Social media is set to explode in the next 18 months and according to Jay, if you aren’t in social media now - you are socio and economically disadvantaged! This is true especially if you are trying to build brands. No matter what industry you are in, social media can help you talk directly to people and listen to what they want.

1. Leadstory
By Kristen Beattie
The Business
of Social Media
Social media is set to
I
t seems technology has crept time of print, Jay uses social
into every aspect of our media to enhance his online
lives. It competes daily for credibility as a tech guru. Twit- explode in the next 18
Jay Oatway our attention, both simplifying ter works best for him because
Social Media Consultant / Freelance Tech and complicating things. It af- his audience is tech savvy and months and according
Correspondent
fects our behaviour, our shop- the action is immediate and
jay@oatway.com
ping habits, how we share in- live. Jay also pipes tweets into to Jay, if you aren’t in
formation with others and it is LinkedIn, which is more busi-
now redefining how we do ness directory style, and takes
social media now – you
business. As social media be- advantage of the lists function
comes more widespread, busi- in Facebook to divide and sort
are socio and economi-
nesses are increasingly looking people into different reachable cally disadvantaged!
into its potential as a tool to groups.
connect with their customers This is true especially if
and promote their brands. Scott Frain’s background is in
With this in mind, we met with technology, namely as a Silicon you are trying to build
two leading tech-savvy Hong Valley venture capitalist. Scott
Kong entrepreneurs who were was around the people who brands. No matter what
both willing to share their per- started social media and knew
sonal social media journeys of its inception on technology industry you are in, so-
with us. forums, so saw its potential
early on. In fact, Scott is often cial media can help you
Embracing opportunities invited as beta tester for new
Scott Frain sites, such as Google Plus, talk directly to people
Entrepreneur and Angel Investor Jay Oatway is a social media LinkedIn, etc. Scott himself
sfrain@enterpriseglobal.com
‘guru’ and consultant who ad- was an early adopter of social and listen to what they
vises people and businesses on media. His business, CSS
the use of social media. Scott Mobi, uses the propagation of want.
Frain is an entrepreneur who social media to offer his clients
owns several tech businesses, a unique and very attractive
one of which is CSS Mobi, a marketing solution, “We create
mobile marketing company template-based mobile web-
that takes advantage of social sites for our clients who are
media to share information ef- mainly in the F&B and re-
ficiently. tail industries. We enable
our clients to offer promo-
Both Jay and Scott were early tions through these web-
adopters of social media. Jay, sites which can then be up-
started off his career as a tech dated regularly.”
journalist writing about mobile
technology. He started his So how does CSS Mobi
Twitter account in 2007 at its work exactly? You simply
inception and out of curiosity. take a photo with your phone
He then started to pursue so- of the QR code (QR=Quick
cial media professionally and Response - a matrix barcode
soon other people then began easily ‘read’ by most smart
to request that he help them phones) you see in a newspaper contains everything you need
generate the same influence. As or on a billboard, etc. This to know including location and
the most influential person in takes you to the CSS Mobile any current promotions. Social
Hong Kong on Twitter with website that has been created media links are embedded into
over 100,000 followers at the for that particular brand and the site so you can easily share
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2. Leadstory
tablish a relationship with
your customers.
• It is one of the best means of
brand exposure due to the
sheer numbers of people who
are tuned in and volume of
information that is shared.
• It’s cost effective. Traditional
advertising can be very ex-
pensive. Social media is free,
although it requires a lot of
investment in time.
• It’s speedy. News in social
media travels so fast and
spreads so quickly, especially
on Twitter. News anchors
tweet directly from war
zones, people received tweets
about the recent earthquake
this information with your cause of its immediacy, that hit the US east coast be-
friends. The vendor benefits Twitter in particular is great fore the tremors hit them and
from having its promotions at grabbing people’s atten- news of, and indeed reac-
spread further by word of tion. tions to Steve Jobs’ resigna-
mouth, all of which is measura- tion from Apple spread
ble. So Scott’s business relies on • It gives you credibility. Ac- faster on Twitter than in tra-
the power of the word of mouth cording to Jay Oatway, an ditional media.
with social media as the main online presence is essential
propagator of information. for today’s professional no • It’s fun. As Shakespeare
Today people are increasingly matter your area of expert- wrote, ‘Brevity is the soul of
using social media on their mo- ise, “It allows you to share wit’. The character limita-
bile devices in their thirst for in- news, stories and opinions of tions of Twitter require mes-
stant access, e.g. more than things happening in your sages to be short, sweet and
40% of Facebook users now log field. This will leave a trail preferably witty.
