPIEST COUNTRIES 2013, Nigeria Named 5th

Posted by Cash On No comments

So we are the 5th happiest country in Africa according to a report sponsored by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network which was established by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and comes ahead of the annual General Assembly.

Angola is Africa’s happiest country, followed by Mauritius and Algeria,
according to a new global survey of 156 countries released Monday. Angola, Mauritius, Algeria, Libya and
Nigeria are the top five happiest countries on the continent, while Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Lesotho are the
next five African nations that are most content.

See full list below
Overall African rankings:
1-Angola,
2-Mauritius,
3-Algeria,
4-Libya,
5-Nigeria,
6-Ghana,
7-Zambia,
8-Mozambique,
9-South Africa,
10-Lesotho,
11-Morocco,
12-Swaziland,
13-Somaliland,
14-Zimbabwe,
15-Tunisia,
16-Mauritania,
17-Djibouti,
18-Congo DR,
19-Ethiopia,
20-Uganda,
21-Cameroon,
22-Kenya,
23-Sudan,
24-Sierra Leone,
25-Congo-Brazzaville,
26-Egypt,
27-Burkina Faso,
28-Mali,
29-Liberia,
30-Niger,
31-Gabon,
32-Malawi,
33-Chad,
34-Botswana,
35-Madagascar,
36-Senegal,
37- Comoros,
38-Guinea,
39-Tanzania,
40-Rwanda,
41-Burundi,
42-Central African Republic,
43-Benin,
44-Togo

Application for MTNF / Muson Music Scholarship Programme 2013/2014

The Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) in conjunction with The MTN Foundation (MTNF), announces entrance examinations for the 8th set of the MTNF/MUSON diploma course in Music for the 2013 – 2014 academic year. The MUSON School of Music is staffed and equipped to meet international standards in Music education.
The MTN Nigeria Foundation Limited by Guarantee (MTNF) was established by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, in July 2004 to drive MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in communities across the country.

Admission Requirements:
Applicants for the MTNF/MUSON‘ diploma course in Music are expected to possess the following requirements:
1. The General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Ordinary Level with credits in five (5) subjects including English Language or;
2. The Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) with a credit in English Language.
3. The 5 credits must have been obtained at not more than two sittings and before admission to the diploma course.
Wishing  all especially you the best

Other Requirements:
1. Practical: Grade five (5) or higher pass certificate of The MUSON School of Music. examinations or another music examining body recognized by The MUSON School of Music such as ABRSM or Trinity.
2. Theory Grade five (5) or higher pass certificate of The MUSON School of Music examinations or another music examining body recognized by The MUSON School of Music as mentioned above.
3. N/B: Applicants who possess the above music certificates must also satisfy the academic requirements.
Examination / Audition / Interview Dates

The examinations will take place from October 2 – 3, 2013 and will take the form of:
1. A written examination in music theory at approximately grade 5 standard and general music knowledge.
2. An audition on a major instrument or voice of at least grade 5 standard before a faculty jury.
3. An aural interview.
Application Closing Date

16th September, 2013
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their letters of application together with copies of certificates, two (2) passport photographs and contact telephone number(s) or e-mail address should be sent to:
The Director
MUSON School of Music
8/9 Marina, Onikan
Lagos.
Note:
1. Interested applicants who are deficient in the theory requirements but display outstanding practical ability in the opinion of the faculty Jury, may be considered for admission but must enroll in the remedial theory course to meet the necessary standard by the end of the first year.
2. All applications should reach the Director, MUSON School of Music on or before the stated closing date.
3. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.
4. Only short listed applicants will be notified and provided with an examination number which permits them to take examinations, audition and interview.
5. Successful candidates from the examinations will then be offered admissions.

Application for MTNF / Muson Music Scholarship Programme 2013/2014

Posted by Cash On No comments

The Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) in conjunction with The MTN Foundation (MTNF), announces entrance examinations for the 8th set of the MTNF/MUSON diploma course in Music for the 2013 – 2014 academic year. The MUSON School of Music is staffed and equipped to meet international standards in Music education.
The MTN Nigeria Foundation Limited by Guarantee (MTNF) was established by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, in July 2004 to drive MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in communities across the country.

