Tag: social media

Elon’s Twitter

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date April 26, 2022

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.

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 (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?

Tags Elon, social media, Tech news, twitter

Tech Tuesday

Tech Tuesday!

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date February 16, 2021

We are all aware of the main social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…. the younger ones amongst us… Tik Tok, Snapchat, etc… Let’s be honest, there’s a fair few. But there’s one that’s taking the world by storm!

Clubhouse.

So imagine, in the real world, you’re at a conference. It’s a conference that has several rooms, several speakers. You look at the agenda, and highlight what interests you. You then go to the room, sit in the room and listen to the speaker(s). When you want to leave, you leave quietly, and you can join another room – where they may be talking about another interest of yours – and you sit there and listen to the speakers.

Now… Clubhouse, has all this… on an app. You can connect and follow people who you think are interesting, and when they start a room – you’ll be notified. And off course, people can follow you!

You can even create your own room! Have people join. Talk about what you want! You can make it private or keep it open for others to join.

I’ve been using it for a while. And I have to admit. I love it. I think it’s great. I’ve had my own room (where a few of us talked about football – in particular Nottingham Forest). I’ve joined lots of rooms, and listened – and like most things, some were good, some… not so.

On iOS only for the moment – but i’m sure they’ll be bringing it out on Android soon. Oh.. and you need to be invited. That’s right – it’s invite only… But when you sign up and wait – if people on the platform know you, then they can ‘let you in’. In addition, you get two invites to invite your friends!

Why is clubhouse so important?

It’s all audio! – so you can carry on with your normal tasks, plug in your headphones – and off you go. The rise of podcasts has shown that more and more people are wanting to listen.
Clubhouse says they do not record and store. So the room you create, the room you talk in… none of that conversation is stored so you can listen to it later. It’s all ‘real-time’. Like a real conference, where you’d listen to a person live… it’s exactly like that.

There are some watch outs though… whilst Clubhouse say they don’t record anything, some security folk found that they they will capture some of your personal data and information. So like all social media platforms, enjoy… (but be conscious of who’s watching.. or in this case, listening!)

Tags clubhouse, social media, tech, Tech Tuesday

Tech Tuesday

Tech Tuesday!

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date February 9, 2021

So recently, on my Instagram – I shared how I was annoyed about a post that AutoTrader had put up from their Twitter Acount.

AutoTrader – the UK’s largest automotive marketplace. I bought my recent car via AutoTrader! It used to sell it in paper form.. then with the introduction of the internet, it moved online… (app is available via App Store etc…), and promotes itself via social media.

62,000 followers on Twitter (Joined January 2009).

57,000 followers on Instagram (with over 2,211 posts).

359,000 followers on Facebook.

On the social media channels – they review cars, provide advice, etc..

So Bal, what’s your problem with them?

Well… they posted the below on Twitter…

Whilst I love the idea of a poll and seeing which car is better…. my annoyance was around the way to respond.

Firstly… I see the heart. So if I’m an Audi fan, then fine – I click the heart. BUT… if I’m a BMW fan… where’s the thumbs up? – do this mean I have to go into the comments and do a thumbs up? So… all of a sudden, I need to interact with the post, I need to comment, I need to make my vote count… IF I’m a BMW fan.

Facebook is the social media platform that has a ‘thumb’ for liking an image.

Now… this was shared by AutoTrader… but via a platform called Socialbakers. Basically, you can schedule posts and articles – and then platforms such as Socialbakers will publish them out at times when activity is at it’s peak…. allowing more people to view and engage.

It comes down to user experience.

In this day and age – when I can, click twice in amazon and have an item sent to my house, the experience for engagement should be quick, easy and simple!

So, whatever you do… wherever you do it… just think of who’s going to interact with it. Who’s going to do something with it! It’s the value someone will get out of it. There’s so much competition for eyes to be on your post – let’s be honest, firstly, there’s so many social media platforms. Then there’s so many posts… information, etc… how can you cut above everyone and have eyes on your post? – I won’t go into making good content… but key thing is ensuring it’s simple to read, simple to engage with… and simple to react to!

