To quote Mashable:

“Previously, website publishers had to redirect users to their respective accounts on Twitter.com before users could opt to follow them. The new feature will likely encourage publishers to increase the number of “follow us” prompts on their sites, because they won’t have to risk redirecting their audiences off-site.”

Here’s a preview:

Follow @mikeasaunders

Twitter releases Follow buttons for your website originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

The findings were quite interesting and echoed many generalizations about generation Y.

In South Africa, Generation Y uses digital platforms for communication and prefer Facebook and BBM over any other communication tool. Email continues to lose its effectiveness as a communication vehicle with this generation.

Google is starting to lose search market share to Facebook as 50% of Gen Y chooses to use Facebook as a search engine over Google.

Although MXit is popular it’s loyalty is much lower (less than one hour a day) than Facebook (up to five hours per day).

When given the choice Gen Y chose the internet over magazines, their cellphone over the internet and tertiary education over their cell phone. They are also a healthy bunch of individuals choosing healthy food over junk food, restaurants over fast food and bottled water over fizzy drinks.

Here is a list of some of our findings

Use of the internet

• 85% have an email address, but only half check it more than once a month
• 99% use the internet – most about 2 hours a day
• They do not regard facebook as the internet
• 73% access the internet on their phone (even though over 90% have the internet at home)
• 11% watch webinars / webisodes (online seminars / online episodes)
• 91% use facebook; 30% use twitter
• 69% have a Mxit account – but most only check it for less than an hour a day
• 60% watch YouTube (funnies & music videos firstly and also instructional videos
• 50% use Google as a Search Engine – 50% use facebook

Use of Non-Digital Media

• 91% listen to the radio (during drive time) and all of those claim to listen to 5fm, but then also mention other stations – no loyalty
• 64% read books
• 42% read the newspaper
• 73% read magazines (Female – fashion & gossip (Heat Magazine and You Magazine), Male – sports and Men’s Health)
• 85% go to the cinema – primarily the evening show
• 64% watching DSTV (in the evening)

Facebook and Social Media

• They do not regard facebook as the internet
• 60% spend more than 5hrs a day on facebook
• 84% use facebook to send messages rather than email
• Prefer facebook over twitter
• 50% use facebook as a search engine (other 50% use Google)
• Watch on YouTube – Funny & Music Videos and then How To /Instructional videos
• Very few read blogs, 2 write their own
• 69% have a Mxit account – but most either don’t use it, or only check it for less than an hour a day
• Other social networks used – BBM & Skype

Choice

• Internet over magazines
• Healthy food over junk food
• Tertiary education over getting a job
• Own music over radio
• Medical aid over funeral policy
• Bottled water over fizzy drinks
• Restaurant over fast food
• Facebook over Mxit
• Cellphone over internet (100%)
• Tertiary education over cellphone
• Social media over emails (98%)

Generation Y in South Africa – A Short Study originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

I believe that any campaign launched in the digital space should consider the digital lifestyle of the consumer they are targeting. Too often we end up targeting low technology users with high end smart phone applications. Yes that target market may own a smart phone but their digital lifestyle is such that the application may not engage the consumer.

TNS surveys have created a great framework to use called Digital Lifestyles. Take a read through the lifestyles and leave a comment letting me know which lifestyle best describes you.

INFLUENCERS

The internet is an integral part of my life. I’m young and a big mobile Internet user and generally access everywhere, all of the time. I’m a blogger, a passionate social networker with many social network friends. I’m also a big online shopper, even via my mobile. I want to make sure as many people as possible hear my online voice.

COMMUNICATORS

I just love talking and expressing myself, whether that’s face to face, on a fixed line, mobile or on social networking sites, instant messaging or just emailing people. I really want to express myself in the online world in the way that I can’t in the offline one. I tend to be a smart phone user and I’m connecting online from my mobile, at home, at work or at college.

KNOWLEDGE-SEEKERS

I use the internet to gain knowledge, information and to educate myself about the world. I’m not very interested in social networking but I do want to hear from like-minded people especially to help me make purchase decisions. I’m very interested in the latest thing.

NETWORKERS

The internet is important for me to establish and maintain relationships. I have a busy life whether it’s my profession or managing the home. I use things like social networking to keep in touch with people I wouldn’t have time to otherwise. I’m a big home internet home user and I’m very open to talking to brands and looking for promotions. That said I’m not really the kind of person to voice my opinions online.

ASPIRERS

I’m looking to create a personal space online. I’m very new to the Internet and I’m accessing via mobile and internet cafes but mostly from home. I’m not doing a great deal at the moment online but I’m desperate to do more of everything, especially from a mobile device.

FUNCTIONALS

The internet is a functional tool, I don’t want to express myself online. I like emailing, checking the news, sport & weather but also online shopping. I’m really not interested in anything new (like social networking )and I am worried about data privacy and security. I am older and have been using the internet for a long time.

Digital lifestyles create a way to segment our target market originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

CEO of twitter shares his experiences on building twitter originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

This information comes from the Buyershpere report which I believe shows great insight into the platforms neccessary to create business to business sales leads from the internet.

A Summary: How important is your company website?

