I love to use images on my blog but am never quite sure whether I should! My problem is solved much of the time as I use images from my own personal archive or by using book jackets, advertising and selling the books as an affiliate.

I look and check time and again when using images just to make sure I’m not infringing copyright. So just how does copyright work with online images?

Strangely enough, copyright laws were established to encourage creation by authors rather than giving them the right to deny their work to other people. It can then be a delicate balance between the rights of a creator and the public. Often when conflict happens the result is a leaning towards the public interest and may not be what the author believes to be right.

Copyright is attached when an item (literary,written,dramatic,artistic,musical,etc.) is initially created. The work has to be original and copyright is then acknowledged in the 164 countries that form the Berne Convention. Copyright applies to both published and unpublished works.

Copyright is an automatic right and the ‘c’ symbol can be used without registering. If the work is registered certain rights become available to creators. They are:

Now where does that take us? The general rule to keep in mind is, you may not use a copyrighted work without the owners permission, but this one legal construct allows millions to see and share images on line every day. Fair use (not to be confused with Free use) is the legal exception to the exclusive rights an owner has over his copyrighted work. Probably nothing to do with fair but all to do with ‘in the public interest’.

Fair Use – a balance between protecting a creator and promoting the interests of the public.

Fair Use Doctrine – allow for limited and reasonable use and does not interfere with an owner’s’ right or impede their right to work as they wish.

In brief: If in doubt about copyright, do not use without permission. Ask, and in a majority of cases permission will be granted readily.

Do not rely on the fair use clause to use copyrighted images, you could face disruption and removal of your site if the copyright holder disagrees with your interpretation of fair use. People make a living from selling and licensing their work and poaching their work is unlawful and interferes with their right to control its distribution.

The Internet is still in its infancy and the laws of copyright were written before the word and image were so easily spread. Just remember that others too are trying to make a living from their creations.

If you need any help please email us or telephone Tamara on 0203 468 8594.

This week I found one of the benefits of using Twitter as a customer. I had recently decided to move my phone number to GiffGaff as it seemed like it would work better for me. For the last few years I have paid for two phones on T-Mobile on their 30 day rolling tariff. Initially it has worked very well. At the beginning of the year my old phone decided to be more trouble than it was worth and my OH bought me another phone, a very nice LG and bought it from T-Mobile. Now I suppose I should have realised that any phone bought from T-Mobile will be locked to the network, but silly me, I thought that as I had bought it off contract that wouldn’t be the case.

Anyway, thinking that GiffGaff’s offers will work better for us, I decided to finish the rolling contracts, keep the numbers and move to GiffGaff. The winner for them has to be that calls between GiffGaffers are free, together with the ‘no contract’, ‘change your mind each month if you want to’ deal.

Now I find myself in a complete tizz, my number has been ported out to my GiffGaff number and when the new Sim is put in the phone we have USIM locked. So backwards and forwards between various numbers, GiffGaffers being very helpful, T-Mobile saying £15 please and 28 days to release the phone. Arrrghh!!!

And so to Twitter, after getting the usual email automated responses from T-Mobile, saying we may take 7 days to answer your query, just shout ‘help’ on Twitter and we are off. It remains to be seen whether anything gets sorted but at least T-Mobile responded within minutes and not days.

You feel that someone is listening and not just fobbing you off, but that may come later. Wish me luck!

So what does that tell you about Social Media? That if it is going to work for your business, it’s good to talk and listen to your customers. Twitter is quick at getting results, no business wants it to be broadcast across the internet that people are unhappy with their service. Handled correctly, social media, can nip things in the bud and customers know they have your attention because you have answered them with something other than an automated response.

It would be nice if things didn’t always happen this way, but with plethora of technology, folk can’t be expected to understand how it all works and companies must handle that knowledge with care, likewise their customers.

For help with anything techy email us, twitter @tamarabaranova, or just plain pick up the phone and talk to Tamara on 0203 468 8594.

When did you last use Yellow Pages or Thomson Local to research phone numbers and businesses? Have you noticed how small both these publications are now? From weighty tome to thin, terribly difficult to read books. (Maybe that’s just me!) Researching people and places on your computer and now with mobile technology expanding rapidly, your business needs to be aware of Local SEO.

Google, Yahoo and Bing have added into their conventional search,the ‘where’ allowing people to search with postcode, town or city added to whatever they are looking for. Bypassing the previously dominant players with large directories with thousands of pages, search engines have moved towards Local business, products and services.

