The urgent need for news

In January I wrote about the way that social media was helping with the aid efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. I had no way of knowing at the time that just a few short weeks later I’d be using my personal social networks to try and track members of my own extended family caught up in an earthquake elsewhere in the world. But on Saturday morning I opened my eyes at about 8am and had a conversation with my husband (who was checking his crackberry - an early morning habit) that went something like this:

Him: “There’s just been a big earthquake in Chile - 8.8 on the Richter scale.”

Me: “Oh no.”

Him: “Epicentre in somewhere called . . . Concepcion?”

Me: “Oh god no. That’s where the family are!”

To cut a long story short, part of my extended family is Chilean: four generations - grandparents, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who all live in Chiguayante, just outside Concepcion. Fourteen family members in total.

I spent the rest of the weekend glued to my computer as I took on the task of “social media monitoring” and quite a lot of “outreach” on Facebook and Twitter on behalf of the family, whilst others desperately tried the “direct marketing” approach of phoning and emailing.

The happy ending is that all 14 of the family are safe and together. We established this via desperate messages left on the walls of family of family and friends of friends on Facebook. While mobile and internet connections are slowly being restored within Chile, it will be a while before telephone connections with the rest of the world are sorted out. But with a Tweet here and a Facebook status update there, we’re getting the picture that they are managing to get by drinking water from a natural spring in the back garden and living off eggs laid by their chickens. Of course, for hundreds, possibly thousands, of others the story has not yet ended. Twitter and Facebook is still full of people looking for loved ones and desperate for any kind of news. Just search for “terremoto” or “ayudachile” on Twitter.

Here are the online tools I used to track down news about my family. The honest truth is that although Google was my first port of call (as i’m sure it was for many), it was far from being  useful.

Fact checking and “expert” insight

• Standard news sites such as the BBC and CNN were the starting point to establish the facts as far as possible. I did some due diligence by taking a look at source sites too like the British Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. I kept coming back to these big news sites because I knew that they were verifying everything before they published it. As I started “tuning in” to the chaotic conversations on Twitter it was obvious that some people were filling the information vacuum with suposition and rumour. I used these two big news sites as a fact checker. (Interesting aside: I was really surprised that I found CNN’s coverage much better informed and more dynamic than the BBC’s.)

Personal networks and beyond

• Facebook was the obvious social network to use to contact family. As you’ll probably be aware, it’s the biggest social network on the planet - +400 million members - and many of our family have accounts there. Meanwhile I updated my own status asking for news on both Twitter and Facebook. On Twitter people immediately began to re-tweet. On Facebook people started to “Like” my status. (I had an email from a friend pointing out that he felt odd about “liking” this but that it was a way of passing the message on to the wider Facebook network.) It was exactly what I wanted to happen. Ultimately it was these messages and this personal network that yielded results - on Sunday afternoon I spotted a response on a cousin of a cousin’s wall from a family member who had been out of town in the north of Chile. She’d managed to get a single mobile call through to the family in the south who had confirmed that they were all safe and more or less well.

• I used Twitter to try to pick up any information about the local situation. Twitter’s live search function made it easy to start listening in and joining the conversation about just what was going on. I refined my research from “Chile” (people were tweeting in their thousands on the topic and it was impossible to keep up) to “Chiguayante” - the name of the small town just outside Concepcion where they all lived.

• This was how I found a whole new network: people in Chile and from the four corners of the earth desperately tweeting and re-tweeting messages asking for news about the situation in that town. We began to talk to each other and to share any information that came our way. This was how I found some of the most useful sources of information and kept those who were manning the phone and the email up to date on developments.

Aggregation, curation, and old fashioned broadcast

• TerremotoChile.com - this site appeared within 3 hours of the quake and began aggregating news stories, pictures, video clips, information from Twitter and Facebook, official announcements and further sources of information. By downloading a plug-in for Firefox I was able to view the page in translation. This continues to be the single most informative site about the fine detail of what it was like to live through the earthquake, in my opinion. I have nothing but respect for Francisco and Evelyn - the two people who set the site up and continue to update it.
• Chile Person Finder - Google’s most helpful contribution to my search - the database they put together to help people list missing persons and then gather information in a central, searchable database. It is a fantastic idea. And it’s probably only Google who have enough authority to host the definitive missing persons database. So respect to Google for that. But ultimately, it was us who registered our family on there, and us who updated it once we’d got news that they were safe. So it didn’t help me directly.
• @AyudaChile - this Twitter account for re-tweeting requests for information about lost family members was live in around 5 hours after the earthquake. Whoever set it up - respect to them. There are now 12,000+ followers. Sadly there are still hundreds of requests for information being every hour.
• TV de Chile livestream on Ustream - this channel had BBC News 24 style reportage from Santiago. All of the footage that the BBC broadcast in the 48hours following the quake came from this source.
• Radio Agricultura - streaming local radio station that was still broadcasting throughout the quake and in the aftermath.

