Digital Economy Research Group

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.

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…

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

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

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

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

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…

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

Digital Economy Research Group

by lisa harris on Nov 01, 2009

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Digital Economy Research Group — Presentation Transcript

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