Twitter: What is it good for?

Facebook is for friends, LinkedIn is for business connections and Flickr is for photographs. But what’s Twitter for?

It’s something that every new Twitter user struggles with and if I had a penny for every time I’ve heard, ‘but my life just isn’t that interesting’ or, ‘why would anyone want to know what I had for breakfast’, I’d have quite a nice car by now. And the money to pay for the lessons which would allow me to legally drive the thing.

Twitter’s trouble is that it’s purpose is too vague; there’s no clear USP for new users. It’s not just for friends (because anyone can follow you). It’s not for pictures (because you can’t upload them directly onto the website). It’s not for work (You can’t write that much about yourself in the profile box). New users have no idea what the point is and, more importantly, how to use the thing properly.

Facebook lays out the rules straight off the bat. “Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life,” proclaims its homepage. LinkedIn does a similar job. “Use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities,” states the landing page of the professional network.

In one sentence, users are presented with a road map for their time on each of these sites. They understand what each site does and the purpose is serves.

When it comes to Twitter, new users struggle to understand this purpose. The earliest Twitter strapline, presented under the logo, offered little clues as to the point of it all. ‘What are you doing?’ it asked.

‘Why should anyone care what I’m doing?’ we replied.

And this position, this open-ended question, has haunted Twitter ever since.

Despite a new strapline, defining the purpose of the site (Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world - 2009), new users found it difficult to get their heads around this concept; the idea of random people being interested in the mundane. The idea of random people across the globe being interested in the mundane was even more difficult to imagine. To some, it was an intimidating prospect.

In 2011, Twitter attempted to reposition its appeal yet again with a new motto, ‘Follow your interests’. Better.

But there’s more work to be done in order for users to fully understand the purpose of the social network. You still see ill-informed talking heads dismiss Twitter based on the stereotype of egotistical users narrating their existence via 140 characters (Although the removal of top tweets on the homepage helped stem this somewhat). You still hear users asking ‘why would anyone want to know what I had for breakfast?’

Of course, Twitter isn’t about that. It’s about sharing knowledge, news and information. Getting involved in subjects you feel passionate about and contributing to a wider conversation.

The versatility of the platform, the number of different ways you can use it - which has been the site’s trump card to date - is also the reason why more users haven’t signed up for an account. The company just hasn't made it clear what users are meant to do once they're in the club.

And this is why the stereotype exists.

News on Twitter: What I learned from the Topshop protest

Yesterday, 30 or so protesters flash-mobbed the Topshop store in the Arndale centre to demonstrate against alleged tax avoidance by the company.

The protest happened to descend on the shop as I was walking past. This isn't an event which normally happens everyday, so naturally, I snapped a picture and posted it on Twitter. Blame my brief tenure in the magazine industry for that.

Within three hours, the photograph had been viewed over 1,000 times. The Twitter update which included the picture had been retweeted over 40 times (most significantly by the Granada Reports and Channel 4 News Twitter feeds) and the photograph had been published alongside the news story on the Manchester Evening News and, later, the BBC website.

The incident (while hyperlocal and incredibly small-scale; this wasn't Watergate being broken on Twitter) did provide an interesting insight into how the social network is being used as a news channel. It also highlighted a few disturbing things about the site which I hadn't considered before. As ever, please drop a comment below if you feel the desire to...

Twitter as a news-sourcing channel

I'm told that journalists aren't using Twitter in the correct way. In this instance, I will disagree.

The BBC were ridiculously quick to get in touch and their Have Your Say account had @ mentioned me 30 minutes after posting the photograph (their Twitter feed suggests a similar level of efficiency for other breaking stories on the site)

Ten minutes after their @ mention, I was talking to a researcher from BBC News.

Ten minutes after that, I was giving a quote to a staff writer for a news article.

So, within 50 minutes, the organisation had obtained all the material they needed for the story. That's impressive work. Furthermore, after the story was posted, the same account sent me a DM which included a link to the report and a thank you. That's good customer service.

A similar hat tip goes to the Manchester Evening News (although they didn't get in touch), which had posted the photograph within an hour of the protest. Someone must have been paying attention.

Would a bit of context kill you?

But, why was I in the Arndale Centre when the flash mob descended?

I was Christmas shopping. I had met up with a few mates for lunch and, while they went into Selfridges, I nipped into the Arndale Centre to have a look for a present for a friend.

Of course, no one knew any of this when I posted the photograph. All they knew was that I was taking photographs of a demonstration. For all anyone knew, I could have been a protester myself.

As many of the photographs and videos from the recent student demonstrations in London were taken by their attendees, it wouldn't have been a massive leap to assume that I was there for the demonstration itself.

And this lack of context causes problems.

Say you were one of the people outside my social circles who saw that tweet. All you know about me is my Twitter username and that I posted a photograph of a demonstration.

It's easy to jump to conclusions, so now I'm an activist (I'm not), I have an issue with Topshop (I don't), I associate myself with the four people who got arrested after this particular demonstration (I don't) and, even worse, I have anarchist tendencies (I don't).

Extreme examples? Probably, but you can see my point. What you post online affects how people perceive you. I upload a photograph of a demonstration and all of a sudden, I'm the 'kind of person who protests' (I'm not).

Without context, we fill in the blanks. Blanks become opinions. And opinions can affect your employability, your friends and your future.

Extreme examples? Of course. But tell that to the five self-proclaimed activists who started following me yesterday on Twitter. They think I'm one of them.

Subjectivity

We all use language differently and we each have variety of ways to express feelings and situations. In face-to-face conversation, this gap in lexical emphasis isn't usually a problem. However, when people read something online, they apply their own semantic guidelines.

Take my tweet on Saturday. Of course, Topshop wasn't getting 'trashed' in the conventional sense; that suggest people damaging the store and its stock. I was using a colloquialism.

But, because there wasn't the space on the tweet to elaborate, that's what people assumed. So much so, that the Manchester Evening News initially reported the store as 'being trashed', which distorts the truth of the incident.

As people are unlikely to revisit a news story for clarifications or amendments, readers come away thinking certain things. 'Trashed' suggests that the protesters were vandals. 'Trashed' suggests that Topshop must have done something terribly wrong to deserve such actions.

Language shapes opinions and Twitter doesn't offer the opportunity for detail.