Tags Facebook, insta, social media, Tech Tuesday, twitter, UX

Social Media

Be kind…

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date February 17, 2020

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.

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.

Tags be kind, caroline flack, social media

Uncategorized

Politicians and Twitter…

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date October 16, 2019

If you’re on Twitter – which I hope you are, you’re probably following a number of celebs, VIP’s and politicians.

I am. I follow a few – but then, there’s times when I get confused – because of their tweets, and think, is it really them or is it a parody account (of which many exist!)

The above is from the ‘real’ but you could easily think it was a parody!

It’s worrying times. Twitter lets you go crazy – well, kind of. Depends on who you are. But times are changing. They’ve come out saying that Politicians aren’t above the rules.

Yesterday, Twitter put out a blog post in an attempt to clarify that world leaders, like President Donald Trump, are not above its rules — at least not “entirely.”

In Tuesday’s blog post, Twitter said that “Presently, direct interactions with fellow public figures, comments on political issues of the day, or foreign policy saber-rattling on economic or military issues are generally not in violation of the Twitter Rules.”

If a tweet does break the platform rules, Twitter can remove it. If it thinks it’s of public interest, the company can block it out with a grey box that users have to click through in order to see the content.

Will this really help? – I’m not so sure… but it’s a step in the right direction. Everyone should be treated equally, and if you’re promoting a particular bad thing – then you should be treated with the same rules as if you were head of a state/country or just the average Joe. Some would argue, you should be treated more harsher because of the impact you could have depending on the number of followers you have.

Social Media as a whole – is a huge platform for people to easily get their message across. The message could be of hate, however – the platform has to carry out it’s due diligence and make sure that it’s not breaking rules. And that’s where the likes of Twitter are coming from.

Tags social media, twitter

Uncategorized

Finsta…

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date September 30, 2019

You know I’m a big fan of social media – you can catch me on Twitter (@balbansal)… and you can catch me on Instagram (@mrbalbansal).

Now… I’ll be honest, what you see is what you get on Instagram. That is my life – the food, the football.. the fun. However, it’s not like that for everyone. There’s many people out there that want one profile for Instagram – so the world can see, and then another which is more…. real life. Therefore, let me introduce you to, Finsta.

Bal, is this a new app?

Nope – it’s still Instagram. But let me explain it to you –

A finsta is a secondary, usually private, Instagram account where users are more lax in deciding what they post. It’s a private space that might be more personally authentic and is shared with close friends. This is a contrast to someone’s main account, which might have more heavily curated content.

Content is King. We know the content brings the likes, the users, the audience. And it’s that content then may help a business, an individual, an organization grow – and gain more followers.

But what we’re realising is – there’s many people who want to be connected to their close friends and family and just be honest…

So… by opening a second account – having it private, you can accept invites from those whom you’re close to.

For example…

Everyone wants to look good on Social Media. Everyone wants a good reputation and we know the advantages and gains you can have from large following on Instagram (and other social media platforms).

Not saying this is something you should be doing – but just be aware… and it’s one for educating people… everything you see on Instagram, isn’t always what it seems.

Tags fans, finsta, insta, instagram, likes, personal, social media

Uncategorized

Media… Social Media!

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date May 29, 2019

Another blog post about Social Media, Bal? – I’m using the tools, I post… I share… and I wait for likes.

Whilst that is great – you should be doing more on Social Media. Just having the tool is one thing – using it effectively is another.

Yes – I know, there’s a lot of tools out there. I know that it can be time consuming and that there’s so much information being generated and shared – however, you have to a) keep consistent and b) have a goal!

There’ll be a reason for you to use social media – to make some noise and let people know about who you are and what you do. You’re probably trying to sell something – and Instagram being soooooooo huge, is the perfect platform for you.

What tools you use – is up to you. Facebook is the biggest in the world. Followed by some of the other popular one such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc…

Just posting an update or sharing an image isn’t enough these days. Because everyone is doing that.

It comes down to collaboration.

How many posts and photo’s do you comment – engage – build a conversation on? How many times have you shared some of your knowledge on someone else’s media platform?

It works both ways. The more you actively share and collaborate – the more others will with you! And that’s where the value is.

