2. Metal-Pages.com Study
In a recent survey of 30 randomly selected junior mining
companies, mostly listed in North America, Metal-Pages
found that 24 (80%) of the sample use Social Media as
part of their IR programs to raise their profiles.
3. Study Author
Justin Pugsley has over 20 years experience writing about
commodities, finance and business working for Dow Jones,
Wall Street Journal, Thomson-Reuters and Platts.
At Metal-Pages.com Justin
is responsible for the
European coverage of rare
earths and the minor
metals Cadmium, Bismuth,
Arsenic, Rhenium and
Hafnium.
@JJPugsley
4. From The Author
“A growing number of junior mining companies with
marketcaps below US$50 million are using Social Media
to connect with small investors”
“Success with Social Media for Investor Relations
professionals is very much down to keeping investors
interested between the really important announcements,
such as earnings, which drive the share price.”
- Justin Pugsley – Metal-Pages.com
6. The Stats – Twitter + Facebook
Of the 24 using Social Media for Investor
Relations, all said they used Twitter, while
19 (~80%) use Facebook.
The two Social Media platforms were
cited as very clear favorites for
engaging with investors.
The five that were not yet using
Facebook, said they were investigating
the prospect of doing so.
7. The Stats – LinkedIn
12 mining companies (50%) said they
used LinkedIn, though that was more
for recruitment and finding suitable
technical partners.
Other platforms used include:
YouTube, Slideshare, Flick, StockTwits,
Vimeo, Disqus and SeekingAlpha.
9. The Audience - Retail
Retail Investors use Social Media to
monitor their investments and to find
new investment opportunities
Around 1.6 million Facebook users
include investing as part of their profile
Forums like StockTwits are useful for
measuring Investor sentiment
10. The Audience - Institutional
Institutional Investors, analysts and
brokers are increasingly using Twitter to
„listen‟ to what‟s being said about the
companies they follow
They often look to see breaking news
before it hits the newswires, thereby
giving them an edge over other
Investors and Traders
12. Social Motivation? No…
Why DON’T Junior Mining Companies use Social Media?
potential compliance violations
not having enough personnel
too time consuming
websites are sufficient for informing investors
the company has very few investors
13. Social Motivation? Yes!
Why DO Junior Mining Companies use Social Media?
to continuously engage with their investor base
for tracking what is being said about them
to ensure investors are kept up to date
to better educate investors
to build new relationships with peers
15. Strategies - Websites
The more creative junior mining companies treat their
websites as if they are a media outlet using high quality
written copy and a diverse range of audio-visual content
to inform and educate visitors with a regular stream of
news and views.
16. Strategies - Mobile
Many social media platforms such as Twitter
adapt well to mobile devices, which are
becoming increasingly prevalent
All the big website providers have apps
designed for such devices.
Done well, Social Media can greatly
enhance mobile visibility and profile.
17. Strategies - Focus On Listening
IR professionals can quickly pick up on
dissent in Social Media and Forums
Searching chat rooms and Twitter is
useful to anticipate possible questions
from stakeholders ahead of phone calls
E.g. “when you attend the meeting ask
the CEO this..”
18. Strategies – Start Early
Social Media allows companies to
actively engage with stakeholders
from the earliest stages of a mining
project and to ensure concerns are
promptly addressed.
A transparent and honest
communications strategy is highly
advisable.
19. Strategies – Crisis Management
Social Media is about dialogue. There
is an opportunity early in a crisis to get
involved and put across the
company‟s point of view.
A crisis can pass quickly in the Social
Media sphere once addressed.
Search engines such as Google don‟t
forget a crisis quickly, but Social
Media will help
20. More Info?
To read the full report visit: blog.metal-pages.com
Or for more information about IR Smartt and our Social
Media strategies for the Investor Relations industry, please
contact us on:
Website: irsmartt.com/contact
Email: get@irsmartt.com