Relevance

The incident served as a reminder that Twitter is a service which is fuelled by interest. Despite the increased coverage of my account through the channel, the number of additional followers gained was minimal.

Many of my tweets are SEO or social media based. And many of the people who retweeted my photograph just weren't that interested in social media or SEO news and views. More fool them.

Users follow accounts which post relevant content to them. Regardless of how many retweets a message get, it doesn't automatically mean a drastic increase of new followers if the content as a whole isn't aimed towards a specific audience. It's not just about metrics...

Factual accuracy

The photograph was taken from a good few feet away from the protest. I didn't have a particularly good view and occasionally my line of sight was blocked by the crowd in front of me. I was, to all intents and purposes, an unreliable narrator.

Still, because I highlighted the story on Twitter, I was considered the leading source of information. I'm sure there were those better placed in the crowd to explain what had happened, but they weren't posting the information on a social network.

And I think this is a major problem. When I spoke to the researcher at the BBC, I was very careful to say what I saw, rather than what I thought I saw. But, I'll go out on a limb and say that some people might not have the same approach in a newsworthy situation.

I'd imagine that these eye-witness reports shape how news is reported; who is the victim and who is the villain. If you're more than liberal with the facts, it's kind of worrying.

Advice for graduates: Using social media to job hunt

On Wednesday, I was invited to speak at the University of Manchester, talking to a group of students about how they could best use social media to increase their chances of getting a job in after their graduation.

While the recollections of my own student years have gradually disappeared down the memory hole, I was interested to return to university to share my own experiences and thoughts on how someone could develop an online CV which spans several websites.

One stat which I keep reeling out during talks on employability and social media comes from a survey from CareerBuilder.co.uk; that 43 per cent of employers search t'internet when they receive a CV from a potential candidate. And by 'search the internet', we're talking about name searches on Google, Bing, Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Twitter.

Out of those employers searching for candidates, 35 per cent found something online which caused them not to hire the candidate.

But don't turn off the lights on your blog or Facebook account just yet. The fact that just under half of employers are searching the web for potential candidates actually offers a massive opportunity for those postgraduates looking to move into a full-time job.

And here's why.

Because out of the employers that looked up an applicant, a large proportion found something online that impressed them about that candidate. So, what did they find?

A blog

I'd argue that blogging is one of the most important assets a graduate looking for a job can have. In my estimation, employers are looking for a candidate to have (among other things) an interest; a sign that a person isn't just applying for a job because of a desire to pay the rent, but rather because they have a genuine passion for the industry they're looking to move into.

And a blog is one of the best ways to demonstrate this. A relevant blog, I hasten to add.

• If you want to work in advertising, write a blog about the campaigns you like.
  
• If you want to work in copywriting, start a blog about copy which caught your imagination.
  
• If you want to work in social media marketing, start a blog about social media campaigns. There are plenty of them to study.
  

You get the idea. Two posts a month, every month. Repeat as necessary. It's not a huge drain on time or resources when you consider the outcome. Because I guarantee that a person who blogs about what they want to do for a living is a lot more attractive to an employer than someone who doesn't blog at all.

Plus, you'll get the chance to learn more about the industry you want to work in.

A Twitter account

Students should tweet more. If you want to work in the digital industry, it's the singular most powerful tool you have in your arsenal. And here's why:

Twitter gives you a direct line to the people who hire people.

And here's what you can use it for:

• Display a passion and an interest for your chosen career path. Link to content which interests you. Link to your blogs. Let people know about your interests.
  
• Learn from people already working in the industry. (What are the hot topics in the industry? What do they link to? What is their job really like?)
  
• Find job opportunities (yes, they're posted on Twitter)
  
• Demonstrate your knowledge about an industry
  
• Create relationships with people. For while they may not have a vacancy for your dream job, but they may know someone who does)
  

Use lists to find these people (many of these are organised by profession), but don't harass people for a job as soon as you find them.

Engage, acknowledge, share.

Also, try not to take your phone out drinking with you. Remember, don't post anything you wouldn't want your mother to see; you can lock the profile down so only friends see your updates, but that's not really the point of Twitter.

As an aside, a number of the students who attended the talks on Wednesday have recently signed up to (or already use) to Twitter. If you want to give them a bit of friendly advice (or keep an eye out for them for a potential position), they are (to the best of my knowledge):

http://twitter.com/k_boneva
http://twitter.com/Hannah_ODonnell
http://twitter.com/beniciooo
http://twitter.com/cj_goodwin
http://twitter.com/Christina_CCG
http://twitter.com/yasminhall123

Facebook:

Lock it. All the way down.

Watch out for profile pictures. I believe that the default setting of Facebook is to normally leave them all viewable regardless of whether you're a friend or not. The option to make them inaccessible to the public is separate from the other settings and can be found under the traditional privacy options via a link called 'edit album privacy'.

Rich media

If you want to move into a creative role, rich media is a godsend. Display your photos on Posterous, Tumblr or Flickr. 'Don't hide your work in a draw,' is an old writer's saying. The saying is true for most things.

LinkedIn

Have a LinkedIn profile. It's like an online CV anyone can read. Make sure you fill out all the informational boxes: your experience, honours etc.

If you feel inclined, take part in some group discussions. I'd advise keeping to the local groups, just because it's less crowded; it's more relevant to the relationships and connections you're trying to create.

And the rest

Social media gives you the opportunity to advertise yourself in an entirely new way. Job hunting doesn't just have to be limited to sending out a CV and waiting for the phone to ring. These online channels give graduates the opportunity to demonstrate what they can offer a company; a passion, an interest and an inventive way to advertise their services.

And don't just stick to this advice. Be inventive. Be creative. Have fun.

But, trust me on the sunscreen.

And finally, here's some decent resources if you're interested (with a healthy marketing and social media bias):

Mashable - Leading social media resource for news and advice.
Guardian Technology - The major technology stories from The Guardian.
The Next Web - Another great resource for web and social media news.
How Do - North West news site focused on creative, marketing and business news in the North West.
How to get your first job in SEO - Some nice online advice, regardless of the career you're after.