Admission Requirements:
Applicants for the MTNF/MUSON‘ diploma course in Music are expected to possess the following requirements:
1. The General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Ordinary Level with credits in five (5) subjects including English Language or;
2. The Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) with a credit in English Language.
3. The 5 credits must have been obtained at not more than two sittings and before admission to the diploma course.
Wishing  all especially you the best

Other Requirements:
1. Practical: Grade five (5) or higher pass certificate of The MUSON School of Music. examinations or another music examining body recognized by The MUSON School of Music such as ABRSM or Trinity.
2. Theory Grade five (5) or higher pass certificate of The MUSON School of Music examinations or another music examining body recognized by The MUSON School of Music as mentioned above.
3. N/B: Applicants who possess the above music certificates must also satisfy the academic requirements.
Examination / Audition / Interview Dates

The examinations will take place from October 2 – 3, 2013 and will take the form of:
1. A written examination in music theory at approximately grade 5 standard and general music knowledge.
2. An audition on a major instrument or voice of at least grade 5 standard before a faculty jury.
3. An aural interview.
Application Closing Date

16th September, 2013
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their letters of application together with copies of certificates, two (2) passport photographs and contact telephone number(s) or e-mail address should be sent to:
The Director
MUSON School of Music
8/9 Marina, Onikan
Lagos.
Note:
1. Interested applicants who are deficient in the theory requirements but display outstanding practical ability in the opinion of the faculty Jury, may be considered for admission but must enroll in the remedial theory course to meet the necessary standard by the end of the first year.
2. All applications should reach the Director, MUSON School of Music on or before the stated closing date.
3. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.
4. Only short listed applicants will be notified and provided with an examination number which permits them to take examinations, audition and interview.
5. Successful candidates from the examinations will then be offered admissions.

5 Ways to Nurture Relationships with your Best Social Followers

5 Ways to Nurture Relationships with Your Best Social Followers

Your brand advocates on social media are invaluable when it comes to spreading positive digital word of mouth. More than ever, prospective customers search social before making a purchase decision to find what people are saying about your business.

How can you nurture relationships with your brand advocates in order to encourage continued positive engagement?

1 Listen to feedback

What are your best social followers saying about your brand – positive, negative and everything in between? Take this valuable insight into consideration and show your fans that you hear what they’re saying. When people know you’re listening, they’ll be more likely to talk.

2 Respond in a meaningful way

When fans engage with your social content, you should be prepared to continue the conversation. Canned responses like “Thanks for the RT” do nothing to further the conversation. Real and authentic responses keep the conversation going and allow you to glean valuable insight from your business’ biggest fans.

3 Recognize loyalty
Feature your super fans in a blog post or call them out on your social channels. You might even consider giving them access to new products and services before they are available to the general public. These types of activities not only reward brand loyalty but also generate buzz.

4 Involve fans in your business

process Thinking of introducing a new product or service? Invite your most engaged followers to beta test your idea and provide their feedback. This not only helps you bring a better offering to the marketplace, but also gives your best customers a sense of brand ownership.

5 Reward referrals

Referrals can be a powerful tool in new business development, so encourage brand advocates to spread the good word about your business by offering them incentives to do so, such as discounts or other perks.

With the deluge of online information available at a user’s fingertips, what people say about your brand on social media becomes an increasingly important means of differentiating your business from the competition.

Taking the time to cultivate your core base of loyal social followers can have a lasting positive impact on your business, playing an important role in everything from spreading brand awareness to generating new business.

5 Ways to Nurture Relationships with your Best Social Followers

Posted by Cash On No comments

5 Ways to Nurture Relationships with Your Best Social Followers

Your brand advocates on social media are invaluable when it comes to spreading positive digital word of mouth. More than ever, prospective customers search social before making a purchase decision to find what people are saying about your business.

How can you nurture relationships with your brand advocates in order to encourage continued positive engagement?

