FPE is, as many of us are coming to learn, a fantastic tool for marketers. 

Having completed Jon Loomer’s course on FB power editor I have become even more evangelical about Facebook and what it can do for brands. 

Although FPE can get complicated, it’s worth learning. Here, I wanted to share some simple tips to get you started. 

Tip 1. Whenever you first load up FPE, always click “Download” so you don’t lose any data. 


Tip 2. Make use of labels. If you’re handling more than one account, the labels feature will help you keep your campaigns organised. 


Tip 3. You have to create your Campaign before you create the Adverts, as the adverts will go in that campaign. 




Tip 4. In the “Connections” section, the cost per click and cost per thousand impressions will generally be  cheaper if you advertise to people who have liked your page. 


Tip 5. Don’t assume Facebook will optimise for the action you want to take. Are you looking to increase engagement on your page or get users to click the link? 

To change it to the spec you want, click “Manullay set up conversion specs.” 





Facebook Power Editor (FPE)

Posted on

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Category

Stuff I wish I’d known…

Firstly, Pamukkale is a must a visit. The views from the top of the Cotton Castle are incredible. It’s a very small town, you need no longer than a day there.   

The walk to the top is very easy and makes for a dramatic photo session, so have your camera at the ready. When you begin walking the trail, you have to go barefoot – but it’s fine, the water isn’t cold, even in October.

It costs just 20 Lira to see the “Cotton Castle.” And you can practically walk to it from any hotel in town. Once you’re done climbing to the top, you can do some hiking in the surrounding area. 

It’s well worth spending about 2 hours walking around, seeing the old ruins, and enjoying the fantastic landscape. 

The only place to buy drinks and snacks from is at the outlet at the hot springs, mentioned below. But you can also take your own so remember to pack some water.

I would suggest not going to the hot springs which you find when you climb the top of the castle. It’s an additional 32 Lira, which although isn’t not too much, I couldn’t really see the advantage of going. It has just one pool that isn’t very big, free lockers to keep your stuff safe, a largish restaurant, and an ice-cream stand serving some good gelato.

Don’t go to Pamukkale expecting great food. It’s a town built for tourists, so you have lots of people outside restaurants trying to lure you in. But that’s fine. You’ll be more than happy with the food in cities like Istanbul or Cappadocia.

Because the town attracts a lot of tourists, you’ll find endless bus companies to book your outgoing journey with so there's no need to stress about having your outbound journey pre-booked. 



Pamukkale

Posted on

Monday, 14 October 2013

Category

I've been lucky enough to visit a lot of great cities around the world. And this year I got to visit the incredible Shanghai, which made it on my top-5 places to visit. However, for me, no where in the world beats London. It's one fo the greatest cities, and I think that we each need to visit there as much as possible. 

On Saturday me and my friends had a jam packed day enjoying the cities favourite delights. Here's what we did, and what you should do, too! 


Meet at 11am at King's Cross and go for breakfast at the CARAVAN Kings Cross, at Central St. Martins. It describes it self as serving "Well travelled food and mighty fine coffee." And I agree with both of those statements. 


From there, we headed over to the Serpentine gallery, to kick start our "Japanese themed" day - more about that later. 

There's currently an installation piece by famed Japanese architect Sou Fukimoto. Which in honesty, we didn't really "get." This probably comes from the fact we're art philistines. That, and, the inside of the Serpentine gallery was closed for renovation. 


However, things went onwards and upwards as we walked over to Harrods to buy cupcakes from the foodhall. IF YOU LIKE CAKE, YOU MUST GO HERE!! 
Things quickly turned Japanese again when we turned up at the Leicester Square theatre to watch Siro-A: "Japan's answer to blue man group." A very visually driven art techo show that is nothing like you have ever seen, ever. Please watch it if you can. 
Thankfully, it was dinner time again, and Jamie Oliver's diner was where we went. Our go-happy Aussie waitress took care of us, she suggested I go for the burger instead of the hot-dog and then we had to dash again! 
We ended up at Mr Foggs, a great bar in Mayfair filled with personality and charm. Where the waiters are every bit as elegant as the interior that evokes a Victorian aesthetic. And...even if, like me, you're a cocktail novice, you will appreciate the ones on offer at this establishment. Book ahead! This place gets busy. 
We rounded up the night at Queen of Hoxton. 

I heart you, London. 



Images
http://www.easyliving.co.uk/culture/restaurant-bar-reviews/best-london-coffee-shops/caravan-kings-cross-granary-square
http://www.timeout.com/london/bars-pubs/mr-foggs


London

Posted on

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Category

"Should I go on holiday with a tour group, or not." I am always conflicted as to what answer I should give and here is why. 

On one hand, if it’s your first time, you have the security in knowing that everything is being taken care of. You don’t have to worry about where to stay, where to go eat - and if the food is safe, or how you need to reach a particular site. All of this is arranged for you. 

