Tag Archive for 'Web 2.0'

Gathering Twitter Intelligence With TipTop

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 22, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Web 2.0 Search
. 1 Comment

Searching social networks has afforded online researchers to get a pulse of what individuals are doing and thinking.   An application such as Twitter allow individuals to share their thoughts / opinions, (good or bad) with followers and users of the web for research purposes.

One challenge that presents itself when using Twitter Search is the tool’s inability to sort the “good tweets” from the “bad tweets” when it comes to a product. service or a region for economic development purposes.

The search tool, TipTop, attempts to solve this problem.

TipTop takes results for a keyword search on Twitter and displays them into the following three categories:

  • Tip tweets (Highlighted in green) - “good tweets”
  • piT tweets (Highlighted in red) - “bad tweets”
  • Other tweets (Highlighted in blue) - “neutral tweets”

Figure 1 presents the results for a Twitter search for “Google Buzz”.

Figure 1: Results Sorted by TipTop For Keyword Search, “Google Buzz”

On the right hand side of the results, TipTop supplies a sentiment trend chart (More Tips) comparing the three types of results.  The chart can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Sentiment Trends Chart

Although not perfect, TipTop may save individuals time when going through the countless amount of tweets that are sent on a daily basis.

TipTop is available at www.feeltiptop.com

Engaging Fans On Your Facebook Page For Economic Development

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 17, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 2 Comments

You have finally dipped your big toe in the large body of water called, “Web 2.0″ for economic development, what do you do now in terms of engaging with individuals who are “following” you or fans?  According to Sysomos, only 77% of Facebook Fan Pages have under 1,000 fans.

If you have selected to utilize a Facebook Fan Page as a part of your economic development 2.0 strategy, here are a few tips to follow to increase the activity on the the page’s wall and discussion board.

1 - Build Your Audience

This tip may seem elementary however; building an audience is often taken for granted.  Economic development agencies begin their adventures on Web 2.0 by just creating a fan page and expect to be found in the sea of results for the query, “economic development” and prompting users to become fans.  Practical approaches to build an audience include:

  • Word of mouth promotion when meeting with stakeholders
  • Posting a link on the agency’s website where it can be highly visible
  • Placing a link in the signature of staff members’ email
  • Putting a brief note about the page in any online or offline publications

It is important to note that you should attempt to convince individuals to become “A Fan” for reason.  Individuals will decide to join based on a specific need such as keeping informed on the economic development initiatives in your region.

2 - Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience (fans) is vital.  This type of intelligence will influence the type of content that will be posted on the Facebook Fan Page.  By taking a look at who has become fans, you should be able to know  what percentage of the audience are:

  • Citizens of the region
  • Economic development professionals (elsewhere)
  • Site selectors / potential investors
  • Generic fan followers (Individuals that do not fit into the first three categories.)

A quick look at the fan’s profile could provide you with enough information to place the individual into one of the four groups listed above.

3 - Post Relevant and Timely Content

After assessing your fan base, you should be able to tailor your post for your wall or discussion board.  In the situation where your audience is comprised of economic development professionals, you may want to consider posting a link to an article regarding a particular issue dealing with a incentive program.  Making the program the subject of discussion will encourage professionals to share expertise on the topic.

Figure 1 seen below is an example of a posting of good economic news in the Chaleur region and a response of one of its Facebook Fans.


Figure 1: Link Posting On Chaleur Region Facebook Fan Page With Fan’s Comment

4 - Comment

At times, it is best to encourage a dialog amongst fans by simply being the first to comment on what you have posted.  You may post a comment summarizing the article for those who do not have the time to read it or just make a remark to spark a debate that will turn into a fruitful exchange of ideas.  Posting questions is a great way to begin to engage fans.

