Everyone’s talking about Twitter. I had a brief chat with Jay Oatway, Hong Kong’s most followed Twitterer, about trends on the platform in Asia and some approaches to using Twitter for business. With a background in journalism and new media, Jay is a tech columnist for POWER magazine. He’s also a ‘trend hunter’ for Portension.com and Trendhunter magazine as well as the social media editor for Charged.mobi. Jay is currently working on a book chronicling the people and events shaping the nascent era of social media.
Bite: What do you say to those who think Twitter is just a fad?
Jay Oatway: There’s a well known quote: in 1943 Thomas Watson, President of IBM, said, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” There is some debate whether he really said that, but the lesson is that we often underestimate the true long-term potential of innovation. Twitter is more than just a trendy new way of chatting, it marks the beginning of the real-time web–something that will continue to evolve over the long-term. One thing is for sure though for the short-term: things will never go back to the way they were before the Twitter “fad”.
Bite: Can Twitter be used effectively for offline businesses?
Jay Oatway: Yes. But…(there’s always a catch)…Twitter requires creativity to be a successful tool. It’s easier said than done to produce 140 pithy characters packed with wit, charm and authenticity.
Bite: When should companies avoid communicating via Twitter?
Jay Oatway: Twitter is just the headlines, the teasers, the call outs. It is not the place for deep discussion, nor lengthy explanations. In times of crisis, Twitter should only be one of many communication tools.
Bite: What’s the biggest risk that companies can take on Twitter?
Jay Oatway: The risk isn’t just a Twitter question; it’s now a real-time web question. Customers are looking for goods and services in the moment, live, as they are walking the streets. When they ask a real-time question, is it you or is it your competitor that is first to respond to their query? This is the new reality. Can we really risk sticking to whatever online strategy we had before the emergence of the real-time web?
Bite: Any good Twitter jokes to share?
Jay Oatway: Twitter jokes are usually only funny to those who know that they spend too much time on Twitter. But here it goes: Twitter addict receives phone call from his doctor. The doctor says, “I have some good news and some bad news.”
Twitter addict, “OK, give me the good news first.” The doctor says, “The good news is, you’ve got only 24 more hours to live.” Twitter addict, “Oh no! If that’s the good news, then what’s the bad news?” The doctor says, “The bad news is, Twitter is down.”
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