The seven deadly sins of a social media strategy

Lust

Do not be lustful for the content of others. If you admire a piece of work, credit the author or website rather than passing the news off as your own. Lust clouds the judgement, causing those under its gaze to lose sight of the real goal: writing content good enough for others to lust after.

Gluttony

The gluttonous social media account fills its feed with updates. Be wary of constantly posting content, lest your followers or fans become weary of your presence. Feed your status bar with relevant information at regular intervals and all shall be well.

Greed

Greed can consume a social media profile. But the greed for followers, fans, comments and website traffic can become tragic. Heed this: do not succumb to the whims of the weak-minded social media profile with constant RT-to-win competitions, for they are annoying. Create sustainable relationships on Twitter or Facebook and the numbers will follow.

Envy

It is easy to be envious of the work of your contemporaries. But do not let that envy prevent you from taking part in social media. Good social media campaigns comment and RT on the fruitful labours of others. Do not allow your envious pangs to cloud your judgement in your quest for success.

Pride

Pride is one of the worst sins for a social media account; a profile which does nothing but blow its own trumpet and celebrate its own client wins, staff expansion and account successes. But, be warned. A boastful social media account is not an engaging one. You are more likely to draw in friends with your modesty and humility than you are with your pride.

Sloth

The sloth account does not care for @ mentions or direct messages and it has no desire to respond to comments or questions. It would merely like to be left alone. Be not slothful, for a slothful social media strategy is not a successful one. Answer your messages with the promptness you would care for your own enquiries.

Wrath

Temper your mood before committing fingers to keys. Remain pleasant in the face of criticism and listen to the opinions of others before unleashing your wrath onto the heads of those who follow your messages. Be reasonable and understand that no good comes from a blasphemous tongue.

Twitter hashtags explained

Twitter hashtags, for the uninitiated, are those wee blue links at the end of tweets which start with a hash symbol (#). They look like this:



You can see some examples of hashtags out in the wild courtesy of Chris, Simon and Linn.

Ok. I know what a hashtag is. What does it do?

If you click on a hashtag you'll be taken to a page which shows every single tweet – from every profile (whether or not you're following them) – which contains the same hashtag. The below example shows the usage of the hashtag #manchester:



What do hashtags do?

Hashtags are a simple way for Twitter users to monitor what people are saying about particular events or things. It enables you to quickly find out news, opinions and views on one subject from across Twitter. It's like a library cataloguing system, putting all the related tweets in one place.

What sort of events do people use hashtags for?

Anything. The UK general election had the hashtag #GE2010, while the recent sighting of the International Space Station had the hashtag #ISS. Twitter hashtags don't have to be reserved for global or national events though and the feature can be used to promote things like regional news and small gatherings. The monthly Manchester SEO meetup uses the hashtag #mancseo, while the Manchester Social Media Cafe uses #smc_mcr.

Say I went to a Manchester SEO event. How would I know what hashtag to use?

Tricky one that. You can usually find the hashtag for global or nationwide events by taking a look at the trending topics on the right-hand side of Twitter (once you're logged in). For local hashtags, your best bet is to use a website like Trends Map to see popular hashtags in your region. Otherwise, just keep an eye on your Twitter feed; if the event is popular, someone will probably slip the hashtag into a tweet.

But who decides what hashtag becomes popular?

The majority. A global issue may have dozens of different hashtags, although one will probably emerge victorious as more people comment on the occurrence. For example:

Say, West Bromwich Albion win the Premier League. There will probably be a few hashtags for this:

#WestBromwichAlbion
#WestBrom
#WBA

Usually, one of these terms (say, #WBA) will be used more frequently than the others. Thus, more people will accept this hashtag as the correct one to use in the situation. The others will shrink into painful obscurity and end up on Celebrity Come Dine With Me.

Local meetups (particularly those in Manchester) will usually already have a set hashtag listed on the website.

But how do I keep track of a hashtag?

There are a number of ways. If you're a web user, you can monitor any uses of a hashtag by searching for it in the box on the right-hand side of your Twitter page. You can also save searches for easy access in the future.



If you're using a programme like Tweetdeck, you can set up a column for a hashtag by pressing the 'add a column' button on the top left and typing your search into the box.



If you're on a shiny iPhone, simply go to the search function of your preferred Twitter app and type in your hashtag. Again, these can also be saved for quick access later on.



These sound great. I want to make a hashtag. Tell me now.

Hashtags have to be simple and short. There are two real reasons for this:

• People are lazy and don't want to type out massive amounts of text
  
• Smaller hashtags let people say more on a tweet. (Twitter messaging allows 140 characters)
  

So, keep your hashtags simple and relevant.

But why has this person done a hashtag about doing the washing up? That's not going to be a communal activity?

Hashtags can also be deployed for comic effect and many users use the feature to describe their personal feelings towards a situation or action. It's a bit of personal narration designed to raise a smile from their followers.

For instance:

#ambored
#shouldreallygotobed
#Istilldontunderstandhashtags

Right. Anything else I should know?

Not really. If you have any questions, drop me a line on Twitter and I'll be glad to help.

Working from home - how your personal tweets have professional implications

Last year, a study by an American firm found that 40 per cent of updates on Twitter were 'pointless babble'; tweets about visiting the dentist or what someone had for breakfast - those updates with no 'substantial' worth (Although good dental hygiene and a healthy balanced diet are both very important).

As you'd expect, some proportion of this 40 per cent feature some sort of personal opinion: judgements, sentiments, thoughts.

Indeed, companies spend millions each year in order protect their brand reputation from these sorts of opinions. Tweet about a bad dining experience and you'll likely get a grovelling message from the establishment in question. Pass judgement on a new fashion line and the store account will usually get back to you. You get the picture.

We all have opinions and we all like to share them. Particularly if they're opinions about your job.

Had a bad day at work? Co-worker smells funny? Hungover?

Share it on Twitter. These people did:

"Dude, I'm not going to work with a hangover."
"I'm home. Went to work. Did no work. Got paid."
"Stupid bored at work.. only an hr & 30 min left though."

Suppose for a moment that these people had previously identified themselves as employees of a particular company (via a tweet or personal biography).

You can see the complication...

Obviously, companies don't want customers finding out that the staff is uninspired, unmotivated or still drunk from the evening before. It reflects badly on their brand, their customer service and the ability of the HR department to hire well-rounded individuals.

