Category: Social Media

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Social Media

Elon’s Twitter

Ok, I know it’s been a while – a lot has been going on, however – I knew for a fact, that you’d be thinking, hope Bal writes something about Elon buying Twitter! And yes, here it is… a quick blog post about Elon and Twitter.

For those who don’t know what Twitter is – Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read those that are publicly available.

Twitter Is Making Its Platform Safer With This New Feature

There’s millions, if not billions of people who use Twitter. And if you’re on there and not following me… I am @balbansal

Now, to the story in hand. Elon, who we all know from SpaceX, Tesla, etc… has gone and bought it for a cool $44bn.

Elon Musk's Twitter profile displayed on a computer screen and Twitter logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on April 9, 2022.

Elon (who is worth $273bn) said…

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,”.

“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans,” he added.

“Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”

The move comes as Twitter faces growing pressure from politicians and regulators over the content that appears on its platform. It has drawn critics from left and right over its efforts to mediate misinformation on the platform.

In one of its most high-profile moves, last year it banned former US President Donald Trump, perhaps its most powerful user, citing the risk of “incitement of violence” – remember that?

At the time Mr Musk observed: “A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech.”

So there you go… Elon has bought Twitter, will enable a number of changes and as he loves ‘free speech’, it will be very interesting to see how the platform develops. Obviously he’ll be looking for a return on his investment but moreso… what is interesting is, he’d promised the World Health Organization, that if that could show a detailed plan on how to solve world hunger, he’d donate $6bn to the cause… they showed him the plan, but I’ve not heard about the $6bn being donated. Maybe he’ll tweet it soon….

So, what features do you think he should introduce first?

Categories
Social Media

Sunday Self Care

We know, in today’s world, there’s a lot of information.

We only have to open any social media platform, and there’s so much content available for us to consume… it’s crazy!

For example, you could stumble on various YouTube videos if you were looking to buy a new tumble dryer and were not sure which one to go for! Clearly explaining the benefits of a heat pump version as opposed a normal condenser one (real life example!).

With so much information, data and content – we need to ensure, that we take time for ourselves and disconnect.

Daily activities, such as work, home, family, friends, social media, other items will take their toll. Make sure, you are able to give what you can. And every day, it won’t be 100%.

We think, showing up daily is 100%. But is it really? What it actually means is that there’ll be various levels… not everyday, each day is the same.

Like anything in life, there’ll be ups and downs (smiles and frowns). What is important is you realise this. Not everyday, when you show up – means you do 100%. There’s so many external factors that can effect how you operate, how you do things.

Therefore, on Sunday… before the week ahead – make a list of things you want to accomplish. Things you want to achieve and things you’d like to do.

This way, you have goals, and know what you need to do. Yes, external factors might prevent you or slow you down, but if you’re focused, if you know what you want… chances of you getting it are higher.

Self-care, we speak alot about it, and it is important.

Technology can help.

I’ve said this before.

Technology is not to blame. It’s the users who are to blame.

Users should know when to stop. (I’m included in this as a user)

Or at least slow down. Or use it when required.

So take every Sunday to look after yourself.

Sunday Self Care – to prepare you for the week ahead.

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Shopping Social Media

Data is not the new oil…

Yesterday, I tweeted this…

Huge game last night. England V Germany. You’d think, cooking dinner would be the last thing on many peoples mind.

Yet – not one single takeaway or food place near me (including those I order from on a regular basis) reached out to me – with offers, suggestions etc… anything! to tempt me to order some food and not cook at home.

Yes – I could’ve been out – nevertheless, they don’t know that and maybe I would’ve wanted some food when I got home!

Anyway – the point I’m trying to make is…

The concept behind “data is the new oil” is that just like oil, raw data isn’t valuable in and of itself, but, rather, the value is created when it is gathered completely and accurately, connected to other relevant data, and done so in a timely manner.

And do you know who said this? – It was actually Clive Humby, UK Mathematician and architect of Tesco’s Clubcard, who is widely credited as the first to coin the phrase.

Tesco Clubcard – they hold so much information about you – if you shop there. And that’s how they are able to personalise the vouchers and offers they provide you.

However – when I was in Toronto a few years ago, I met with Sir Tim Berners-Lee. We were talking on the same stage. During my talk, I mentioned… Data is the new oil. After the event, we were in a room, with some photographers and other folk who had been on stage that day, and Sir Tim comes over to me.

‘Bal… it is Bal, right?… well, you said Data is the new oil… it isn’t. That’s wrong. Data is not the new oil.’

‘Woah.. .Hey Sir Tim, how is it not the new oil? – it’s so valuable… ‘

‘Oil.. once refined and used, that’s it. Data on the other hand, can be used multiple times, re-used and sold many times – and there is still value left within it’.

‘Wow… didn’t think of it like that Sir Tim.’

Anyway, Sir Tim and I chatted for a few minutes, gave me his business card and then was ushered away and so was I (to a dinner I think…)

But the point is… there is sooooo much data out there, and more and more people (customers) are willing to share it. It’s second nature in most cases. And if you’re a business – there’s so much you can do with that data.