Your reach will increase – and you’ll gather more followers and customers.

The other point was having a goal. What do you want your audience to know or do? When they land on your page – is it clear what you are about and what the ask is. Is there an ask?!

Having these clear simple steps will take your social media game up a notch and for you to really leverage the power of social media and build on what you’ve started….

Side note – apologies for the lateness of my podcast! – All will be explained when Kat and I get a chance to record the next one… which I’m hoping won’t be too long.

Tags collaboration, social media, Strategy

Uncategorized

Everyone starts with zero

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date May 9, 2019

Saw a great quote from Gary Vaynerchuk the other day –

Now, if you don’t know Gary – I suggest you go and google him, watch some of his videos, check him out on social media. He’s a great guy – and he’s sharing some brilliant and very simple advice!

In fact, this is one of my favourite videos… (taken from his fan page!)

https://youtu.be/LxcH0YaUePM

Now… there’s various folk whom I talk to, and they’ve either started their journey (this could be anything) or have always thought about it but never got going.

In this blog post- I’m going to focus on social media for a moment.

We all know the dividends that social media pays. It’s HUGE!!!!

If you, your business, your organisation – is not on social media, you’re missing out BIG TIME!

On top of that – you might be on it, but not using it effectively. Post now and again…. and then wonder, why you are not getting followers, why you are not getting engagement, why you are not growing!

It’s not all about you.

It’s all about others. The more you engage with others, the more others will engage with you!

Have a clear focus also. What is it you are using social media for?

Is it to gain more followers?

Is it to gain a following which you can interact with and therefore translate into profits?

Is it to increase awareness of your brand?

Like any good strategy, work out your Goals and Objectives and work accordingly.

I’ve been helping a number of folk out recently – and most recently, I took over the twitter account for a local charity.

We went from zero to 65 followers in a few weeks. The objective is to increase awareness and have more volunteers. This all links with the overall marketing strategy of the charity. More volunteers means more help which means more hands which results in more getting done in the same time (time is a variable that can’t be changed!)

And lastly… if you do want to learn more – I’ll be interviewing The Coopers, who’ll share a few secrets about their Instagram page!

They went from a couple of hundred followers to over 4,700 followers in a short space of time! All genuine followers – so what’s the secret?! – well… you can find out soon…. (by the way, if you can’t wait for my blog post with The Coopers, go follow them on Instagram – search for Coopers New Build)

Tags Followers, following, marketing, People, social media, Strategy

Children Technology

Has Tech made you a better parent?

Post author By Bal Bansal
Post date January 22, 2019

I’m a father. And the other day, I was asked by the BBC about parenting – how I differ from my father… and from my perspective with a ‘technology’ lens made me think about it.

I would say – I am different. Same values, enhanced parenting.

Why, do you say that Bal?

Well… firstly, we have Social Media. Good and bad – however, I’ll take the positives and one of them is that, there’s some excellent advice for parents.

Yes – there’s a lot of content out there – but you can join various parenting groups… I’m sure other friends out there have similar challenges as you – and you can learn from each other. It’s easier. It’s quicker.

There’s also the messaging platforms. Take Whatsapp for example. I’m part of a few ‘dad’ groups. One of them is excellent – great advice, some funny jokes – but overall… we’re in the same boat. There’s a fitness guy, sharing great advice to get rid of the ‘dad belly’, there’s a ‘history’ dad, that shares some great insights and history to what’s happened previously… so you get the picture… various dad’s, lots of different professions – sharing lots of great insights and advice.

Back to the question… we’re busy these days. Travelling. Meetings. People… and often can be difficult to be with your children in the evening. Technology has helped again. Skype and FaceTime. Talking to the kids in the evening face to face for the time your away can be so valuable to the children.

So my values are just like my dad. But technology has helped me carry them on in this modern day we live in.

Obviously… technology helps everyone. Every father (and mother!). Even if you differ from your father – I’m hoping you’re using technology to be a better father to your children. To be able to listen to them. To talk to them. To teach them. To advise them. The educate them. To empower them to make wise decisions. To let them be…. anything they want. As long as they are happy.

Tags father, parents, social media, tech

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