And even if the staff aren't slagging their company off after-hours, would firms still need to be concerned about their social media activity? If an employee has 'outed themselves' as a staff member, would their (ill-informed) opinions, (negative) sentiments or (lewd) comments be connected to the brand?

And crucially, would someone be less inclined to hire an agency based on their staff's personal opinions?

Apparently, yes.

Take this from the Yahoo! guide to the personal use of social media (blog guidelines in this instance):

"All Yahoo! employees can be viewed (correctly or incorrectly) as representative of the company, which can add significance to your public reflections on the organization (whether you intend to or not). Yahoos who identify themselves as Yahoo! employees in their blogs and comment on the company at any time, should notify their manager of the existence of their blog just to avoid any surprises."

The BBC take a similar stance in their social media policy:

"When someone clearly identifies their association with the BBC and/or discusses their work, they are expected to behave appropriately when on the Internet, and in ways that are consistent with the BBC’s editorial values and policies."

In a nutshell, if you're 'outed', you've got a responsibility to the company to act responsibly.

Amber Naslund, the director of community for Radian6, wrote an interesting piece for Brass Tack Thinking which highlighted the problem for 'outed' employees on social media. In her blog post, she wrote:

"You’re now a representative of that brand, publicly. The lines start to blur between what’s personal and what’s professional, and all the disclaimers in the world won’t always mean that you can or should post whatever’son your mind. The personal and professional profiles you keep might be and feel physically separate, but Google doesn’t know the difference, and sometimes, neither do your customers."

If you're prone to swearing, this is not an insignificant problem.

Amy Dutton runs the social campaigns for Thames Water and, as an active social media user herself, she says she is aware of the crossover between her professional and personal Twitter account.

"I am very careful not to comment negatively on issues/news that are associated with the water industry. I state in my bio that my tweets are my views and not Thames Water's...We don't have a formal social media policy but we all know not to be too negative or outraged about things on personal accounts."

"Most of my followers know who I work for...some of my followers I actually gained through my association with work and will now often tweet good things on our behalf."

This benefit is reflected by Dominic Conlon from Manchester advertising agency Head First.

"We do that [personal promotion] for some of our clients - even pushing campaigns that we didn't do because we like/believe in the product," says Dom.

"We believe in courtesy and respect. Each of us who tweet [as employees] are just nice :)," he adds.

Still, what happens if you or your colleagues are too naïve (or simply don't want) to stick to the same noble philosophy?

There have been a number of high-profile cases of employees losing their jobs because of their personal Twitter content; objections, criticisms and opinions have been the downfall of many. In most documented cases, the aggrieved employer releases the same statement. Here are two recent examples:

"We simply cannot risk any possible link between our mission and the sort of photos and material that you openly share with the online public. While I know you are a good worker and an intelligent person, I hope you try to understand that our employees are held to a different standard."

"The views she has expressed recently on Twitter are not in keeping with the standards we set."

It would appear that personal comments from staff require a brand-management solution...

The issue becomes even more complicated if your personal account also acts as your professional one. If you're the clear representative (and I'm thinking of freelancers or managing directors, here) for your own company, how do you balance your output to satisfy friends and social-savvy clients? How much self-censorship should be employed to keep both audiences interested?

Larner Caleb, freelance copywriter and regular contributor to The Drum, takes a strong view on the subject.

"If I had to be my own compliance officer in terms of making sure I kept every single tweet 'client safe' well, I for one wouldn't follow me," he says.

"If you can't be yourself on Twitter, then you don't really have a real presence on Twitter. I can't say I've really lost any clients through any of my tweets (I've certainly lost followers, but that definitely wouldn't stop me being myself) but the value I've had out of being myself on Twitter has been enormous."

I'd be interested to hear more thoughts on this. Drop me a comment or get in touch on Twitter.

Until then, you can read a whole batch of internal a social media guidelines from a number of different companies here.

Due South - South Manchester Tweetup

Last Wednesday, Nicola Cooper Abbs and myself put on the first South Manchester Tweetup; an event for the suburban Twitterers of Manchester to get together, share a beer and have a chat.

The evening itself went great. We had hoped that a meetup in the deep south would attract Twitter users who don't usually make it to the regular digital soirées of the city centre, so it was ace to see so many new faces (as well as some old friends). We had quite a nice mix of individuals and businesses and, by all accounts, fun was had by all.

In all, I guessed that around 50 people turned up, so we'll be looking to do another one next month. But there will be more on that in the future.

Thanks to Helen at Didsbury Life for rallying so many West Didsbury business to the cause, as well as Airy Fairy Cupcakes for bringing some treats in tow. Also, cheers to everyone that turned up.

If you've got any questions about the South Manchester Tweetup, drop me or Nicola a line and keep an eye on the #southmcrtweetup hashtag for more news about next month's event.

In the meantime, here's a few photos from the night. Thanks to Helen and Nicola for these.

South Manchester Tweetup

The inaugural South Manchester Tweetup takes place tomorrow. It starts from 7:30pm at the Slug and Lettuce in Didsbury Village - they've kindly cordoned off the right-hand side of the bar so, if you're coming, we should be very easy to find.

View Larger Map

If you've never heard of South Manchester Tweetup before, the premise is pretty simple. Dozens of networking and digital events take place in Manchester every month. However, they're all in the centre of Manchester and it's possibly not the most convenient location for those who live in the suburbs.

South Manchester Tweetup is a way for Twitter users in the south of the city to meet, have a drink and enjoy a natter. And that's about it. We've had nearly 60 people sign up for tickets, so it should be a good night.

If you want to pop along, you can register for a free ticket here (you don't need to bring it along with you, it's just to give us an idea of numbers).

Thanks to Nicola for helping set this up and cheers to those who have promoted it via Twitter (Especially Helen @ Didbsury Life, who appears to have persuaded half of West Didsbury to come along).

Social media mascots - eight of the best mascot campaigns

Old Spice

Old Spice Guy became famous in July when, for just one day, the brains behind the 'Smell like a man, man' campaign, chose to film real-time video responses to questions posed to the fictional character. The mascot, played by Isaiah Mustafa, received global attention, resulting in a 107 per cent increase in Old Spice sales.

