The future of Social Media; how conversation and behaviour is changing

February 13, 2009 | 3 Comments

I was asked to give a talk on this at Use8’s recent conference on Social Media. I am not claiming to have all the answers as I don’t believe we ever will have, but a few of you have asked to see it so here you go. Most of my slides are just images, so if you view it through Slideshare, I have inserted notes so the presentation will make more sense.

The future of Social Media; how conversation and behaviour is changing
View more presentations from Jamie Coomber. (tags: socialmedia social)

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Conference, Social Interaction, Thought pieces, Youth 

How to win me over

October 24, 2008 | 2 Comments

best-friends-forever

I was chatting with Charles at last night’s Glug event, comparing grievances we’ve both felt when approached to blog about new products, services or events etc. so I have decided to lay down some basic rules to help those who want to win me over:

1. Make it relevant.  If you have contacted me through this blog, you will see that it is targeted at wonderfully inquisative people, who have a passion for creativity/new technologies/engagement/all of the above.  If you are writing to me asking me to publish an article about something that falls out of these very broad boundaries, don’t be miffed if I ignore it.

2. Do research your audience.  If you click on my `About’ page or even conduct a Google image search for my name you will see that despite having the name Jamie, I am in fact female.  When you send me an email and refer to me as Sir or Mr, you loose me at “Hello” and as this is a particular pet hate of mine, it takes some doing to get back on my good side.

3. Take the time to get to know your `influencers’.  We may have met at a networking event or a conference and had a conversation once about the future of marketing.  Good, I love meeting new people and the chances are, we probably had a really interesting chat.  If we then have no communication whatsoever and out of the blue, you send me details of your new campaign for me to publish, that’s just bad manners.

4. Rewards don’t have to come in physical form.  A conversation can be more rewarding than a Beta invite.  If you dish out Beta invites without actually engaging your audience, then you are not going to help them become interested in your project.  If you pick up the phone or write a warm up email, then you are opening up the communication channels between us, and I am more likely to want to find out more about you.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Community, Thought pieces 

Conversations, they are a changing

October 23, 2008 | 3 Comments

lastminutecom_new_branding_bigger

Let’s face it, those who have been on Twitter for over a year or so would have seen that it has changed dramatically.  I started to recognise this shift when I no longer felt I should openly voice my opinion on someones stupidity, or comment on the brand who will never in a million years actually care what I am saying about them.  I used to think of it as my club; a place where I felt safe and could play with my little community.  As the year has progressed I have found myself having to mind my p’s and q’s, something that I can barely muster the energy for on the annual trip to my see my parents (”Hi Dad”, I know you read this).

I’m not complaining about this shift but what’s changed?  Firstly, the advertising world have started to recognise that there are actually some pretty influential people here, and these people could be used to start talking about a new produce or service (”Hello, and thank you for acting like humans on Twitter”).  Secondly, the clever PR people have realised that this is a new medium where people can actually influence opinion and so, they have come to join the party (”chin chin, and could some of you please try to keep the self promotion down a bit, we’re trying to concentrate”).  Lastly though and by far my favourite of the changes, the brands themselves have joined in the party.  Now, some of them have embraced the experience like Lastminute.com, who after falling to initial criticism from the Twitter community for being faceless, admitted the service is being manned by people within their marketing department, and that personal profiles were being created as we speak.  Nice, I like your approach and haven’t you got some wonderful product development suggestions from the community?  From the best practice post you would have seen my distaste for the brands who have read about Twitter and have ploughed their way into the service before actually observing how the community use the service.  Anyone who observes Twitter, will see that it is built around community.  A community who shares, inspires and befriends one another based on similar industries or interests through 140 character conversations.  I would really like to see more brands take note of Lastminute’s approach and actually engage with their audience.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Community, Social Interaction, Thought pieces 

Social media best practice

October 1, 2008 | 6 Comments

twitter-brand

I have been tagged by Neil in the `Best practices in Social Media‘ meme (thanks Neil).  As Neil quite rightly points out, Social Media is not a channel but an approach.  A channel insinuates a one to one dialiogue which granted, many companies who enter the world of social media do try this approach.  Have a look at some brands Twitter profiles.  Notice how many have a lot of users following their updates but don’t actually follow user updates themselves?  This is a prime example of not understanding the game before joining in.  Don’t you rember trying to do that when you were at school?  The other kids didn’t want you to join in did they? Do you see where i’m going with this?  My best practice: Understand the medium before forcing your way in uninvited.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Brand, Social Interaction, Thought pieces 

Everyones an expert?

August 11, 2008 | 2 Comments

mentoscoke.jpg

OK so i’m going to have a rant here, because it’s good to let it out every now and then.  Recently I have seen more and more examples of people/organisations taking a nugget of an idea and running with it, applying the same `tried and tested’ approach that has worked over the years without actually thinking of the long term goal and how our audience (who have the power to make or break our ideas), have changed.  A good example I have seen recently uses social networks as it’s main output, speaking to `innovators’.  Forgive me for being naive, but posting your drunken photo’s on Facebook every once in a while for all to see doesn’t make you an expert in the field does it? So why do you think you have the right to talk to me in this space if you can’t offer me anything?  What is becoming apparent, is that as more communication channels are becoming available, we have taken this tendency to think of ourselves as the expert because we “read something on Wikipedia about it once so I know exactly what do to”.  Has technology actually bitten itself on the arse by allowing information to become so readily available, that people are running ahead with what they believe to be the right answer without thinking it through?  I was asked recently to participate in a brainstorm focusing on 14 year olds.  Now, it’s been a long time since I was 14 and although I have read a lot about what spaces they are currently in, I am not as arrogant as to think that I have all the answers and will be able to formulate a plan without actually having to pull on the help of my audience and was met with genuine surprise after it was suggested.  I guess my point is it is easier now more than ever to collaborate on projects, and it is really disappointing when a idea hits the market if it is obvious that it could have been pushed that little bit further if both time and the right people had been factored in.  As the industry grows and new skills are required, we should not assume that our `tried and tested’ approach is good enough anymore.  Instead we should be pulling on additional resources as and when they are needed, leaving the ego at the door whilst you’re at it.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Marketing, Thought pieces 

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