The Digital Lookout

Apparently, Twitter is a threat to government security! And terrorists could be using it to communicate and coordinate attacks! reports cnet.

According to the US army the social media tool and micro blogging application Twitter could be a serious threat to government security.  In a paper produced by the Federation of American Scientist entitled, “al Queda-like mobile discussions & potential creative uses”, twitter is described and reported:

“Twitter has also become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences,”

The main threat is perceived by twitters usage through mobile telephony and the ability to exchange information in real time with a selected group.  Added to this the ability to direct users to other websites, gprs services and map locations, twitter apparently provides terrorists with the perfect tool for instantaneous communication.

But are terrorists actually looking at social media tools such as twitter to organise attacks?  It seems a little far fetched to me.  Im sure terrorists are looking for any tools available to keep below the radar but Im just not convinced twitter is going to be their communication channel of choice.  The report itself quotes twitters posted relating to the Iraq war sent by individuals involved.  The powers that be obviously have the ability to track twitter posts so surely will be picking up on anything even remotely threatening to international security.  Now obviously the secret services would not be able to react to real time communications via twitter but Im sure they would be sniffing around profiles which they thought were worth keeping an eye on.

OK, so maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but it may well have contributed.  Whilst reading through the news surrounding Obama’s historical victory this morning on the BBC website I found links to both candidates own campaign websites.  So I had a quick look over the websites out of interest and to see how the different campaigners were utilising an online presence in their bid for the white house.

Both websites contain a blog (although McCains doesn’t load very well) but the striking difference on Barack Obama’s is that he has utilised social media elements to allow tagging and sharing of the website content and individual posts.  He also provides links to his various official social networking pages including facebook, linked in, myspace, twitter, flickr, youtube and many more.

This shows a candidate who is using all the modern day tools which are at his disposal to good effect and potentially shows a new approach to political campaigning which we will see come to the fore in forthcoming elections.  It might not have been the main reason he was elected, but it at least shows that the power of social media is reaching out past its usual boundaries and more into the mainstream.

If you read the digital press and Internet related news sites you will notice that the perceived future of social networking is mobile.  Both Myspace and Facebook have mobile sites which are essentially a stripped down version of the web interface.  But is this what constitutes the future of social media on the web?  Or is it something more?

At a recent seminar I attended on mobile marketing the general message portrayed by the speaker was don’t just regurgatate your website for mobile, think about people will want to use the mobile site for and provide that.  Facebook have done this to a certain degree by stripping back their main website and providing a simplified mobile interface where the most prominent feature is the profile update.  This is fine, but I cant help thinking that it doesn’t really play utilise the benefits of mobile  to make it something more.

Social networking plays into the hands of mobile phones and mobile Internet by its very nature.  Social networks are a communication tool, a tool used to connect with friends and like minded people, as are mobile phones.  But there is a huge difference to the PC based world wide web, and mobile web, and so the networks which are going to be successful need to be adapted to suit the world of mobile Internet.

Gigaom are dubious about the possibility of a social network existing purely on mobile alone quoting the example of Rabble who started as a mobile only social network and are now making strides by partnering with existing web based networks and enabling them to go mobile.

Information Week are a little more confident stating mobile social networks as an untapped market ripe for the picking.  they do however raise questions about the most appropriate monetisation model as standard advertising models don’t really suit.

So why should it work?  Here are some of the main arguments why mobile social networking should work:

Communication tools: as mentioned above, both elements are communication tools, so combined they should compliment each other.

Simplicity: the mobile web is tough to get right, but the simplicity of some key elements of social networking can bypass this if done correctly.  For example Facebook status updates are regularly done via mobile and twitter is also a big player in mobile social.

Growth in Mobile Internet:mobile Internet usage is growing as charges come down and handsets advance.  This makes the potential for those that can get it right even greater.

Reach of Mobile: I don’t know anyone who doesn’t own a mobile, that means everyone is a potential user!

And now for the converse; what are the barriers to it being the next big thing?:

Mobile Internet Usage: although growing, this still isn’t great.  For years now mobile Internet and more specifically mobile advertising has been the "next big thing" but but has never really materialised.

Handset Limitations: Linked to the need for simplicity, lets face it, viewing web pages on a handset just isn’t that good.  navigation is difficult and page load is slow, so anything that is going to take off, is going to have to be simple and compatible.

Revenue models:  Mobile advertising to date, doesn’t really work, so CPM based revenue models are out.  Subscription models could work, but you would need ot give people a pretty good reason to sign up.  Without the two obvious options it is going to take some out of the box thinking to monetise any network which does break down the initial barriers.

I’m sure there are more why’s and why not’s which I could come up with given more time.  Do I think mobile social networking is the next big thing…maybe.  I can see it working, but not in its current form, and as for it working as a stand alone network with no web presence, I’m even less sure about that.  Ill have to give it more thought before writing the business plan to take over the mobile social networking world ; )

I was alerted to a great resource today for examples of social media done well.  If you are anything like me you have spent a lot of time speaking to clients about how they can utilise social media, sometimes coming up with gems, and sometimes hitting a blank.  I have long held the opinion that social media isn’t for everyone but Peter Kim has come up with a great list for companies who have used it, and used it well.

This is a great resource for coming up with ideas for how social media and social networking can be used in different markets.  An once you get past all the Facebook pages and groups there are actually some good ideas in here as well!

Interestingly the YouTube wii fit video “Why every guy should buy their girlfriend Wii Fit” is on the list under Nintendo suggesting that maybe it was viral which was produced by the gaming giant and not as innocent as they claimed.

List of Social Marketing Examples

Cosmopolitan has commissioned a survey and asked social psychologist Dr Asi Sharabi to interpret a selection of Facebook profile pictures and tell us what common profile picture themes tell us about the person in question.  And here are the results:

POUTING: Presenting such a provocative, sensual symbol indicates someone who wishes to be acknowledged in a sexual way – seeking intimacy or a partner. It could also indicate being a very tactile person

WITH AN ANIMAL: A person who displays themselves as capable of caring and nurturing, indicating need of an outlet for these tendencies and a broody nature.

DANCING: To display yourself on display, so to speak, is the ultimate invitation to be watched. Those who show themselves dancing are likely to be strongly extrovert. Additionally, in Western Culture, dancing has strong connotations toward leisure and freedom, denoting a hedonistic, pleasure-seeking streak.

WITH A BOYFRIEND: A popular picture type with serial monogamists, and signifies searching for a deeper or more committed relationship.

WITH A GUY (NOT BOYFRIEND): As well as a simple flirtatious contact, a picture with a potentially ambiguous meaning shows a love of creating stories, and playing games with the social fabric. In short, one who thrives on gossip.

DOING AN ACTIVITY: This is someone who identifies with their abilities and experiences rather than emotions or relationships. It may also indicate an unwillingness to commit or settle down.

ON HOLIDAY: Those who identify themselves with a carefree holiday may have a tendency to over-stress in their everyday lives. This could also indicate escapist fantasies or a dreamer disposition.

LOOKING AWAY FROM CAMERA: An unwillingness to be caught and posed in the conventional way is indicative of someone headstrong and confident in their approach to life.

NIGHT OUT/FANCY DRESS: This image represents the social, extroverted aspects of a personality; denoting that they value confidence and attention highly.

Just one missing from the list for me, the one where the picture is taken from the best possible angle making the person look 200% more attractive/slim/muscular than they actually are in real life! God knows Ive seen a few of those knocking around Facebook!