Pudsey Bear

The famous yellow mascot of the annual Children in Need charity drive. While the Twitter account is most active during the actual event, the stream shows the possible potential social media has for charities on the service, highlighting the ways organisations can promote a noble cause during and beyond a televised event.

Aleksandr Orlov

Compare the Market chose to represent their brand with Aleksandr Orlov, better known to many as the furry Russian founder of ComparetheMeerkat.com. Launched in 2009, the campaign successfully ran across Twitter and Facebook; to date the Twitter profile has 40,000 followers, while the Facebook presence clocks in at just under 756,000 likes.

The Andrex Puppy

Aside from being synonymous with good bathroom hygiene, Andrex is closely associated with its mascot; a timeless Labrador puppy. While you wouldn't normally consider Twitter as the ideal medium for a toilet roll, the account shows what additional brand exposure you can get if you utilise the services of an adorable mascot.

The Roaming Gnome

An American invention, albeit voiced by Brit Harry Enfield, the Roaming Gnome has enjoyed success as a social media mascot. The premise of the campaign is simple; the gnome roams the globe, promoting hotels, destinations and flight deals.

The Roaming Gnome was born in 2004 as part of a viral campaign for the company. It has since become the de facto spokesman for the brand.

Barney Stinston

CBS' flagship comedy 'How I Met Your Mother' runs a comprehensive social media campaign centred around Barney Stinston, one of the show's protagonists. The character regularly tweets and updates his blog, complimenting the storyline of the programme and acting as a cost-effective marketing tool for the show between seasons.

Richard Castle, the central character from ABC's drama 'Castle' is the mascot of a similar promotional campaign.

Shamu

The Sea World whale gained a cult following on Twitter for its humorous take on life as the world's most famous underwater mammal. The account was indefinitely suspended in February following an accident in the park which led to the death of a staff member.

The Michelin Man

Self-proclaimed mascot of quality tyres, the Michelin Man has amassed nearly 1,500 Twitter followers. The account is another example of how you can use an (arguably) uninspiring product and create a social media presence through engaging and quality content.

Other mascots

Digital Switchover
The Energizer Bunny

Any more to add? Drop me a line on Twitter.

Smut, Twitter and you - Thoughts from Social Media Cafe

Tuesday's Social Media Cafe shone a light into the darkest corners of social media. It was a torch which illuminated the areas of Twitter and Facebook no one talks about in polite conversation; the seedy parts you wouldn't want your parents to see.

Local blogger Mindy Gofton brought an interesting discussion to the table. Her Manchester SEO company had recently acquired a contract for a firm which distributed, among other things, 'cheeky' e-cards. The debate focused on the ethics of promoting this type of blue content across social media and whether marketeers had a moral or ethical responsibility to shield the campaign from those who might deem it unsuitable.

But that's an issue for another blog post.

During the session, a conversation between Paul Greenhalgh and Gillian Donovan addressed an interesting point relating to the topic.

Were there any negative consequences for those who chose to follow these sorts of risqué accounts on Twitter?

It's a good question. The channel is notoriously public and, unless profiles are protected, anyone can access an account in order to see who is following who. Their conversation speculated whether it would be appropriate for relatives, friends or employers to discover you were following the profiles of Agent Provocateur or Nuts Magazine.

And people check to see who you're following; during the session, regular social media cafe attendee David Edmundson-Bird commented that he paid a special interest in the accounts his new followers were monitoring.

He isn't alone.

We all make assessments about people in the real world and our behaviour on social media is no different. When faced with a new Twitter profile, users make an assessment about character based on the relatively little information given to them.

Indeed, looking at the types of accounts a user is following is one of the easiest ways to judge someone's personality. We all have our own personal tastes and, naturally, these tastes are echoed in the users we follow on Twitter. Whether you’re interested in SEO, Top Gear, football or cricket, it's more than likely that you're following accounts which compliment these hobbies.

However, an issue arises when you've got an interest which might not be considered so wholesome. Do you necessarily want to convey your fondness for alcohol, gambling or naughty pictures to the world via your follower choices? Probably not.

You have a reputation to consider.

If one thing came from this social media session, it's that taste and decency are subjective; what you may deem suitable for consumption may not be shared by another user.

Your reputation can easily be damaged by the appearance of a lingerie shop in your following list. And there are bigger issues to consider than ruffling some features; which employer wants to hire someone who spends their time reading updates written from behind a shelf of brassieres?

I'm aware that this line of argument may seem defeatist. Twitter is a wonderful channel for engaging with like-minded people. It's a service which enables users to discuss hobbies, chat about relevant topics and interact with people like themselves.

Surely, it defeats the point of social networks to suggest users filter their followers in order avoid offence or the merest suggestion of impropriety? If this were the case, Philip Schofield would be the only person with any followers.

Sadly, the reality of Twitter and its public nature means that, for the majority of the time, the person viewing your profile isn't going to share your own opinions. Especially those opinions relating to appropriate content. And, like it or not, they will use all the information available to form a judgement about you.

The only question is, what opinion would you like them to have?

Many thanks to Josh and Martin for organising another great Social Media Cafe.

Being human - five easy tips to make a company account more personal

Establishing an official company account on Twitter can be a tough job.

At its core, Twitter is a channel for social interaction and the majority of users are reluctant to follow an account which promotes a business. For many, Twitter isn't a site for business.

For most, the social network is a channel for talk; a place where people can find friends, share news and swap stories. It's a service which depends on conversation and, at first glance, a professional account can't hope to compete with the personal tales of mates and colleagues. Particularly when so many companies are reaffirming preconceptions of business on Twitter with banal and soulless updates. In short, users have a right to be sceptical.

With the odds stacked against them, it's imperative that corporate accounts offer as much personality as possible. Do away with the formal and bland; inject some humanity into your office feed with these five easy steps.

Provide a profile picture

Companies are often accused of being inhuman on Twitter; a robotic voice hiding behind a company logo. Combat this with a photograph.

One of the simplest ways to let people know that you're a living, breathing person is to add a snap of the account author in the profile box. It immediately establishes a connection with the audience and it's a lot easier for users to interact with someone if they know what they look like.

Take a look at Walrus Bar, Sweet Mandarin or Kelloggs for a good example of this.



Introduce yourself

People want to know who they're talking to.