When I was 18, I was desperate to travel. But I had absolutely no idea how to plan such a thing. Travel? What’s that? 

So I set about trying to find a company to go with. It was a bit of a risk, I was using all my money I had saved working a Saturday job. And, as it was the same year that I was going away to university, this money could have been used to live an indulgent first term. 

But travelling is important to me and the idea of spending a boring summer at home verses setting off somewhere far and wild – the answer was simple. 

I ended up booking a 4 week trip to Thailand with realgap.co.uk 

They were what I needed. I phoned, I said what I wanted to do, they posted me a brochure. They even emailed me over a packing list, they explained what insurance I needed and where I could buy certain things from. Before I flew out, they sent each person on the trip the email addresses of all the other people on that trip, so you could see who was on the same flight as you. 

Now, I imagine they would have a Facebook group and you meet each other that way. The point is, if you are heading out on your own, like I was, they do their best to make you feel comfortable.  

And the trip was as expected: accommodation was provided, transport was arranged, food was served, we stayed with monks, taught English in a school and went on a three-day trek. 

So why the conflict you ask? 

Because, I think that you can easily go away on your own. Of course, Real Gap was a great place to start; it gave me the confidence to know that I could easily set off on my own. 

Furthermore, the internet (god bless you) makes everything extremely easy when it comes to travelling. You can book flights within 5 minutes, contacting a hotel and arranging transport takes just an email, and you can go on Tripadvisor to see which tour agencies to use. 

This many sound like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. Far from it. It takes no time at all. 

Going by yourself also saves a lot of money. And who doesn’t want to save some cash? 

But then again, if I didn’t use RealGap, I probably wouldn’t have gone travelling that year. And this would have resulted in me being a) very bored and b) probably not having the confidence to go on my own. 

In conclusion…

If you’re someone who is nervous about travelling but desperate to do it – go with a travel agency. I would recommend Real Gap. 

If you have a little bit of confidence, go on your own and you’ll see just how easy it is. 

Tour Group Or Not?

Posted on

Thursday, 19 September 2013

"Where did you stay in China, Kirien?" Here goes..

Let me lead in by saying that, I’m not one of these crazy people you find on Tripadvisor who pays £3 a night to stay somewhere and expects a concierge service. I’m realistic and open-minded. 


In Beijing I stayed at Beijing Downtown Backpackers - here's their Tripadvisor page. 


For a private twin room the cost was 190 RMB which was about £23 per night. 

Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor.
I was really impressed with this hostel. The staff were very responsive to all of my emails. Because I was staying longer than 5 nights, they offered a free airport pick-up. As I arrived in Beijing a member of their staff was there to collect me. 

The location of the hostel is good, it’s about a 2 minute walk to the metro, and I don’t remember it taking longer than 20 minutes to get to any of the attractions. The “hutong” where this hostel is located, is very busy, right up until about 11pm at night. It has lots of food, quirky cafes, hidden dens, singing beggars, shops that have literally hundreds of people queuing up outside, sizzling barbeques on display, oh – and be prepared, when you walk up and down this hutong, it’s so tight and over packed that you will, inevitably, bump into people. 

Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor
The staff, for me, make a big difference to your stay. And the staff were awesome. They don’t try and sell you things, or encourage you to go on tours, they’re organised, they have cards of local attractions written in Chinese so you can hand them to your taxi driver, and just generally helpful. One example would be on the last day when I was trying to get to a hot yoga class but couldn’t see how to get there. The lady on reception called them up and wrote down the directions for me. 

Every day they organise a trip to a deserted part of the wall, you’re literally the only people there. It's incredible! This cost about £30 and was worth every penny. There’s no forced shopping, they provide you water, you do the walk at your own pace and the guide is really cool. Literally everyone on this trip said it was one of the best they had ever experienced. 

The Great Wall
The rooms – this is technically a hostel, so you shouldn’t expect a plasma screen TV and a king size bed, I didn’t. I got what I expected – a very clean room, with air conditioning, a bathroom that had a hot shower, minimal storage units, and a plug to charge my phone. 
Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
Shanghai - Shanghai City Central Youth Hostel (Utels) £18-£20 per night for a double private room, with en-suite bathroom. Here's their Tripadvisor page. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
Let me start by saying that this place is very easy to find. I arrived on the bullet train from Beijing and easily located this hostel. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
This place is very popular, it attracts a great crowd of people. The communal area is huge, and you will no doubt get talking to a colourful crowd of travelers from around the globe. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
The room itself was impressive, a big – and comfortable – double bed, a private bathroom with a good quality shower, a TV (which worked), air conditioning, plenty of storage for your luggage and you had room service, so your bed was made every day. 

Location is good. You’re about a 3 minute walk from the metro shop and there’s lots of places to eat nearby. The hotel will call a taxi for you, but you can easily find taxis outside, too.  