Other social networks - beyond Facebook and Twitter

• Flickr - was a great way of finding direct visual confirmation of what was happening in Concepcion. The first pictures from Chiguayante didn’t appear for a few days, but while telephone communication is out, seeing pictures of familiar streets looking more or less ok is a great comfort.
• YouTube - the video clips of the actual earthquake are harrowing and horrifying to say the least. But clips from the aftermath do reassure that even after 2 minutes of violent shaking, many buildings were still standing pretty much intact.

IMAGES:

Camera image via CC Licence from Flickr user Tom

Charging mobiles image via CC Licence from Flickr user Rodrigo Linfati

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Chile earthquake: why Google is the last place to go in a crisis

I created MademoiselleRobot.com in November 2007 as a personal endeavour. Having worked as a journalist/editor for many years before relocating from Paris to London, I needed an outlet for my writing, and what started off as a hobby has since become my job.

I currently get an average of 150,000 page views a month and in the past two years have been both a witness and a protagonist in the rise of online fashion.

Why should brands reach out to bloggers?

The rise of online fashion means that bloggers are now firmly on people’s radars. User recommendations and reviews are the flavour of the moment. Bloggers can be seen as ’super reviewers’ - they are everyday people talking to an engaged audience.

Blog readers are more likely to go and buy something they have seen on their favourite blog than in a magazine for example. Very often, people will buy something online straight away after seeing it on a blog, because bloggers are trusted by their readers most of the time.

If brands want to boost their online sales, I believe the best way of doing so is through an efficient blogger outreach campaign.

Bloggers vs. Journalists

A blogger is by definition anyone online with an opinion and a journalist is someone who has received formal training in order to either formulate an opinion or deliver information.

There are different types of bloggers, and this is the main point agencies and brands have yet to understand. It is primordial to differentiate professional bloggers - who influence other bloggers and benefit from a large following - from ‘leisure bloggers’ - who influence a small to medium community.

What it comes down to is that bloggers and journalists should be treated in the same basic way: with simplicity and respect. A lot of the time, elaborate marketing ploys don’t get the attention of influential bloggers as they just don’t have time to ‘play’, much like journalists.

However, in some instances, bloggers shouldn’t have the same access as journalists. I think Tavi is very talented and has a unique take on fashion, but I don’t think bloggers should be covering Haute Couture shows. This is something for the traditional fashion press. Really this has nothing to do with Tavi.

The importance of an editorial line

Especially post-‘Tavi-Gate’, bloggers have to make sure they keep their integrity and make sure they don’t fall prey to similar PR strategies.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for bloggers to be aware that they can be used by brands. They absolutely must have a strict editorial line and ethics.

The editorial line I set myself on MademoiselleRobot.com is very simple: if I like a product and would happily go and buy it myself, I will write about it. If I think it is not quite right, I will politely decline.

How to reach out to bloggers

Partnerships seem to be one of the ways brands have found to reach bloggers. Personally, I disapprove of such practice as the basis of the collaboration is very one-sided: the blogger receives products to review every so often and in exchange places the company logo permanently on their blog.

To me, a badge on a blog = display advertising, which comes with a price tag. Also, reviewing products = giving coverage to the company. What’s in it for the blogger? Clothes? Not every blogger wants to work for freebies, and would prefer to get paid.

The correct way to approach bloggers is very simple: read their blog, email them with targeted products, meet them, take time to explain what your brand does, if necessary loan or gift a product to be shown on the blog. Simple and efficient, non?

A few blogger outreach tips for brands

• Don’t judge the quality of a blog by the access the blogger appears to have. Since brands don’t yet know who to reach out to, a lot of blogs of varying quality have access to the same events and information.

• Read blogs and subscribe to a handful of them via RSS. Get someone on your team to spend an hour every morning reading through them. That should be enough for you to assess who to get in touch with.

• Find the most influential bloggers and reach out to them, then wait for the ripple effect. Make the bloggers you reach out to feel special, not one of many.

• Stop thinking that all bloggers are friends. Most of us don’t even know each other.

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How brands should work with fashion bloggers

It  excellently explains the way that social media and new technologies are radically changing the media landscape, along with the impact this is having upon consumer behaviour.

Not much more to be said, the video speaks for itself. 4:45 of visually beautiful stats. Enjoy!

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Did You Know 4.0

This map shows the popularity of different mobile browsing platforms country by country, with some interesting results.

Apple’s dominance can clearly be seen, with the iPhone and iTouch accounting for over half the market in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and Japan.

The Android platform has its largest share in the US and the UK, but has a much weaker share in other countries. This could change in the near future as new phones emerge that run Android, such as the Nexus One.

Docomo and KDDI are the largest mobile phone operators in Japan, and account for 12% of the mobile browser share platforms.

Canada seems to like the iPhone and iTouch, with 86% of mobile internet users using this platform to access the internet.

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Mobile browser market share map

Google included in their statement that other US companies had been under attack too. It’s no surprise to Google being under attack from hackers. However Google’s Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote that the attacks were aimed at identifying advocates for human rights in China.

Google entered the Chinese market and took the decision to censor itself back in 2006. However Google have now decided to change its policy of censoring itself as a result of these attacks and fully open its doors to China.

“We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all.”