Put your name in the profile biography so people can see who they're having a conversation with; users are far more likely to get involved with your brand or cause. Even if it's just a name or a reference to a personal Twitter account.

Take this example from the Creative Tourist team.



Introduce the team

If multiple employees are tweeting from the account, consider letting the audience know which person is responding at any one time. The simplest way to do this is to sign off each message with the author's initials.

A number of big brands do this very well, although a few Manchester Twitter accounts have also applied the strategy. Below, you can see the feed for local travel firm On The Beach.



Add your own design

Personalise your Twitter design with your own colours or branding; it'll go a long way in the quest to establish a personality. Add a background image and it'll give the account an individual character, making it more memorable.

Better yet, include a picture of life at the company (maybe a team photo or a shot of the company headquarters). This background space offers an opportunity to reveal the people behind the brand. Use it.

The Business Desk North West provide the following example.



Provide variety

Make sure your tweets offer a genuine insight into life as an employee at the company. Talk about your day, mention projects you are working on and share staff news. Include photographs of the team and link to relevant stories which you find interesting.

This insight offers users a human angle. Manchester Airport is a good place to start for an example of balancing work and play on Twitter.

Are you a Twitter vuvuzela?

The vuvuzela has come under a bit of pressure of late. The abundance of the plastic trumpet during the World Cup, which when blown sounds like an angry wasp having a nightmare, has led to critisicm from armchair fans; many of whom dislike the constant drone of the instrument over the action of a nil-nil draw.

Indeed, this is the first time that many have had the opportunity to listen to the calming sounds of the humble vuvuzela.

These viewers have never been on Twitter.

Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has always been a haven for the vuvuzela. Sadly, these vuvuzelas aren't of the colourful trumpet variety, but rather profiles which have a number of similar qualities to the instrument; accounts which do nothing but repeatedly drone on the same dull note. One constant, dreary B♭ of self-promotion.

"Check out our services."

"Have a look at our fantastic services."

"Phone us to ask about our fantastic products."

"Our products and services are fantastic. Check them out."

It's enough to make you beg for a fail whale.

Twitter isn't the place for a vuvuzela. It's a channel perfect for a full brass band; a concert hall which begs for a medley of team news, blog posts, photographs and conversations. A stage suited for a cresendo of interaction and brand awareness.

So, put your vuvuzela back in the box.

Because unlike the World Cup, people aren't going to put up with the din just to see out the final whistle.

How to: Avoid the World Cup on Twitter

It's the World Cup! A time for nations across the globe to come together and celebrate an aerodynamic sphere rolling around a piece of grass.

Naturally, Twitter is going to explode; feeds full of news, views and insight from the action in South Africa.

However, if you're concerned about World Cup fatigue, there are some precautionary steps you can take to avoid being deluged by a torrent of football-related news. But only if you're getting your Twitter stream from Tweetdeck. Which you should all be doing anyway.

Filters are fun

It's relatively simple to remove tweets from your stream. Simply click on the settings icon in the top right corner. It's the one which looks like a spanner.



Select the 'Global filters' tab and enter the words you never want to see from your Twitter chums.



Save.

And presto, any tweet mentioning your undesirable hashtag or word will no longer appear in your stream.

For reference, here's a list of the words and hashtags you probably want to avoid for the next month or so.

Hashtags

#worldcup
#worldcup2010
#Eng
#USA
#Bra

Keywords

World Cup
Vuvuzela
England
Goal
Andy Townsend (But most people already have this filter on anyway)

Geotagging Twitter - where do we go from here?

Last week, Twitter gave its web users the opportunity to geotag their updates.

While the concept is nothing new to those using third-party applications on their mobile (such as Tweetdeck and Echofon), tweeters chained to their desktop computers will now find they have the choice to include a location with their message.

Biz Stone, head tweet at the company, summarised the new feature:

“People who choose to add this additional layer of context help make Twitter a richer information network for all of us—location data can make tweets more useful.”

No doubt team blue bird will be hoping that geotagging becomes common practice across the site. Location sharing is entering its salad days and the successes of Gowalla and Foursquare have probably influenced Twitter's decision to roll out the feature to its web users.

Still, while the geotagging option for Twitter users may make the service 'more useful', it's arguable (if popular) that companies will be the overall beneficiaries from the mass use of location sharing.

You are here. So are we.

Much like SEO copywriting, a Twitter campaign revolves around keywords: targeting users who transmit relevant phrases and queries. It's not a new marketing tactic and as a strategy, it can be a bit hit-and-miss.

If you're automatically following individuals who use a certain word, there's a strong chance you're going to connect to a number of irrelevant people; particularly if your keyword phrase is a heteronym.

Geotagging (or more specifically, an increase of users opting to share their location) opens up the door for laser-sighted social media strategies. Knowing where a user is at any given moment offers the opportunity to target and advertise to individuals with greater accuracy.

Take this fictional tweet:

“Waiting in town for a friend. Hope she hurries up. I'm starving.”

Three minutes later, a nearby restaurant replies to the user with a link to its menu. Inspired, the customer travels to the restaurant, eats the food and pays the bill. Smiles all round.

We know where you live

The opportunity to use the service for consumer research may be just as fruitful. Theoretically, a series of geotagged tweets could be used to create a refined marketing campaign; using Twitter updates to form a coherent advertising and social media strategy based on a collection of locations.

For example:

Twitter user A goes to bar B, buys groceries from shop C and lives in D. Company E wishes to attract more individuals like A. The business refines its marketing strategy based on the locations tagged by A and other individuals.

Facebook adverts, which target the interests and hobbies users submit to the site, are dependent on the honesty of the consumer (and how many of us have listed War and Peace as our favourite book to seem intellectual). The chance to base a social media campaign around the actual activities and interests of a user is, I suspect, too tempting to pass up. If only because the data is truthful.

Where do we go from here?

There are a few websites which offer local maps of real-time tweets. Twittermap and Twittervision provide a service of sorts, but both have various failings which reduce their effectiveness for those wanting to incorporate geotagging into a campaign. The iPhone Echofon app probably gives the best visual example of how useful location-based updates could be.


