Social Media

Virtual Tour of London

Very much enjoyed my second visit to the Social Media cafe at the ICA this morning - and among others met Henry, a photographer with a difference, who can take you on a 360% tour of any room or site.

By Hugh | Also posted in Blog Home | Comments (0)

Twitter killed the blog star?

Wired Magazine has certainly got the bloggers linking to its site with its provocative article Blogging is Dead.

The general line is that micro-blogging sites like Twitter make blogging look oh so 2004.

Well, Wired has a point. I’ve noted here before that bloggers blog less often now that they are twittering away with tweets like “I’m on the train to Stoke-On-Trent”.

But actually,  I now think that’s good for blogging. It used to be a common complaint that people blogged about trivia. Now when people have nothing to say, they put it up on Twitter or they update their Facebook status. When they think and want to write, they blog.

Oh this Twitter thing does make me feel a bit old though ! I was slow to get onto it, and am still more happy blogging. I think there are plenty of others out there like me. Blogging is more or less acceptable now. Almost respectable. You aren’t an anorak anymore because you blog. But I do think you have are likely to be young if you are on facebook, or a techie if you are on twitter, or suit if you are on Linkedin.

That’s not to say that micro-blogging hasn’t taken over some of the functions of a blog. Facebook and Twitter are the places now to follow what your network is doing, and to let people know what you are up to. Blogs are more integrated into websites nowadays. They are the easy-to-update bit. They are the freshest news - they are your bit-by-bit build up of content into an online resource. They are the place where people can comment and get back to you - including people outside your immediate network.

Anyway, glad to hear that blogging is alive and kicking in Manchester.

By Hugh | Also posted in Blogosphere | Comments (0)

Book Covers from Flickr

I was at the Nehru Centre in London last night to listen to our website client Edna Fernandes talking about her new book, The Jews of Kerala.

Loads of people are writing and blogging about Edna’s books on the web by the way - and with her regular speaking appearances she’s in a great position to build up her online community. In fact I think most authors have this opportunity - but many of them don’t quite understand the online / blogging factor yet, and the power of networking with readers and reviewers. In fact, I think the book publishing world has been immensely fearful of online, and slow to cotton on to it, despite Amazon’s blazing trail.

However, chatting to the MD of Edna’s publisher afterwards, I received encouragement that all is not lost. Apparently the designer for the paperback edition of her book has found a cover photograph on Flickr, and has of course been in touch with the photographer to pay him for use. That’s a great sign of the publishing world starting to get social media. He also said that the Internet has spurned a cluster of small independent publishers, because it’s made it so much more easier and cheaper for them to put the word out to distributors and bookshops when they have a new book.

Of course Storynory is on the lookout for a Children’s publisher that really understands the online opportunity that we have created. There has to be one out there !

By Hugh | Also posted in Blog Home | Comments (0)

Social Media Works…

I often hear something like “I would never go on Facebook” from my friends. For the more conservative types, Linkedin is just about the limit of their experimentation, because it looks professional (and is very boring). Here’s a couple of examples of where the sort of social media that you are not supposed to do at work as been working for me.

Example 1 - Flickr

Sophie Green Illustration for StorynoryFor a long time I’ve been looking for an illustrator to work with us on Storynory. I’ve asked a few people if they knew of anyone, looked at a few portfolios on the web, even emailed one or two - but never really found anyone whose work that I really liked.

Then Sophie became a contact of Storynory’s flickr page. So I took a look at Sophie’s page on Flickr, and then her website, and realised that she’s a talented artist who wanted to do some children’s illustrations. I got the hint. And so I asked her to do some illustrations for us. And then, as she’s a graphic designer, she started to do some of that - - see the new banner and colour scheme of this blog. And soon we are working together on Blog Relations. She’s in Liverpool, I’m in London. We’ve never done anything so old fashioned as to meet or talk on the telephone. It doesn’t seem necessary.

Example 2 Facebook

Facebook has been great for me for catching up with old friends scattered around the world in places like Iraq (working for UN) and Israel (working for Reuters). But recently I found a very old friend nearer to home. I was looking at the corner of Facebook dedicated to my old prep school, and left a comment there. Soon I was in touch with Jeremy, somebody I haven’t seen since (I hate to admit this) the 1970s. We met up at the Royal Festival Hall’s bar near Waterloo. Jeremy, who always was better at maths than me, worked out that it had been 32 years since we had last seen each other. Neither of us had changed a bit of course. And what’s more, it looks like we might be working together on an interesting web project of his.

So next time somebody says “I would never put my mug on Facebook” I’m going some things to say back to them. Facebook etc is not only about socialising (see BBC Bosses should Embrace Facebook). I’m both finding work for myself, and giving work to others via social media. In fact, work and social life always were connected (the golf course, the Lloyds Coffee shop). I’m so enthused, I’ve even signed up for Twitter. See you there !

P.S Linkedin has never worked for me, because it’s so stiff and formal and false. Everyone is in it to show how successful they are - not really to meet up and chat, and see where it goes.

By Hugh | Also posted in Blog Home | Comments (2)