Industry Twitter Behaviour

Social media is now getting very much embedded in our industry now. Some companies and individuals know how to handle it and use it to their advantage, some simply don't. Either way, we all have a behavior when using Twitter.

Mike Bygrave at Roseview Windows has created a poll: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PCDZGG2

The poll ask 8 simple questions about your habits on Twitter and takes no longer than a minute to answer. I'm not going to give examples of these questions on here as it would defeat the object of me wanting you all to click on the link above and take the poll.

Once enough data has been Mike has said he will publish it - and I'm pretty sure I'll analyze the results myself to see how the industry is making the most of Twitter.

Personally, I still don't think the industry is making the most of Twitter or using it in the correct way. First of all, Twitter is mainly a B2B marketing tool. The general populous still aren't using the micro-blogging site to search for window companies, Google has that all sewn up. I believe that most businesses update their Twitter feeds with offers so that their Twitter widgets look updated on their websites. I might be wrong, but that's what I would use it for.

Twitter is better for business to business use. Suppliers contacting installers and vice versa has created an excellent online relationship that wouldn't have been there before. It's quick, simple and gets things done.

Anyway, take the poll, it doesn't take long, and all feedback on this is welcome! 

Twitter's Social Ethics

In Twitter, as in life, there are social ethics that exist which when followed, make life a bit more pleasant. I always try to be polite, informative, welcoming and engaging on Twitter. I just think it's polite to do so. No need to ignore a newcomer if they say hi, or not to reply to a #FollowFriday mention.

So here are a some social ethic rules to stick to make sure that your time on Twitter is as smooth and pleasant as possible.

1. Say hello in a morning. It's not always necessary this one, but it does invite conversation from the more polite and engaging people on Twitter.

2. Speak to the newbie's. People are joining Twitter all the time. If someone new starts to follow you and they say hi, reply back. Nothing worse than joining something new and not being welcomed.

3. Re-tweeting. Give some of your followers a re-tweet, or a RT, once in a while. It lets them know you're still taking an interest in what they're saying.

4. Thank others for RT's. If people are kind enough to spread the love and re-tweet one of your tweets, thank them. It shows that you're a grateful person and appreciate the little clicks they give you.

5. #FollowFriday mentions. Depending on how many followers you have, tagging people in your #FollowFriday mentions can take a little time. But, mentioning people regularly on a Friday so that others can follow and increase each others follow count can do a lot for your credibility on Twitter. It shows how much of a generous person you can be.

6. Thanks for #FF's. If someone tags you in a #FollowFriday mention, then the least you can do is RT that tweet or say thanks. Either one of these is acceptable if you don't have the time to return the favour.

7. Associated apps. Such other associated applications and measures of Twitter stats, such as Klout are gaining popularity. If someone includes you in something like Klout on Twitter, then either thanks them for taking the time out to include you, or return the favour in the same manner.

8. Arguments. Arguments on Twitter can be awkward things. I should know! If you disagree with someone on something they've said and feel strongly enough to reply, keep it clean, above the belt and non-derogatory to that person. No need to make it personal. Failing that, use Twitter's private Direct Message service.

9. Gossip. If you're a bit of a gossip, like me, make sure the information you're tweeting is accurate and confirmed. I have been caught out a couple of times by not obeying this rule and trust me, it's not worth the hassle.

10. Sympathetic causes. Last but certainly not least this one. Twitter is probably one of the most powerful communicative tools on the planet, to which we all contribute. We should all at some point use our collective power for good. If there is a charity, an ongoing cause or a major issue to highlight, RT relevant tweets or follow those accounts making the effort on Twitter to make a difference. 

I'm sure that by doing the various things above you'll avoid some of the sticky issues I've had to overcome during my two and a half years on Twitter.

If you think I've missed anything out, please comment and tell me!

Dot Com Bubble Burst 2.0?

The internet is probably the biggest single continuing achievement in human history. It constantly evolves to become more and more integrated into our daily lives. It helps organize our lives, entertains us and helps run our businesses. And business is where it's at for the internet. Business and the internet rely on each other, hence there are some absolutely huge internet based companies around at the minute, take Google and Facebook for example.

It's Facebook I really want to focus on here. It has a current subscriber list of roughly 800 million. Behind Google, it's probably the biggest online company on the planet. Up to to now, it has remained a business solely existing in the online universe. But it is currently drawing up plans to float on the stock exchange either before the end of the year or at the beginning of 2012, valuing itself at a staggering $100 billion!

This to me a huge over-estimation of what any internet company could possibly be worth. Facebook is a solely web-based social network, selling no physical product. The company is totally different to someone like Apple, who are currently worth anywhere in the region of $240-$300 billion. The difference here is that they're selling a physical product, something you can hold in your hand and use to boost your personal enjoyment or aid your job in business.


Facebook so far have earned their money through their advertising and selling of private shares to various people and organizations. But can a social-networking site really be worth the $100 billion Zuckerberg is hoping for?


My worry is that trying to turn a website without a physical product into a business is unsustainable. It would rely on public interest. We all thought MySpace was here to stay. Now look what a disheveled presence it now has compared to what it used to be. Thousands of staff made redundant, multiple sales and re-sales, company worth slashed. This is a company which only had social-networking and a music service to offer - something very similar to Facebook.

Are we seeing the makings of a dot com bust 2.0? Look at the share values of other sites like Groupon and LinkedIn. Both have suffered sharp falls in the value of their shares. 

Websites tend to have a pattern of losing interest. This site for example has quite sudden loses of interest from time to time. People must get bored of me! And that can be taken for things like Facebook and other social-networking sites. People will get bored and will want something new, no matter how many times you change the interface and add new extra little features that many probably won't use anyway. So turning something which such a volatile future is very risky, and and I don't personally believe it can work.


Comments and opinions welcomed as always!