You can do the basics, have a Customer Relationship Management system, that helps you build and grow the relationship with your customers. If that’s to complex, then just have a basic spreadsheet with customer information – that you can use to contact, call or just offer them a discounted pizza! (I do have to mention – when it comes to data, please ensure you are familiar with GDPR).

You can find out so much about your customers via social media – they’ll be sharing their favourite food, drinks, locations, etc… you can figure out so much!

Now, most big corps know how much value data has. There are ‘data scientists’ that help to break down the data into meaningful information that then can be used. There’s ‘Chief Data Officers’ – with the remit to have a team that solely looks at data and insights – again, using the value to drive business decisions and returning the biggest bang for your buck!

Whilst most small to medium companies probably can’t afford these luxuries, there are small steps that can be taken. Basic ones. Simple ones. Going back to Tesco Clubcard – can you have a loyalty scheme? – A very easy way to gather data. Connect, link and see your customers profiles on social media. Share stories of them enjoying your product or service – and see who’s liking that post, who’s sharing it – are they potential customers? – A lot of this is automated – you don’t actually have to manually do it!

So back to last night – Great win for England… and now they’ve progressed to the next stage, to play Ukraine in Rome, let’s see which local businesses use their data to engage with their football loving customers!

Categories
Social Media

Take a break, Have a…

I tweeted this morning. I’ve been spending alot of time recently on video conference calls.

Yesterday, I was on my first one at 8am… then several others throughout the day, in between doing emails, etc… and then one in the evening and wrapped up around 8:30pm. Then again, this morning – back on it again… 8am start… it’s got me thinking, there’s got to be a correlation between screen time and staying indoors/pandemic.

It’s natural – the more we are at home, the more we’ll be on our devices and therefore, more ‘screen time’. But what can we do?

Honestly – take a break.

Put the device down.

Walk away.

Look out of the window.

Read a book

Get some paint and decorate.

Obviously, if you’re working from home – then make sure you schedule in plenty of breaks. Take time out of your diary to go and do something else and move away from the screen. It’s not good for the eyes. It’s not good for your mind. It’s not good for your health.

We can limit ourselves – on our devices!

I know a few people on Twitter that could do with this! LOL!

Honestly, devices have built in screen time calculators – shows you which app, how long, etc… you’ve been spending on your phone/device. But action is needed.

Pick the phone up and talk to someone, rather than text/message.

And remember – if you are suffering from body or mental health, please reach out to someone.

Categories
Shopping Social Media

From delivering Pizza’s to $1.3bn

You must have heard in the press recently, how the Birmingham based business that started in 2012 has recently been valued at $1.3bn!

Ben Francis (who started the business) was studying during the day, and working for Pizza Hut during the evening delivering pizza’s… found that there was no gym apparel that suited him (or he liked!)

Ben Francis.

So… what does someone in that position do? – That’s right… start to make some! And that’s exactly what Ben started to do.

And the success has been phenomenal.

Why?

Because of a few principles…

Stay Humble. This is on their offices. And the hashtag on Insta has their fans sharing selfies and other photos. Steve Hewitt, Gymshark’s CEO, advised that, “It takes zero talent to work hard and zero talent to stay humble; if you get those things right you will always do well in your journey.”

Focus on the customer. They have a clear audience… 18-25 and those who like fashion, music and obviously, those who go to the gym. They say, “Utilise the best technology to create exceptional customer touchpoints, via your website and in-person. If you do mess up, own the mistake, respond in an exceptional way and carry on.”

Visionary. Part of Gymshark’s mission statement reads: “In everything we do, be true to our own vision and respectful of others. We are here to bring ideas to life. There is no idea too big, or too small… We are not future-proof. We are the future.”

The Dream Team. No, not that programme from the 90’s. Build the dream team. The brand’s HQ houses 500 team members and aims to “create a culture where every morning feels like Christmas morning” according to Hewitt. 

There’s a few more, but these were the key ones for me. So… follow your passion, enjoy the ride…. and delight your customers.

Categories
Social Media

Be kind…

I’m always talking about how great Social Media is… how it’s fab to connect with people and build communities. How good it is to share stories, and the ability to join groups of folk who have similar interests.

There is also a ‘dark’ side. There’s some individuals who sit behind a computer or phone, and think it’s fine to criticize, to say ‘not nice’ things and continue to poke fun, ridicule and harass people.

My advise is – block them. Stay away from them. And don’t let the negativity get to you. Easier said than done. But have a network that can support you. And if you are experiencing such comments, make sure you highlight it, make sure you report it and make sure you stay away from them.

We often don’t know what people are going through.

On the weekend, Caroline Flack, 40, took her own life. She was a presenter, actor, dancer and much more. Unfortunately, a series of events took place recently in her life… put her in a ‘dark’ place.

Image result for flack
Caroline Flack

Media didn’t help. Social Media didn’t help.

I can’t tell you what to do… what I can say is, please be kind to everyone because you don’t know where they are mentally.

Build communities. Build friendships.

Collaborate on ideas. Speak on the same topics of interest.

I know most people who read my blogs are educated enough to use social media in the right essence and how it gives the best results.

Please take care of yourself – and those around you. Be Kind.