If geotagging takes off on Twitter, I'd be surprised not to see more tools designed to pull in location. Indeed, sites such as tweetalarm and twilert, which send Google Alert-esque emails when keywords are mentioned in tweets, could be modified to include tweets from specific areas. Of course, this is all conjecture.

It all depends on if enough users choose to share their daily lives with the rest of the internet.

John Locke's social media guide

Lost's John Locke is a hunter, a survivalist and a leader of men.

He's also a social media mastermind.

To celebrate the final season of Lost (airing next month), Manchester SEO presents the John Locke guide to a successful Twitter campaign. Let his Seagal-esque wisdom put you on the road to social media enlightenment.

"I'm working."

Locke has a way with words. Here, he imparts some Renaissance wisdom about the virtues of planning.

Locke's Lesson: Plan out a social media campaign before wading into the waters. Know what you want to achieve and map out a strategy.

"Don't tell me what I can't do!"

An unfortunate incident with gravity and a fifth-storey window has left Locke paralysed. His lifetime dream of trekking through the Australian outback is shattered as a tour guide tells John he can't survive the trip in a wheel chair. John disagrees.

Locke's lesson: Don't feel like a social media campaign needs to adhere to the paths and rules chosen by others. Often, the best campaigns are those which venture into the jungle and explore new territory. Social media shouldn't follow the leader.

"His name is @Locke."

There's a problem in the camp. The final scraps of food from the plane have been eaten and the survivors are bickering over dinner. Or lack of. John Locke joins the debate and offers a solution. Don't try this at home, kids.

Locke's Lesson: Good social media campaigns interact with other users. They offer solutions, stepping in to solve problems and concerns.

"I've done everything you wanted me to do."

Poor John. Our bald-headed hero has spent weeks trying to open up a suspicious hatch in the ground. He's hit it with a spade, chucked a piece of scrap metal at it and as a last resort, sheds salty tears over the entrance. Still, John eventually gets his wish and later, (much later) the hatch opens.

Locke's Lesson: Perseverance is the key to a successful social media campaign. It requires effort, patience and time. Don't get frustrated if you don't see instant results.

"I was wrong"

We all mess up from time to time. Even John Locke. Still, he has the integrity to apologise. Here, he causes an electromagnetic explosion which threatens to end the world.

Locke's Lesson: Don't be afraid to say sorry. If a customer has been treated badly or feels aggrieved by your actions, a brief apology can quickly fix their troubled heart. Pepsi and Habitat have both walked away from potential PR disasters with a quick 'my bad'.

Mashable broadens editorial scope

Mashable, one of the leading sites for social media news, made an interesting departure from its usual coverage of tech news yesterday as it posted a story on a potential airline security breach.

The piece, which covered an alert on a flight between Amsterdam and Detroit, reported that a male had been behaving suspiciously during transit. An extract follows:

"An update to our story yesterday about stricter rules for those taking electronics on aircraft: today a second Amsterdam to Detroit flight with the same flight number – Northwest Airlines Flight 253 – suffered disruption after a Nigerian man reportedly locked himself in the bathroom before landing.

The plane landed safely in Detroit and was immediately surrounded by emergency vehicles. Flight crew said the man was “verbally disruptive” when approached. It’s not yet clear if there was a threat to the plane’s safety."

Although the report does vaguely slip into Mashable's USP, featuring a paragraph covering the implications for those wanting to take their tech into the skies, one suspects the story falls well outside of the site's catchment area.

Indeed, a tweet from the @Mashable account did little to stress the implications of the alert to flying tech fiends.


While this coverage probably doesn't signal a change of editorial course for Mashable, it's an interesting anomaly. Perhaps more significantly is the statistic that the report was only retweeted 531 times, compared the usual thousands of regurgitations a story posted on the site normally receives.

Social media covers EDL protests in Manchester

This weekend saw thousands converge in Manchester for the 'English Defence League' (EDL) and 'Unite Against Fascism' protests.

The last EDL protest in Birmingham had led to ugly scenes and many were concerned whether the same story would be repeated in Manchester.

As usual, Twitter proved its mettle as a way for users to quickly distribute news and information; city centre residents regularly tweeted and uploaded photographs during the day (congratulations to jonthebeef for excellent coverage yesterday).

Out of the major news outlets, The Manchester Evening News provided fantastic online coverage throughout the day. The paper harnessed various social media techniques to offer a comprehensive and involving report of the demonstrations.

Here's four ways they did it;

Regular coverage

During the day, five MEN reporters regularly tweeted the protest. From 11:45am to 7:53pm, frequent updates from staffers in the field kept users up to date with any news from the demonstrations – injuries, arrests and any developments. This coverage was infinitely more comprehensive than anything offered by the occasional live report on Sky News or the BBC website. Users could get a more complete picture of the protest from the MEN.


Use of rich media

A range of dramatic photographs helped users get a sense of the demonstrations. Regular photographs and the occasional video – from the MEN YouTube feed - conveyed the scenes better than a series of 140 tweets ever could. Fantastic work.



Putting it all together

The use of the Cover It Live application kept everything in the same place - aggregating Twitter feeds, photographs and video. This software allowed the MEN to comprehensively collect all of its various news sources, creating a fuller picture of the demonstration.

Users didn't have to flick through different channels and websites to learn all the news – the information was handily collected in one single place.

User submitted content

Users could put forward their comments in two ways - via the traditional discussion board under the feed – and in the actual feed itself.

The latter allowed users to feature in the 'event'. Their comments appeared in real time alongside those of the reporters on the scene. It was a nice way of including people in the conversation and debate.

One day, I hope someone discovers a safe way to integrate tweets from the 3rd parties without risking libel or misuse. It would have been nice to include updates from people in the middle of the protest.

Using brand mascots on Twitter

Using Twitter to raise a company's online profile is not uncommon. Thousands of organisations try to increase their consumer base through the social media service and, suffice it to say, some do it better than others.

Interestingly though, some businesses are beginning to use fictional creations to deliver their message on Twitter. Cartoon characters, plastic models and furry meerkats have all been used to promote a company.

Here, Manchester SEO Blog examines why this approach may offer a greater appeal to users than the traditional corporate tweets of companies such as Asda.

Corporate identity

Massive organisations normally use a single account to deliver their social media strategy. Many tweet from a single spokesperson or branded feed in order to transmit their respective message.