5 - Evaluate What You Have Done

The practice of engaging fans on Facebook is not completed as you click on the “POST” button.  It requires reviewing and evaluating what has been done and could be done to enhance the page for the fans.  Some elements of the page may include:

  • Adding applications to facilitate fan interaction
  • Including tabs for easier navigation on the page
  • Provide a news feed with relevant articles that could be the basis of a discussion

The post provided a brief list of suggestions of how to engage your audience on your Facebook Fan Page for economic development.  For more tips, read:

Are you thinking about building your economic development 2.0 strategy? Attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications” to learn about the key elements for a successful strategy.

Monitoring Social Networks For Economic Development

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 11, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Economic Development and Web 2.0 Search
. 4 Comments

As of January 8th, 2010, results for the keyword search, “economic development” on Facebook yielded 396 hits for fan pages. These pages are not only built for promotional purposes but to share information with the city’s or region’s stakeholders.   As a result, the pages become as a public source of information in which competitive intelligence data can be gathered for economic development purposes.

Search Results For “Economic Development” On Facebook For Fan Pages

With the use of Google, some think that there is no need to monitor content on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.  An argument can be made that tracking information via these platforms may contribute to a region’s economic development strategy by providing strategic intelligence.

How you may ask? Consider the following:

  • Facebook Fan Pages serve as a compliment to websites and hence provides information on a frequent basis.   The pages are easier to update than websites and enables agencies to maintain the resource within a matter clicks.
  • Twitter pages can be used as a tool to push relevant information to interested individuals.  Information such as local or regional news, analysis reports or details on financial assistance programs can be available.

The motivation to “Become a Fan” or “Follow” is simple to understand from competitive intelligence point of view.  Individuals with accounts for both social networks can have a steady stream of information on regions and/or cities that are competing for investment dollars from around the globe.

Strategic intelligence for economic development purposes that can be gleaned on Web 2.0 can be in the form of:

  • Success stories in the region
  • List of key sectors / companies in the region / cities
  • Successful incentive programs
  • Regions’ value propositions

To learn more about monitoring social networks for economic development, attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

Best of Tools For Thought 2009 - Economic Development 2.0

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 23, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

In 2009, we examined the use of social networks for economic development initiatives.  Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twtter and YouTube serve as efficient vehicules to market a region without spending a huge amount of money.  The following post highlights the best practices in economic development 2.0 and related fields.

YouTube: Nova Scotia On The Map For Investment Attraction

This post provided an excellent example of how a private sector organization can use a Web 2.0 application to convince potential investors that Nova Scotia, Canada as the best location for foreign direct investment.

To learn more about this initiative and view the video spotlighting the key locational factors, click here.

Web 2.0 For E-Government?

Can Twitter be used in an e-government context?  Why not. Both Tools For Thought and Des Outils et Des Hommes identified San Francisco and New York as the cities that are utilizing Twitter to compliment a government service such as an 311 information telephone hotline.

Click here to read more about this simple use of Twitter.

What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors?

YouTube has quickly become a search engine for information.  Rather than using Google, some individuals are turning to the Web 2.0 site.  Intelegia conducted a search on YouTube to see what relevant videos are available for site selectors in terms of promotional content for investment attraction.

Click here to read the results of the exercise.

Are you seeking to create or improve your economic development 2.0 strategy for investment attraction?  Register for Intelegia’s seminar, Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications

Web 2.0 & Health Information Delivery

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 16, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0
. 0 Comments

My colleague, Aicha Habiby, who blogs at Des Outils et Des Hommes, informed me on the use of social media tools to push health information to citizens.

The Public Health Agency of Canada provides health information in regards to the H1N1 flu via the following five Web 2.0 applications:

RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds allows the agency to disseminate information via users’ RSS readers.  As seen in Figure 1, there are four topics covered as of December 15th, 2009.

  • H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu)
  • Travel Health Advisories
  • Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR)
  • Chronic Diseases in Canada (CDIC)

Figure 1: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s RSS Feeds

Widgets

To help citizens access information easily, the agency has created a widget in which individuals can plug into a website, blog or a social media platform.  Figure 2 presents a look at the widget and the content that is updated in real time supply information about the H1N1 flu.

