Insights from Hong Kong

Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

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In Beijing, Facebook on the Radio – Not My Phone

In China, Social Media on 18 May 2012 at 10:31 AM

I am in Beijing on business and find it difficult to access my social media favourites. Twitter is erratic. Facebook is not available. Some say it’s the wireless access at the Fairmont Hotel. Others say it’s the Great Firewall of China.

Yet here I am in traffic on my way to Kreab Gavin Anderson’s offices in China World Towers. The top of the hour news is that Facebook has priced its IPO (initial public offering) shares at US$38 each. Commentators are saying it’s over-valued. There are likely to be investors from China.

Yet here on the street, few can access Facebook. Those that do use VPN (Virtual Private Networks) available privately for a small fee or in many offices.

China is renowned for blocking access for most citizens to global social media sites. In their place local equivalents have gained traction. There’s no Twitter but Weibo reigns supreme. You can’t get YouTube but you can get Youku. Across the spectrum of social media sites there’s a Chinese equivalent.

For Facebook investors, the premium paid today is done in anticipation of an increase tomorrow. Right now the revenue forecast by Facebook for Greater China is US$0.00. That’s the total estiamte of potential earnings for a nation of 1.2 billion people – most of whome are electronically connected and mad for social media.

For some the investment in Facebook today is a worthwhile bet on the day China opens to outside sites. The citizenry is wired. They already have strong social media habits. There’s an immense amount of time spent daily on similar sites. And of course the IPO has raised awareness. It was the lead story on the local radio station in the taxi today.

Facebook isn’t available “on the streets” in China today. The day it is, expect a tsunami of take-up. That may make the US$38 per share seem relatively affordable.

Until then, I’ll wait to udpate my status until I return to Hong Kong.

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Getting Started on Twitter? Basic Guidelines

In Uncategorized on 17 May 2012 at 2:45 PM

With 200 million users, Twitter plays a growing role as a tool in the communications mix for businesses worldwide, and its immediacy and interactive nature can have great impact.

However, Twitter also offers challenges. Management of a productive Twitter stream is time-consuming, and can include unexpected and controversial feedback from audiences due to its interactive nature. In managing a Twitter conversation stream, it is important to remember that as with any form of communication, the content of the message is the key.

My friend (and colleague) in Beijing just started on Twitter this week. Made me remember my first days. Below are outlined some suggested guidelines, to ensure a productive stream that engages and entertains your audiences.

In managing a Twitter conversation stream, it is important to remember that as with any form of communication, the content of the message is the key.

Getting Started on Twitter

-   Remember the technical basics. To run a Twitter stream, you need to first ensure that you understand the technical guidelines. The most essential are:

  1. Tweets cannot exceed 140 characters (Twitter counts this for you);
  2. Shorten URLs when sharing links, using services such as http://tinyurl.com and http://is.gd;
  3. Use hashtags. The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark a keyword or topic in a Tweet, helping them show up more easily in a search. Clicking on a hashtagged word also shows all other Tweets in that category. Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics. Don’t over-tag – use no more than two hashtags per Tweet.

-   Always look professional. Ensure that your posts contain no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Everyone understands that sometimes spelling mistakes happen, but if they happen frequently it makes you or your company look unprofessional.

-   Finish what you start. If a person or a business is committed to starting a Twitter feed, it must be committed to managing it. This requires dedicated resources – if Twitter is an afterthought for you, your stream will be an afterthought for your audiences.

-   Stay on message. Remember, the Twitter stream is the your voice or that of your business. The same messages apply in communicating your business to your audiences via Twitter as through any other forum – whether it be your website, a press release or a public speech. The challenge is, finding new and interesting ways to express your messages, so that your audiences don’t feel that they are being told the same thing over and over again. Be authentic, genuine and real. In other words, be yourself.

-  Maintain your brand identity. Customize your Twitter account background and colors so that they match your brand identity – this ensures that people do not forget who you are, amidst the constant flow of information, and re-enforces that Twitter is a key aspect of your communications. Also, ensure that you have the right identity in place in setting up. The profile and bio are unique identifiers that describe the subject matter of the account, and the nature of the organization. Dump the default Twitter avatar use a photo of yourself or a suitable image.

-   Stay regular. A Twitter stream is described so because it offers a constant flow of new information and insight. To be effective, you must commit to Tweeting on average at least once but ideally between three to five times per day, as well as acknowledging and responding to feedback from your followers. Spread your tweets throughout the day, rather than posting the all at once, as people check Twitter at different times of the day.

-   Don’t just talk about yourself. Thought leadership is about showing that you understand your subject matter, not just about talking about yourself. Beyond feeding out press releases and other relevant announcements on your business, comment on the market overall and provide links to relevant insightful news article. Report industry, company, world and other news that’s related to your business, together with some commentary. You can link to articles and content posted elsewhere with a summary of why it’s valuable.

-   Interact, interact, interact. Twitter is a community, and you must maintain the relationships that form it. If someone follows you or asks a question, follow them. If they say something nice about you, re-Tweet it – positive testimonials from legitimate third parties are a great way to positively impact perceptions of your business. If they say something negative, follow them anyway so that you can see and possibly react to anything else they may be putting in the public domain about you. Participate in Twitter chats related to your industry or business on a regular basis.

-   Following is just as important as being followed. Twitter is a rich source of information. Media, clients, and a whole range of other influencers say things on Twitter that they could not in a more formal setting. As such, Twitter can offer great insight into who is doing what, among the movers and shakers in the international business community. Also, if your potential followers see that you don’t follow many people back, then they won’t be as willing to follow you in the first place. Follow experts, companies, competitors and leaders in your industry.

This post provides top-line suggestions only. For a thorough review of Twitter techniques, please see the course developed by Mashable, the largest independent online news site dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology. It is available here.

 

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In Michigan, Going for Votes Using “China Scare”

In China on 6 February 2012 at 2:48 PM

The USA Super Bowl was played a few hours back (Congratulations Giants fans).  It was also a record day for Twitter. During Madonna’s half-time performance Twitter averaged 8,000 Tweets per second – and a high of 10,245 during one second of her performance. The close of the game saw a new world record of 12,233 Tweets per second. That’s a 300% increase on the game last year when an earlier record was set of 4,064 Tweets per second.

And those not keen on the sport still watched their televisions. Super Bowl is the time when major brands unveil groundbreaking advertisements. Smart Company offered a “first glimpse” into the big dollar ads.

In an election year, politicians used local advertising time on offer to insert their own ads. And one from Michigan is already causing a backlash.

Republican Pete Hoekstra is running for US Senate against incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow. To showcase his conservative credentials, he purports to show a girl in rural China thanking his rival for her big dollar ways. Why it’s the American politicians who have made China rich! It’s politicians like Stabenow who sent jobs overseas. He even tags her Debbie “Spend It Now.”

But when you look at the ad you will understand the mounting controversy. Even the You Tube summary isn’t flattering:

Apparently, A democrat representative and a Chinese lady who speaks stereotypical broken “Engrish” are to blame for America’s money problems.

Local Detroit television reporter Rod Meloni says:

This ad…is completely out of character for Hoekstra.

Twitter users agree – this ad is called racist and stereotypical and insulting (see a sampling of the conversation below, or search Twitter for #Hoekstra). His own campaign has defended the ad saying it was meant to be “tongue in cheek.”

As an American who has traveled throughout China, I am not surprised by this turn of events. Xenophobia stirs passions. And the fear of “Red China” is alive and well in Middle America. What I can’t understand is this:

Where did Hoekstra find an untouched rice field and a young girl still willing to ride a bicycle in China?

Comments on Twitter about #Hoekstra

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