When looking at buying business services there are three stages of the purchase that have been identified:

1. Identifying and defining the need
2. Indentifying potential suppliers
3. Final selection of the supplier

In all three stages a company’s website was the primary channel used to gather information, even more than web searches. In stage one industry press, word of mouth and events were next in line as channels used to identify and define the need for the purchase.

The company website in this case has the opportunity to establish brand, share product details and specifications and add value to the different purchase stages. the interesting fact that rose oot of the study though was that the company website had very little influence on the conclusion of each stage.

The effect of social media on business to business purchasing decisions

It’s all about influence!

Every stage of the purchase cycle revealed that  social media channels and word of mouth were the primary influential channels that influenced the decisions made.

Stage one indicated blogs and word of mouth as the primary influencer, whilst stage two and three showed a preference towards twitter, blogs and Facebook.

How valuable is your website in business to business purchasing decisions? originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

The effect of mobile phones on social media originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

On the 6 Novemeber I had 2300 tweets…

My profile on the 6th November 2010

and the on the 10 November I had 15 tweets!!!

My profile on the 10th November 2010

What is your tweet count?

You tweet count is the total number of tweets you have ever made on twitter.

Why does yout tweet count matter?

Your tweet count gives people an indication of how active you are on twitter and whether you will be worth following on Twitter.

So now that twitter have stolen my tweets it looks like I have only contributed 15 tweets to the twitterverse in the last 2 years. I wouldn’t be too interested in following someone with such a low level of contribution to this information network.

Luckily for me my follower list is pretty high (Thanks for the support guys!!) and that becomes a recommendation of my value to the people on twitter so hopefully people will overlook my incorrect tweet count and decide to follow me because of the others that have chosen to follow me.

I just hope twitter does not steal my followers next. I wonder if you can insure your tweets and followers?

Turns out I am not the only one this has happened to so if you have had an experience like this comment about it here and maybe twitter will wake up and find a way to give us our tweets back.

UPDATE 24th November 2010: Twitter restored my tweets a few days later. Very relieved – Thanks Twitter!!

Twitter stole my tweets! originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

Touch Durban saw the opportunity to leverage the Currie Cup by doing something that can only work on a social media platform. They supported another Twitter profile!!

@touchdurban put all their effort into getting as many people as possible to follow @just_sharks. This helped the @just_sharks claim the number three position on the SA Twitter Trends and take @touchdurban into the Top 10.

The Royal Hotel, who runs the @touchdurban profile, gave a weekend away to a sharks supporter for showing their support to the Sharks rugby team. This helped drive the interest towards the @just_sharks profile and promote the hotel and their twitter profile.

There are a few things to take away from this:

1) When promoting yourself in social media circles it can be very beneficial to run joint promotions rather than trying to “go it alone”

2) Competitions are a great way to generate excitement on social networks. When running your competitions make sure you in,clued a way for people to follow your profiles

3) Join the passion – people promote what they are passionate about.  Aligning @touchdurban to the Currie Cup Final bought the Durban events profile to the awareness of rugby fans during one of the most passionate times for the sport in South Africa. As people promoted their love for the sport @touchdurban was taken along for the ride.

Well done to the team at Touch Durban for doing such a great job.

Join Touch Durban on Facebook of Twitter

Touch Durban and Currie Cup Case Study originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

Courtesy of Mashable

If you would like to know more about twitter have you considered personal social media coaching?

If the twitter community were 100 people… originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach

So the question has become – is TV on the way out?

I would argue no. It seems that TV programs are actually experiencing an increase in viewership. So why is this happening if people are obviously spending more and more time online?

I would like to suggest that social media is shaping a new way of watching TV and that rather than phasing out TV it has chosen a symbiotic relationship. Here are a few quick thoughts about how this works:

1) Social media helps promote TV

Social media is often used as an outlet to express watt important to us. When people are excited about important TV episodes/programmes they will use social media to share their enthusiasm. The last Survivor episode, an important rugby match and the chilean miners rescue are all examples of TV being shared in excitement on social networks.

Once this excitement is shared more people are exposed to the TV event taking place and the potential of more people ‘tuning in’ increases.

2) Social Media adds a new layer of engagement

Once the game is on and people are sitting around the beloved box there is often a conversation that begins. It usually is focused around the game/event they are watching and the experience is more enjoyable. In other words, its more fun to watch a game of Rugby with friends than on our own.

Search Springboks on Twitter during the next Springbok game

Social media lets people take that conversation outside of the room, outside of the stadium and off the television. As people share their thoughts on the game the experience is now felt all over the world from anyone who is interested.

If you don’t understand what I am talking about here run a search on twitter the next time your team is playing a match and see what the twitter community is saying about the game.

3) Smart people – Smart Phones

Smart people take social media on the move. They pack it into their cellphone. Almost every social network has a mobile website and smart phones even have beautifully designed interfaces for these networks.

So as people are able to tweet and share on the go, it becomes easier to start or take part in the conversation online.

A new way of watching TV?

Does social media add a new dynamic to the way you watch TV?

Please leave a comment with your thoughts I would love to hear from you.

Is social media changing the way we watch TV? originally posted on Mike Saunders - Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach