Building Digital Presence: the role of Twitter Lisa Harris and Lorraine Warren 2 nd November 2009

Who we are Lisa Harris teaches Digital Marketing and is an e-tutor for the University of Liverpool online MBA. She has a research project called ‘Punch Above Your Weight’ which tracks how small firms promote themselves, network and grow their businesses using Web 2.0 technologies. She is also running various projects to integrate aspects of open learning into the MSc curriculum at Southampton, and developing new work investigating the development of digital presence. Lorraine Warren teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her research interests are in the emergence and adoption of new technologies, particularly in the Digital Economy. Recent projects have included the development of new business models in the creative industries (funded by the EPSRC's Digital Economy Initiative) and developments in the photovoltaic industry. She is currently developing projects in the social media domain, including issues of academic identity, entrepreneurial velocity, ethics and trust.

Lisa Harris teaches Digital Marketing and is an e-tutor for the University of Liverpool online MBA. She has a research project called ‘Punch Above Your Weight’ which tracks how small firms promote themselves, network and grow their businesses using Web 2.0 technologies. She is also running various projects to integrate aspects of open learning into the MSc curriculum at Southampton, and developing new work investigating the development of digital presence.

Lorraine Warren teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her research interests are in the emergence and adoption of new technologies, particularly in the Digital Economy. Recent projects have included the development of new business models in the creative industries (funded by the EPSRC's Digital Economy Initiative) and developments in the photovoltaic industry. She is currently developing projects in the social media domain, including issues of academic identity, entrepreneurial velocity, ethics and trust.

Objective In this brief session we will demonstrate: The role of Twitter in recent major world events How it has worked for us How it can work for the Digital Economy group A few cautionary tales…

In this brief session we will demonstrate:

The role of Twitter in recent major world events

How it has worked for us

How it can work for the Digital Economy group

A few cautionary tales…

Exponential growth…

Example 1: Trafigura Dutch-registered company, London office, one of the largest oil trading companies in the world. Last month announced that it would pay out millions of pounds without any admission of liability over allegations that it dumped toxic waste in the Ivory Coast in 2006 Tens of thousands in town of Abidjan claimed they had been affected by fumes An investigation by the Ivorian authorities claimed that 15 people died in the days after the chemicals were released. A UN investigations found that there appeared to be strong evidence that "the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping". Paul Farrelly MP posted a parliamentary question about the effectiveness of legislation to protect whistle-blowers and guarantee press freedom in relation oto allegations Trafigura law firm Carter-Ruck tried to prevent the Guardian publishing the PQ, obtaining gagging order The order appeared to undermine a long-established law that reports of parliamentary proceedings are protected from legal action. Top trending topic on Twitter on Oct 13 Carter-Ruck withdrew

Dutch-registered company, London office, one of the largest oil trading companies in the world.

Last month announced that it would pay out millions of pounds without any admission of liability over allegations that it dumped toxic waste in the Ivory Coast in 2006

Tens of thousands in town of Abidjan claimed they had been affected by fumes

An investigation by the Ivorian authorities claimed that 15 people died in the days after the chemicals were released.

A UN investigations found that there appeared to be strong evidence that "the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping".

Paul Farrelly MP posted a parliamentary question about the effectiveness of legislation to protect whistle-blowers and guarantee press freedom in relation oto allegations

Trafigura law firm Carter-Ruck tried to prevent the Guardian publishing the PQ, obtaining gagging order

The order appeared to undermine a long-established law that reports of parliamentary proceedings are protected from legal action.

Top trending topic on Twitter on Oct 13

Carter-Ruck withdrew

Example 2: Bletchley Park World War 2 code-breaking centre outside Milton Keynes, Station X Shortened WW2 by two years, foundations of computer industry Very dilapidated: campaign organised by Dr Sue Black, U of Westminster So far just under a million pounds has been donated to restoration work by the likes of Microsoft, IBM, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. @bletchleypark has acquired over 1,000 followers, but its influence has spread far wider, informing a tech-savvy crowd about developments at the site and is used as a way of organising visits. "We wouldn't have won without social media," Dr Black told me, "this kind of campaign wouldn't have been possible a few years back. It's power to the people." Importance of #bpark

World War 2 code-breaking centre outside Milton Keynes, Station X

Shortened WW2 by two years, foundations of computer industry

Very dilapidated: campaign organised by Dr Sue Black, U of Westminster

So far just under a million pounds has been donated to restoration work by the likes of Microsoft, IBM, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

@bletchleypark has acquired over 1,000 followers, but its influence has spread far wider, informing a tech-savvy crowd about developments at the site and is used as a way of organising visits.

"We wouldn't have won without social media," Dr Black told me, "this kind of campaign wouldn't have been possible a few years back. It's power to the people."

Importance of #bpark

Example 3: Benefits to us Connected us with the Rhizome Project We are now contributing a book chapter extends our network to include researchers at KCL who are working in a similar area Fostered connections with Universities of Tronheim, RGU, Salford Allows us to “practice what we preach” Useful “real time” tool for interaction with core network Allows us to reach out to and connect with a large peripheral network

Connected us with the Rhizome Project

We are now contributing a book chapter

extends our network to include researchers at KCL who are working in a similar area

Fostered connections with Universities of Tronheim, RGU, Salford

Allows us to “practice what we preach”

Useful “real time” tool for interaction with core network

Allows us to reach out to and connect with a large peripheral network

Example 4: Benefits to the Digital Economy Group Real time communications tool for exchange of information across the group Relevant posts can be searchable by hashtag (#SotonDEproject?) Create a “list” of project members? Helps create an online ‘presence’ or ‘identity’ for the DE group

Real time communications tool for exchange of information across the group

Relevant posts can be searchable by hashtag (#SotonDEproject?)

Create a “list” of project members?

Helps create an online ‘presence’ or ‘identity’ for the DE group

Cautionary tales… Ask not what the community can do for you, but what you can do for the community…the best long term way to build influence is to be seen as a ‘giver’ of good quality information and advice. This means don’t use it for a sales pitch, or simply to broadcast news (@soton_vc_soton)  It may start to absorb acres of time… Or set up more opportunities than can be realistically managed…

Ask not what the community can do for you, but what you can do for the community…the best long term way to build influence is to be seen as a ‘giver’ of good quality information and advice.

This means don’t use it for a sales pitch, or simply to broadcast news (@soton_vc_soton) 

It may start to absorb acres of time…

Or set up more opportunities than can be realistically managed…

Further Information There are some useful Twitter guides and further information which can be linked from: http://www.twitip.com/personal-brand-how-to-build-yours-in-twitter/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/oct/31/the-power-of-twitter And you are welcome to follow us: @doclorraine @lisaharris

There are some useful Twitter guides and further information which can be linked from: http://www.twitip.com/personal-brand-how-to-build-yours-in-twitter/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/oct/31/the-power-of-twitter

And you are welcome to follow us:

@doclorraine

@lisaharris