on via their phones. on Google and so anyone
searching for you or your A double edged sword
Why Bother with Social company will find it. Like it
Media? or not they will probably While both Jay and Scott sing
prefer doing business with social media’s praises, they also
It’s no doubt that technology has someone or a company who acknowledge that it is a dou-
improved our lives. These days appears to be up to date with ble-edged sword. Jay points
we can find out in an instant their industry.” out that privacy – or perceived
where someone is, rather than • It allows you to share things lack thereof is one of the disad-
wasting time tracking them with like-minded people. As vantages and what the future
down. We can also find our way Jay points out, most experi- holds regarding what is
around in a few clicks, thanks to ences like reading newspa- deemed off limits is unknown.
ubiquitous instant mapping pers, going to the theatre, What is true, he ascertains, is
technology on our smart watching TV shows, etc are that those who don’t share in
phones. Social media was born all the more meaningful the future will be conspicu-
out of this hunger for access to when we share our opinions ously absent.
instant information and propa- and reactions with others.
gated by the natural human As discussed, news in social
need for communication. So • You can gauge reactions and media travels fast and negative
why should you get involved? give instantaneous feedback. news propagates just as quickly
What are the benefits? Why Scott Frain says, “You put as positive news. Scott Frain
bother? up a billboard or poster but points out, ‘Some tools are
you can’t get feedback on good at portraying good mes-
• Social media makes the that or gauge reaction.” He sages but bad at portraying bad
world feel smaller – it allows adds that, “With social messages – it is not balanced,
you to reach out further media you also have the abil- especially in un-moderated fo-
around the globe to people ity to update quickly and to rums.’ He explains that while
with similar interests. adapt with the changes.” to a certain extent, a negative
comment is transient – it will
• It’s a good way to make • It is one of the best ways to disappear off the pages soon
people stop and listen. Be- communicate directly and es- enough, it will also spread and
15

3. Leadstory
propagate quickly. Jay also that, then you can do social pressing their own opinions
talks about the negative side of media. and are professional.’ His
social media, especially when it What the future holds… message is to start and estab-
comes to anonymity. He cites lish an online presence now –
the restaurant industry as one Social media is set to explode get onboard and embrace it
that often suffers when bad re- in the next 18 months and ac- before it’s too late. •
views are posted on anony- cording to Jay, if you aren’t in
mous-style review sites. He social media now – you are
adds that some companies are socio and economically disad- To find great offers and promo-
worried that if they engage in vantaged! This is true espe- tions on your mobile phone, go
social media that their true cor- cially if you are trying to build to m.cssmobi.com. If you are
porate culture will be revealed brands. No matter what indus-
– when in fact it is real life serv- try you are in, social media can interested in knowing more
ice encounters which set opin- help you talk directly to people about using this mobile plat-
ions. If there are problems, the and listen to what they want -
form to promote your business,
companies need to address helping to retain customers as
those problems by improving well as acquire new ones, intro- please contact enquiries@css-
business, rather than relying on duce new products, create mobi.com or call 3583 1835.
social media to do so. brand awareness and introduce
promotions and new products.
So is the answer for companies If you are interested in knowing
to shy away from exposure in Scott advises not to just jump more, Jay Oatway will be one
social media? in blindly but to do your re-
Absolutely not according to search first to find out what of the guest speakers at the up-
Jay Oatway, ‘Rather than you want to get out of it be- coming Intercham Social Media
avoiding social media, compa- cause each of the social Event: ‘Small is the New Big’.
nies need to get involved in so- media tools is different and
cial media and move away has its own features, posi- He also holds a HK social gath-
from these anonymous type tives and negatives. As far as ering every month. See
sites and onto ones which are businesses go, Jay points out
meetup.com/hksocial for details
more credible.’ that ‘the best companies are
authentic ones that are ex- of the next one.
Managing the beast
There are a variety of tools
such as Tweetdeck and Hoot-
suite which are aimed at man-
aging your social media ac-
counts and your online read-
ing. They arrange everything
into columns and lists and cat-
egories allowing for easy read-
ing and analysis. You can then
tweet the content that appeals
to you. Jay says, ‘It’s a good
idea to read the news in the
morning and when you see an
interesting idea to share it. This
is critical as it will help you cre-
ate bonds with people and ex-
pand your circle and so that
you will become someone of
influence and authority.’
While it can be argued that in
many ways technology is a
time-saver, many people new to
social media are bewildered by
yet another thing they have to
do in their already full day.
However, as Jay points out,
this is exactly what people
thought with the advent of
email – and now people have
adapted so well that many treat
email as almost real-time. So
according to Jay, if you can do
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