Figure 2: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s Widget For H1N1 Information

Twitter

Figure 3 illustrates the agency’s Twitter page with 1,433 followers.  Browsing the past tweets, the agency disseminates information on the H1N1 Flu.

Figure 3: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s Twitter For H1N1 Information

Facebook

The content of the agency’s Facebook Fan Page is divided amongst the following four sections:

  • Wall - The wall offers access to links to current news and information about the H1N1 flu.
  • Info - Fans have access to links to Public Health Agency of Canada and Fightflu websites in English and French.
  • Notes - The Notes section offers general information on the H1N1 flu with the ability to have fans to post comments.
  • H1N1 Information Centre - This section is the one-stop shop for H1N1 information.  The resource is divided into 10 activity modules as seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s H1N1 Information Centre on Facebook

YouTube

The agency’s YouTube Channel is composed of a series of bilingual videos regarding H1N1 Flu and on-going initiatives to keep the public health.  The video below is a short 30 second clip about the H1N1 Immunization Campaign.

Web 2.0 For E-Government?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 27, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 1 Comment

Many of the posts on Tools For Thought discuss the use of Web 2.0 applications for economic development initiatives.   Thanks to my colleague, Edouardine, I would like to provide you with an example of how a social media tool can be utilized in an e-government context.

Villes 2.0 : ces villes qui tweetent! presents the city of San Francisco’s initiative of using Twitter to compliment their customer service requests or complaints call centre.  Introduced in June 2009, SF311 had over 4,600 followers as November 20th, 2009.  Figure 1 illustrates the SF311 page.

Figure 1: SF311 Twitter Page

The city of San Francisco is not alone in terms of offering 311 services via Twitter.  In November 2008, Mayor  Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City unveiled the 311NYC Twitter page as seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2: 311NYC Twitter Page

Have you seen other practical uses of social networking tools for e-government?  If so, tell us!

The Importance Of YouTube In An Economic Development 2.0 Strategy

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 19, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

As a short follow up to the post, ‘What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors?“,  ComScore,  a source of digital marketing intelligence, saw an increase in the use of YouTube as a search engine.   In October 2009, 3.7 Billion search queries were conducted on YouTube.  This translates into an 31% increase over the past twelve months.

What does this mean for economic development professionals?

It is time to think about placing any form of promotional videos for your region on the Web 2.0 application along with the proper descriptions and tags.   Search engine optimization for YouTube will be essential as a part of an economic development 2.0 strategy.

Web 2.0 and Investment Attraction: UK Trade & Investment

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 11, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Investment Attraction, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 2 Comments

E&B DATA’s recent benchmark study, “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index” examined how well economic development agencies in large Canadian cities are utilizing social media marketing tools for investment attraction.

Just to show that cities are not the only entities that are using web 2.0 applications, countries have hopped on the bandwagon.  A perfect example is: UK & Trade Investment.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally.   The department’s website ranks amongst the best in class according to Organization for Economic Co-operation Development as stated in The World Bank’s Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2009 Summary Report (Please see page 62)

Upon visiting the website, you will be able to spot their collection of social media marketing  tools.  The site provides links to the following applications:

  • Blog - The provides insights on various aspects of trade and investment attraction activities.  UKTI uses a multi-blogger approach by having different staff members post on a regular basis.
  • Twitter - This  page acts as a vehicle to push information regarding  UKTI activities and relevant news items.
  • YouTube - This channel is an outlet to:
    • Learn about London’s success stories
    • Provide information on High Growth Markets
    • Provide country information
    • Access past speeches from Lord Davies - Minister for Trade & Investment
    • Access case studies
  • Flickr - The Flickr photostream allows individuals to view pictures from past business events involving UKTI representatives and ministers.
  • Facebook - The Facebook Fan Page is mainly composed of UKTI staff members and is used to provide updates on new posts on the other social networking platforms.
  • LinkedIn - The LinkedIn group is avenue in which UKTI can bring together trade and investment experts and businesses.  It is interesting to see that the department has created subgroup for business people interested in trade and investment between Canada and the UK.