1 Listen to feedback

What are your best social followers saying about your brand – positive, negative and everything in between? Take this valuable insight into consideration and show your fans that you hear what they’re saying. When people know you’re listening, they’ll be more likely to talk.

2 Respond in a meaningful way

When fans engage with your social content, you should be prepared to continue the conversation. Canned responses like “Thanks for the RT” do nothing to further the conversation. Real and authentic responses keep the conversation going and allow you to glean valuable insight from your business’ biggest fans.

3 Recognize loyalty
Feature your super fans in a blog post or call them out on your social channels. You might even consider giving them access to new products and services before they are available to the general public. These types of activities not only reward brand loyalty but also generate buzz.

4 Involve fans in your business

process Thinking of introducing a new product or service? Invite your most engaged followers to beta test your idea and provide their feedback. This not only helps you bring a better offering to the marketplace, but also gives your best customers a sense of brand ownership.

5 Reward referrals

Referrals can be a powerful tool in new business development, so encourage brand advocates to spread the good word about your business by offering them incentives to do so, such as discounts or other perks.

With the deluge of online information available at a user’s fingertips, what people say about your brand on social media becomes an increasingly important means of differentiating your business from the competition.

Taking the time to cultivate your core base of loyal social followers can have a lasting positive impact on your business, playing an important role in everything from spreading brand awareness to generating new business.

Get Started with Linkedin Company page Analytics

Get Started With LinkedIn Company Page Analytics

At the beginning of August, LinkedIn introduced a major update: LinkedIn Company Page Analytics. Like Facebook Insights, this feature gives businesses an in-depth look at their followers, and how they interact with content.

Access your company page analytics by clicking the new “Analytics” tab located at the top of your company page, next to the “Insights” tab.

Here are three metrics to pay attention to:

1 Engagement
This shows which posts produce the most engagement among your followers. A post’s engagement percentage divides its total number of interactions, clicks and new followers by its total impressions.

Tip: Identify and replicate the content types, posting times and post targeting that drive the most engagement. Remember that posts with images, video and other interactive content tend to drive more engagement.

2 Follower Demographics

LinkedIn shows you extremely specific information about your followers, including seniority, job function, region, company size and whether or not they are employees.

Tip: Use this information to segment your followers when using LinkedIn’s Targeted Status Updates feature. This information should guide your editorial calendar in terms of which types of content to share, as well as tone and style of delivery.

3 How You Compare This feature shows you how your follower count compares to that of your top competitors.

Tip: While this number only offers surface insight on how you compare with the competition, the ranking helps gauge where you fall in the industry overall. This should help you when setting long-term goals for your company’s overall market positioning and reach.

For the greatest success, think of LinkedIn Company Page Analytics as a barometer to guide your overall marketing s

Get Started with Linkedin Company page Analytics

Posted by Cash On No comments

Get Started With LinkedIn Company Page Analytics

At the beginning of August, LinkedIn introduced a major update: LinkedIn Company Page Analytics. Like Facebook Insights, this feature gives businesses an in-depth look at their followers, and how they interact with content.

Access your company page analytics by clicking the new “Analytics” tab located at the top of your company page, next to the “Insights” tab.

Here are three metrics to pay attention to:

1 Engagement
This shows which posts produce the most engagement among your followers. A post’s engagement percentage divides its total number of interactions, clicks and new followers by its total impressions.

Tip: Identify and replicate the content types, posting times and post targeting that drive the most engagement. Remember that posts with images, video and other interactive content tend to drive more engagement.

2 Follower Demographics

LinkedIn shows you extremely specific information about your followers, including seniority, job function, region, company size and whether or not they are employees.

Tip: Use this information to segment your followers when using LinkedIn’s Targeted Status Updates feature. This information should guide your editorial calendar in terms of which types of content to share, as well as tone and style of delivery.

3 How You Compare This feature shows you how your follower count compares to that of your top competitors.

Tip: While this number only offers surface insight on how you compare with the competition, the ranking helps gauge where you fall in the industry overall. This should help you when setting long-term goals for your company’s overall market positioning and reach.