This hotel did offer trips, but I didn't go on any so I can't comment. And I didn't speak to anyone who had used them either...sorry! 


The staff – I really don’t want to sound like someone who complains, but I think this is an area that could be improved. The guy who works in the restaurant doesn’t talk – or smile. Having said that, the food in the restaurant is good. The staff on reception are okay, but not the super friendly guys you see at Beijing downtown backpackers. The management however, who you will find around the wider reception area, I found to be more friendlier. 


But that was my only displeasure whilst at this hotel. 


Nevertheless, I would totally recommend staying here; the location and quality of the rooms for the price you pay is excellent. 


Accommodation in China

Posted on

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Category

Sometimes, you don't want long paragraphs of information about the cities you're visiting. You want quick tips. 

And here, my friend, is some quick fire information I thought some of you may find useful.  

Beijing 


- The Great Wall - lots of companies offer trips there, make sure you don't sign up for "shopping." Beijing Downtown Backpackers offered a great trip from Jinshanling section to Simataiand. I would thoroughly recommend them. 
- Getting around by subway is very easy and very cheap. Ask for a subway card on the first day. 
- Print out your hotel address in Mandarin, none of the taxi drivers I used spoke English. Oh and taxis are very cheap in both Beijing and Shanghai. 
- Head to the Summer Palace early as it gets very crowded. When you leave the Summer Palace you need to turn right and keep walking for about 15 minutes until you come to the subway station. 
- Avoid using the guys who have bicycles - I head a few horror stories whilst I was there from people getting ripped off and beaten up. 
- I would avoid the Silk Market, it's just bit boring. 
- The Lama temple is quite pretty and will take about half an hour of your day. 
- There are many Hutongs to visit, and I particularly loved the Hutong by Nanluoguxiang subway station. Take exit A from the subway station cross over the road and you will see everyone walking in to this popular Hutong. 

Shanghai 
- Firstly, if you're a foreigner when you are walk along East Nanjing Road or along The Bund, you will get harassed by people wanting to take you for a "sex show, sex show." The best to deal with this is point your camera in their face and they immediately scatter. 
- The Pearl Tower is great, and the glass floor makes for a scary view of Shanghai. 
- Food in Shanghai is excellent and the hotels there serve great food. Some of my highlights include lunch at Jean George and High Tea at Hotel Indigo. 
- The urban planning museum was okay but I think to get the most out of it you need a guide. 
- The Little Black Jacket exhibition is currently in Shanghai and it was great to visit. So is the Museum of Contemporary Art. 
- Taking the subway to the airport is easy enough but a little tiresome if you have a suitcase and it's a hot day, next time I will take a cab for 200 RMB. 
- SmartShanghai is a great website to find out about local events and places to eat. You can also print off the address in Mandarin which is useful. 
- Spend an afternoon walking around the French Concession and stop in at the never ending bakeries before you carry on.  

Other notes

- As with most places in the world, people in China are extremely friendly and do their best to help, but many don't speak English so have the places you want to go to written in Mandarin. Tourists stand out here, so if you're stuck speak to them. 
- The bullet train between Beijing and Shanghai is extremely easy to book, most hotels arrange this for you. The train ride is very smooth.

China - The Facts

Posted on

Saturday, 20 July 2013

Category

If food is the most important thing in your life, when you go to a new city you make it your personal mission to taste everything. 

And that's exactly what I did when I was in Shanghai. Foodies will be pleased to know that this city truly delivers on the food front, some of my highlights include:- 

Not strictly food, but when the weather is 30c you're going to need a lot of drinks. This chain is dotted all over the place and they create some interesting combinations.
Mr Willis - perfectly placed in the French Concession on the second floor above an Italian bakery, this delightful restaurant served up some of the best pork I've had, and the pizza was pretty damn amazing too. 
This Piggy Went Nowhere
Pidzzza
An Array of Food
To build up our energy before an afternoon of venturing around museums we went to Shook. When a three course lunch for less than £12 tastes this good, you need to know about it, actually - you just need to go there. 
For Starter
For Mains
The British love their High-Tea and when you're craving it in Shanghai, you'll want to head to Hotel Indigo. The views over the Bund are as nice as the peach melba on offer. 
A Little Quirky
Cake
Ginger is a cosy restaurant that offers tasty food. We were bit full from snacking throughout the day so just went for kebabs, a pork salad and desserts. 
We All Love Taking Pictures


A Much Better Pic.
Get stuck into some Cantonese food at Bu Duo, you can find the place here. Everything we had was delicious and will set you back no more than £5-£7.  
Lunch at Jean George No. 3 on The Bund was the perfect way to end my trip in Shanghai. Everything here was perfect, except of course for my inability to take pictures. On my next trip I will invest in a good camera. The set lunch menu and a drink cost around £30.
Starter
Good Piece of Fish

Beef - As Rare As Possible


Shanghai - The Food.

Posted on

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Category

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