Some companies choose to tweet through their brand's mascot. This is a sensible move – a mascot is not only recognisable, but it also immediately conveys the culture and values of an organisation.

There are a selection of Twitter accounts which take this approach, most notably Ask.com's feed from its figurehead Jeeves the butler.

Despite his recent sabbatical, Jeeves remains one of the most recognisable mascots of recent years.

The account, a mix of conversational and promotional tweets, speaks for the entire company. By adopting the character for its social media strategy, Ask provides consumers with information and news through a friendly and recognisable face.

This is opposed to a blanket company account which may not provoke the same level of user reaction.

Opportunity for innovation

Fictional accounts have a greater scope for flexibility than those written from a corporate viewpoint. @NatHistoryWhale is a wonderful example of how a profile can bend the established rules of social media marketing for commercial gain.


The account is hosted by the life-sized model of a whale which hangs from the ceiling of New York's National History Museum. The beast, as you can imagine from someone subjected to screaming children 24-7, is cranky, cynical and occasionally very mean. Think Grumpy Old Men meets Free Willy. This tone comes across in the regular tweets posted on the account. Some choice examples include:

• Gosh, you all look so haggard, it must be really hot outside today.
  
• Do you have any idea how many times I've seen the video they show in here?
  
• This one Walrus in the glass case to my left-- he kinda looks like he's dead.

This campaign highlights how fictional accounts can offer an opportunity for innovation – a mascot provides metaphorical distance between a brand and a social media campaign. This whale can be as mean and sarcastic as it likes without damaging the company.

It's also exceptionally more entertaining.

Covert promotion

Chelsea Football Club gives the club's megatron-sized fan base a Twitter feed from Stamford the Lion; the furry mascot who can normally be seen dancing on the pitch like a drunk uncle prior to kick off.


A combination of exclusive news and interviews and 140 match commentary, the account offers users an enthusiastic and authentic set of tweets from the ultimate Chelsea fan.

By using a mascot, the Chelsea marketing department can shamelessly self-promote its brand without being accused of spam or clumsy sales tactics. Stamford is seen a supporter, rather than a marketing tool. He's enthusiastic because he's a dedicated member of the club. Nothing more.

User interaction

Just as Twitter allows users to communicate with companies, it also gives individuals the opportunity to chat with their favourite fiction characters.

The Compare The Market mascot, Aleksandr Orlov, is one of the more famous characters on Twitter. Humorously posing as an Eastern-European meerkat, the Twitter feed regularly interacts with users in order to promote the sub-brand (Compare The Meerkat.com) and its parent company.

This creative approach has proved to be very popular with consumers (and the bank balance for the insurance site).


This consumer interaction has also been used for promotion of television programmes. The American drama Castle – not yet broadcast in the UK – runs a Twitter feed for its main character, Richard Castle. The account follows the life of Castle away from the cameras, providing hype and publicity for the show without the need for conventional marketing campaigns.

More recently, a series of Twitter accounts from the characters of the AMC drama Mad Men proved to be very successful in raising the profile of the programme. Tweets and replies from the employees of the fictional 1950s advertising firm were exceptionally popular with fans of the show.

While the accounts were later revealed to be fake and unauthorised by the network, the campaigns' (for lack of a better word) success demonstrated the willingness of users to interact with fictional characters.

How Manchester uses Twitter

The use of Twitter as a marketing and communication tool has been well documented. Here are four ways Manchester companies and bloggers are using Twitter in order to promote, learn and collaborate.

Sharing Knowledge

Twitter allows users to broadcast information. At the risk of sounding like an iPhone advert - any information. Members of the Twitterati can share news, opinion and anecdotes with a number of followers. In any one moment of the day, an individual can have access to a wealth of new information they may never have discovered without the service.

A Manchester example:

As an SEO copywriter, I'm always interested in the opinions and views from peers in the field. Twitter gives me the opportunity to absorb information and advice from a number of SEO and social media professionals in the community (and from around the UK). Blogs from the likes of local writers such as Andrew Nattan, Kieron Hughes and Julia Shuvalova provide topical and insightful discussion into both the SEO and social media industry.

Business Promotion

Cost-effective promotion has never been easier than on Twitter. Within a few keystrokes and a quick left click on a mouse, an organisation can quickly advertise products and events on a massive scale.

A Manchester example:

There are many Manchester tourism groups which artfully use Twitter to this end. Creative Tourist, Visit Manchester and Urbis museum all regularly tweet about exhibitions and events around the city.

Most recently, tweets from the Piccadilly Manchester account advertised a series of events – Platform 4 Piccadilly – which took place in Manchester City Centre last weekend.


Which inspired me to hop on a 42 bus – braving the start of Fresher's week – to take these photographs and share them on Twitter.




Additionally, this act of third-party promotion can create a ripple effect - spreading a campaign across a Twitter community and thereby raising awareness (and visitor numbers).

Industry Events

Twitter gives a user access to countless different communities – SEO groups, social media collectives and local bloggers. Many of these collectives hold regular gatherings which allow individuals to meet up, discuss news in the industry and socialise over a few beers.

A Manchester example:

There are a number of Manchester SEO and social media meet ups around the city. Northern Digitals, Geek Up, Manchester Digital and Manchester Blogmeet are just some of the blog and industry groups which regularly hold events for anyone with an interest in the industry.

Social Media Cafe Manchester holds a monthly meeting, the latest at the BBC, which features seminars and light-hearted debate.

This event, like many others around Manchester, gives Twitter users the opportunity to meet each other, discuss ideas and collaborate.

Self Promotion

Twitter offers users the opportunity to self-promote. Individuals can plug blogs, services and goods in their 140 characters. Twitter has been used to advertise products which would normally rot away on Amazon Marketplace, find a date for an evening and direct traffic to a blog.

A Manchester example:

Twitter has provided the vast majority to traffic to this SEO blog. Over the site's lifetime, 31 per cent of visitors have entered from links posted and retweeted on Twitter.

This promotion acts as a low-level targeted advertisement. The vast majority of my followers have an interest in SEO/social media and work in the Manchester SEO community. The nature of Twitter allows me, in the same way Manchester tourism companies use the service, to promote posts to the appropriate audience. These entries can be read and commented on accordingly.

Cough.