For the greatest success, think of LinkedIn Company Page Analytics as a barometer to guide your overall marketing s

Creating The Right Content for Different Market Platform

Content marketing is not a “one size fits all” scenario. Your Twitter audience is different from your Facebook audience, which is different from your blog audience, and so on.

They all have different needs and expectations when it comes to content. To reach them all successfully, you must tailor content to each channel.

Let’s take a look at four widely used content platforms in the B2B space (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and company blogs) and how to create content for each:

1 Facebook

The Facebook News Feed is designed to showcase photos, videos and other visual content. Be sure to include an accompanying visual with your posts as often as possible. This helps grab a user’s attention from the get-go.

Another best practice is to conclude Facebook posts with a question. The comments below each post can be great for fostering feedback and conversation among followers. Just remember that the most common reason people stop following brands is because they feel bombarded by too many posts. Make each post count by providing valuable content to your fans.

2 Twitter

The 140-character limit demands you be concise on Twitter. However, the brevity of tweets allows you to share content more frequently than on other social networks. This makes Twitter ideal for real-time conversations – remember Oreo’s Super Bowl blackout tweet? The hashtag feature is also an effective way to engage followers in chats, contests or at events, such as a users’ conference or tradeshow.

3 LinkedIn

As a professional network, LinkedIn is a hub for thought leadership content and can be especially effective in reaching prospective partners and customers. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s unique audience segmentation to reach your audiences with exactly the type of content they’re after. For example, if your business caters to different verticals, create industry-specific content to drive engagement in each vertical.

4 Company Blogging

Given that your blog is hosted on your company website, it should be the first social channel on which you post all original content – white papers, videos, tutorials, press releases, company announcements, survey results, thought leadership pieces and the like.

You can also use blog posts to give prospective and current customers a more in-depth look at company culture and the people behind your brand – an important part of building relationships that can’t always be accomplished in the bite-sized nature of content on other networks.

Every social network has its own nuances and unique features. Understand and leverage these differences to reach more of the right people and increase your social ROI.

Creating The Right Content for Different Market Platform

Posted by Cash On No comments

Content marketing is not a “one size fits all” scenario. Your Twitter audience is different from your Facebook audience, which is different from your blog audience, and so on.

They all have different needs and expectations when it comes to content. To reach them all successfully, you must tailor content to each channel.

Let’s take a look at four widely used content platforms in the B2B space (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and company blogs) and how to create content for each:

1 Facebook

The Facebook News Feed is designed to showcase photos, videos and other visual content. Be sure to include an accompanying visual with your posts as often as possible. This helps grab a user’s attention from the get-go.

Another best practice is to conclude Facebook posts with a question. The comments below each post can be great for fostering feedback and conversation among followers. Just remember that the most common reason people stop following brands is because they feel bombarded by too many posts. Make each post count by providing valuable content to your fans.

2 Twitter

The 140-character limit demands you be concise on Twitter. However, the brevity of tweets allows you to share content more frequently than on other social networks. This makes Twitter ideal for real-time conversations – remember Oreo’s Super Bowl blackout tweet? The hashtag feature is also an effective way to engage followers in chats, contests or at events, such as a users’ conference or tradeshow.

3 LinkedIn

As a professional network, LinkedIn is a hub for thought leadership content and can be especially effective in reaching prospective partners and customers. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s unique audience segmentation to reach your audiences with exactly the type of content they’re after. For example, if your business caters to different verticals, create industry-specific content to drive engagement in each vertical.

4 Company Blogging

Given that your blog is hosted on your company website, it should be the first social channel on which you post all original content – white papers, videos, tutorials, press releases, company announcements, survey results, thought leadership pieces and the like.

You can also use blog posts to give prospective and current customers a more in-depth look at company culture and the people behind your brand – an important part of building relationships that can’t always be accomplished in the bite-sized nature of content on other networks.

Every social network has its own nuances and unique features. Understand and leverage these differences to reach more of the right people and increase your social ROI.