Figure 1 illustrates the UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter page.

Figure 1: UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter Page
Please click on image to enlarge

UKTI shared their thoughts on their web 2.0 strategy in terms of their objectives and tangible benefits:

Objectives:

  • Reach new audiences: new and existing customers; consultants; the media; other government departments; colleagues
  • Spread the word about UKTI through news and insights
  • Raise awareness of events/initiatives/news
  • Support marketing pushes
  • Be more accessible/responsive/open/two-way
  • Keep track of what is being said about UKTI and have the opportunity to respond direct

Benefits

  • Opportunity to feed back, re-inform and offer further information
  • Increase attendance at events, and in turn increase take-up of UKTI services
  • Reach new audiences and be where conversations are already taking place
  • Positive (unsolicited) tweets about UKTI/services have reached a large and diverse audience (of previously untapped potential customers)
  • A major website traffic driver. Both Linkedin and Twitter are in the top 5 traffic referrers to the investment services website.
  • Drive (trade website) registration by raising awareness of how we can help. Eg, by tweeting business opportunities we are broadening reach beyond the current customer-base

Are you thinking about creating an economic development 2.0 strategy for economic development initiatives such as investment attraction for your city, province or state and/or country?    What are the main challenges that you will have to deal with?   Tell us.

Branding Reinforcement Tool or Source For Competitive Intelligence?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 5, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

It should not be a huge shock to find that some of the well known brands in the world have a Facebook Fan Page. The popular social media marketing tool allows marketing professionals to reinforce brands on the web by engaging consumers via wall postings, photos, videos and discussions. This low cost avenue of keeping a brand in the minds of consumers does have its disadvantages.

In the process of exchanging messages and sharing images via the web 2.0 application, companies must realize that a great deal of competitive intelligence data can be made available. Such data can be used by competitors to adjust offline marketing plans, create consumer profiles and modify their respective social media marketing campaigns.

Screenshot of Mitsubishi’s Facebook Fan Page
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

The challenge of finding the right balance between soliciting just enough feedback from consumers and not putting on display valuable information should be a concern for marketers and CI practitioners responsible for defensive competitive intelligence strategies.

Dealing with the challenge calls for having a practical approach to managing a Facebook page by considering the following issues:

  • Do you really need a fan page?
  • Should the page be public or private?
  • Are you aware of who is joining the fan page?
  • Are you prepared to deal with feedback provided on the page’s wall? (Positive vs Negative)
  • What topics should be discussed to engage consumers on the page?

Although it would be easy to suggest possible answers to the questions listed above, it is recommended that they should be used as discussion points in your company. Results from the discussion can be used to build a sound social media marketing campaign considering the competitive intelligence implications of the Facebook Fan Page.

New Investment Pattern In Canada For 2009

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 3, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development and Investment Attraction
. 0 Comments

Representatives of E&B DATA were on hand for this year’s Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Via data from the Investment Observatory, E&B DATA presented  its findings regarding new investment pattern in Canada for 2009.   The presentation is full of details regarding the following:

  • Status Of Major Private Industrial Projects Announced In Canada
  • Investment Trends
  • Announced Investments In Canada $ Value Per Country Of Origin
  • Investment Projects Announcements - Number By Sector
  • E&B DATA’s Green Investment Index
  • Trends Of Capital Investment Announcements - Emergence Of Green Investments
  • Green Investment Projects Canadian Regions And Sectors

Investment Projects Announcements in Canada (2000-2008)
Please click on image to enlarge

The last quarter of the presentation unveils what major Canadian cities are doing in terms of marketing themselves on the internet via Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 tools.  (To learn more, please reading E&B DATA’s benchmark study, “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index“)

To download, “New Investment Patterns In Canada” please click here