Facebook and Twitter… and Adidas?

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fyeahstrangefinds: (Source)

New Zealand: 1 Australia: 0

I’m off to Queenstown for the weekend… says the Aussie. See you on the other side!

Brands, social media, dollars & sense

I came across a study today by Chadwick Martin Bailey that found that over 50% of people in the US are more likely to spend money on your brand if you’re engaged in social media. If I follow you on Twitter or I’m a fan on Facebook I’m also more likely to recommend you to a friend.

Makes sense. 

I think brands are slowly wising up to the fact that if you have a relationship with your customers through social media you’re going to get more out of them. But what I found really interesting about this study was the comments that some of the participants made about brands who don’t have a social media presence. When asked the question “What does it say about a brand if they are not involved with sites like Facebook or Twitter?” they said the following:

•  “It’s EXPECTED that a company have some digital face – whether it’s on FB or Twitter I don’t know – but they need a strong electronic presence or you doubt their relevance in today’s marketplace.” Female 50-54
•  “Either they are not interested in the demographic that frequents Facebook and Twitter or they are unaware of the opportunity to get more exposure in a more interactive method.” Male 35-39
•  “It shows they are not really with it or in tune with the new ways to communicate with customers.” Female 18-24.
•  “If they’re not on Facebook or Twitter, then they aren’t in touch with the “electronic” people.”  Female 55-59

Are you getting in touch with the “electronic people”?

How much is too much?

Dear reader

It is here that I give you the opportunity to stop reading now if you’d prefer not to hear me ranting and raving like a crazy woman. This is a story about my love/hate relationship with Twitter. And it is here that I give you my solemn swear to never commit any of the heinous crimes I am about to write about.

The little blue bird has been good to me over the years. It has broken such stories as: the Hudson River plane crash and Michael Jackson’s death. It has connected me with some truly intelligent and inspirational writers, artists, marketing and social media professionals. I am even fortunate enough to say I’ve met people through Twitter that I now call friends. 

Are you still reading? Because this is where my love affair ends.

In amongst all the Twitter gems not a single day goes by where I don’t cringe at one of my ‘friends’ who just shares too much. And it is here that I would like to put on record that:

• I will never, ever announce to my 433 followers (at the time of writing. Probably less after some of you read this!) that I have PMS.
• I will never, ever announce to my 433 followers that I am having cuddles on the couch with my lover.
• I will never, ever announce to my 433 followers that my douche bag of a boyfriend has broken my heart by doing douche-baggery things.
• etc etc

Why? Because it’s personal and it’s private.

When did we stop being modest? When did we start being so self indulgent? When did we start thinking that it’s ok to tell perfect strangers that we’re finalising the details of a messy divorce from the person we’ve been married to for 17 years?

I know this is completely hypocritical. I’m sure there are plenty of you out there that don’t care when I check into @giapo or couldn’t give a toot about my apparent contempt for umbrellas. But this is something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time and I’m just not sure that I’ll ever be able to reconcile my feelings for the fact that everything that was once private is now on show for the whole world to see.

And because I’m a hypocrite, I’m probably going to tweet about this post to all 433 of you… because after all, I’m sure someone out there cares about my bitter and twisted lonely state of affairs.

Regards and *sigh*

B xx