With mobile devices and smart phones increasingly being used to search products and then buy, if you are not appearing in that search, it’s a potential sale you have lost. Just Eat is a site where you put in your post code, find your restaurant, order your meal, pay for it and get it delivered. Needless to say, there’s an App for that too, so you can phone your order in on the way home from work, collect or have it delivered.

The Apps available for mobiles, tie in to Google maps, eliminate irrelevant listings and include niche lists only. They supply reviews, business details and directions to get to you, all at your customers fingertips. If you are not listed locally then you have lost another customer.

All of the search engines are vying for local information so now is the time to make sure you have your local SEO in place and your business listing is optimised. Studies show that organic traffic converts at better rates than most other channels as people are actively searching for you, they know what they want and need to find the right person to buy it from!

Do you need help to optimise you site for local SEO? Email us here, or telephone Tamara on 0203 468 8594.

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As always, a plan of action is the foundation for smooth running of all projects and the same applies to your product launch. Your virtual assistant can create a schedule of events that will lead up to the launch and those that will happen during the launch itself.

Dates and deadlines for:

Your VA can ensure all parties that have any part in the launch are identified, whether they are affiliates, jv partners or bonus items that will be included in the launch.

Virtual support can put all the pieces in place;

Virtual support can draft (for your approval) all copy for broadcasts, autoresponders and promotions
and that the time schedule for release of the materials is followed.

As your communicator, they can make sure that jvs are kept informed so that they can see that you are supplying a worthwhile product and that they are able to participate. Keeping them informed at all points is good practice, especially if they have sponsored the venture. If you have affiliates involved with your product, they can communicate with them for you about the upcoming launch making sure they have the correct links in place for promotion of the item.

A VA can draft a copy for your webpage, a thank you page, that customers will be directed to after they have purchased your product. They can contact a graphic designer and help create an image for you. They have all the knowledge available to pass on to a designer so that he can come up with a design that suits you and your product. Virtual support can proofread all items for you before forwarding to you for your final approval.

A virtual assistant can set up a shopping cart facility with coupon codes and product links to ensure ordering (and shipping) go smoothly for your customers. Links can be tracked and then analysed throughout your launch to check which links have worked best and links can then be tweaked to optimise performance.

Virtual support can set up a list building programme so that you have details of your customers available for your next product launch, and they can be kept informed of any future events that they may find interesting. Your customers who have previously bought from you already know you and your products, and are one of your best testimonials and promoters of your offers.

If you require help or advice with list building or product launch , email us, or telephone Tamara on 0203 468 8594.

Do you need some help with the assembling your products? Whether it’s written or audio/video a virtual assistant can research;

They can find the best people to carry your ideas forward, those who are most suited to you and your product.

A VA can manage the team involved in the production keeping the project on track and moving forward. Ensuring the development doesn’t ‘stick’ at any point and make people accountable for various parts of the process.

Virtual support can review at a halfway point, to make sure things are moving in the right direction and proofread the finished article before passing on to you for your final approval.

With new products available, a virtual assistant can add them to your shopping cart and link them to your website for maximum effect (or provide the necessary link/s to your web developer.)

If the product is an electronic one, a virtual assistant can arrange for it to be delivered electronically after the customer has paid. Instant access to your product!

Following the purchase, a VA can assist with drafting text for a ‘thank you’ web page for your approval. They can draft copy for autoresponders for each item you have available for sale.
When copy is approved by you, a virtual assistant can implement and include relevant links for your product.
Virtual support can help you to consider the use of tracking links, identifying the links that are most effective and therefore the best ones to employ.

If your production is audio, a VA can transcribe and create a written product for distribution (or use a transcription service to assist).

If you have employed a graphic designer, virtual support can communicate with them to create the appropriate image for your product, suggesting ideas so that the image is matched to you and your product before your final approval.

When your offer is a physical item (CD, book, ) rather than an electronically available one a virtual assistant can research and set up the shipping of merchandise by a fulfilment house. They can then submit your products to enable shipping. Virtual support can draft copy documents to dispatch with the goods and submit for your approval.

Now you have your product and all systems in place for delivery to your customers, next week we will see how your virtual assistant can help with the public release and launch.

If we can help in any way, email us here, or telephone Tamara on 0203 468 8594.