Posts Tagged ‘social networking’

On the whole I like Twitter. I got my most recent tech PR job using it, I’ve met some cool and interesting people on it and I find it useful on a daily basis. However, its not without its frustrations and two of my main ones have been captured perfectly elsewhere today.

Bobbie Johnson writes in The Guardian about how social media experts overinflate the importance of things discussed on Twitter and other social networks, citing the discussion of Christian Bale’s rant yesterday.

“Nobody talks about people down the pub laughing about Bale’s expletive-laden bullying as a “social drinking sensation”. Whether they do it online or offline, down the pub or on Facebook doesn’t matter. “Social media” is mainstream - we don’t need to claim any more victories for it.”

And Sally Whittle has written a great blog about the weird/sycophantic/creepy habit people have of ‘chatting’ with celebs on Twitter.

“Isn’t there something a bit, well, creepy about an otherwise sensible adult sending little “ho, ho we have so much in common” gags to TV presenters?  And isn’t it just the modern equivalent of joining a fan club?”

So, no styling oneself as a social media expert, or muppet as Kat Hannaford puts it, and no claiming social media has saved/changed the world. For the PR, social media is just one channel to understand and use and there is really no need for self-annointed experts.

And enough of the celeb-sycophancy! Although by writing two celeb-based blogs in consecutive days I realise I am in danger of coming across as obsessed myself…

Is Bebo the Pascal Chimbonda of social networking?

Writing as a fan of the once-mighty Tottenham Hotspur, I am delighted to see that there seems to be an organisation with a more confused and misguided buying/selling policy. After acquiring Bebo for a hefty $840m last year, it would appear that AOL is ready to sell it already, according to the ever reliable TechCrunch.

If this is indeed true, does it mean that the bottom has fallen out of the social networking market already, or that AOL paid way over the odds for Bebo at the time? I’d say a little of both. AOL were probably swept along by Facebook-inspired desperation to get their hands on a social networking site and Bebo simply hasn’t delivered the ROI that AOL was expecting. It is still hugely popular with the kidz (so I am told) but advertisers just aren’t seeing the return, so in tough economic times, are looking elsewhere.

Its embarrassing being a Spurs fan right now, so can’t help but feel a cheeky lolz at this news :)