Back of Google Logo at Beijing - Will Google be forced to turn it's back on China?

There are some fantastic articles on this subject from Search Engine Land and the BBC but we’d love your views on this subject. Do you think Google are doing the right thing? Will Google be forced to turn it’s back on China?

Image Credit: Creative Commons Attribution:  by andreweland

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Google, China and Hackers

I was struck this week by a sad example of this in an unexpected format when I happened to find the Borders Insider blog on The Bookseller website. This is an unofficial, anonymous blog written by a member of staff about what is happening inside the shops now that they’ve gone into liquidation. At first glance, you might think that the post entitled “Running on empty” is a very good example of why so many organisations are scared stiff of the idea of letting their people connect directly with the world via a corporate blog.  At first sight this might not be the best advert for corporate blogging - for starters it’s hosted by another site altogether, and the quotes like the one below are a PR’s nightmare aren’t they?

“We are running on empty, all we do is tidy. Everyday we feel less and less like booksellers and more and more like caretakers. The massive jolt that is administration, which was at first in a strange way energising, feels more and more like a dead weight. There’s only so many times you can explain the gift card redemption rule to angry people, without it getting extremely wearying.”

And yet, if you read a bit further, and then go on to read the comments below this post, what you’re left with is a very strong impression of the knowledge and passion of the Borders’ staff. And the very strong connection they had with their loyal customers.

“Please remember the peope who are treating you so poorly are not your customers. We are still here, devastated by what has happened, and what is happening, but you will see less of us now and more of the bargain hunters only dimly aware that this was once a book shop. My famiy and I have been going to Borders nearly every week since it opened. My wife and I found and decided on our childrens names, planned our wedding and rewarded our children at Borders. The failures have not been yours. If you were to think from scratch of how to compete with Supermarkets and the internet, you would come up with Borders. All the events, especially for children, and your enthusiasm contributed to an overall positive experience with books. You are not booksellers but ambassadors for literature. There are a lot of children who will never forget you and will benefit from your efforts.”

And this isn’t just limited to the store that this commentator frequented. I went into the Brighton branch of Borders this morning and was able to witness for myself the dedicated team of staff there still helping their customers find what they want amongst the jumble sale piles of books. That’s the kind of genuine customer advocacy that no PR stunt or press release can fake. And that’s why, I would argue, if you think your organisation has a special kind of chemistry with its customers and stakeholders, and a unique kind of engagement amongst its employees, a corporate blog is an excellent way of sharing it with the world.

IMAGE by Flickr user markhillary published under CC licence

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The sad story of the Borders “corporate blog”

• Integrate your marketing including aligning your goals, sharing data, paid and natural search synergy, consistent messaging and measurement
• Flexibility to change and adapt when necessary including real time marketing, contingency planning and response time
• Try one new thing including measurement, engagement, tools, brand recognition, and creating advocates

Here’s the presentation with accompanying notes for your own use.

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Staying Competitive in 2010

2001 was a hugely successful year for Google, despite the dot-com bust of the time. Eric Schmidt was appointed as the chairman in March, the man who would later announce for the very first time that Google was profitable. In the cautious world following the dot-com bust, Wall Street analysts valued the company at $250 million. In other search news:

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A Decade in Search - 2001

Using a cookie placed on users’ machines to track their search behavior Google uses web history to artificially inflate a sites ranking depending on a users previous preference to use that site in previous searches. You can opt out of personalised results, but it is unlikely the majority of users will.

Although this change will go relatively unnoticed to the average Google user, this has an impact on SEO. Traditional ‘ranking reports’ will be less representative of what users will see in the SERPs and the importance of regular, new, interesting and relevant onsite content and distribution of this online will be more key to help increase a sites ranking.

Ranking reports ensuring that there is no previous web history on the machine to skew results will show a snapshot of the SERPs at a basic level of a where sites rank in relation to one another prior to a user having any web history.

Providing more content on a site and attracting visitors to it regularly could help the site to rank higher in a Google users personalised SERP. If for example a hotel company provides regular and interesting content which a user regularly visits, when the user comes to search for ‘hotels’, they are more than likely to see the site they regularly visit for information ranking higher than it naturally ranks in a SERP where there is no previous web history of having visited that site.

Personalised search results is another one of Google’s ways to provide relevant content to the user and is in addition to other recent changes made by Google to improve relevancy in their results, such as Social Search, Twitter inclusion and the use of search query patterns & click through data to order results.

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Personalised Results in Google for Everyone!

For the storage of personal data there are strict requirements in Germany. They may be collected only with the consent of the user. For Internet Service Providers it’s possible to identify a user on the basis of the IP address. Advertisers who use web analytics software possibly store IP addresses; however, as long as the user is not logged in to in to a web service, it is not possible to retrieve any information about the person behind the IP address.

Special attention is currently devoted to Google Analytics. The German data protection commissioners worry that Google uses web analytics data to create user profiles. In the terms of service  (TOS) (1) Google assured they won’t link the IP address to other Google data, but they also retain the right to change the TOS at any time. Millions of websites are affected. According to a recent article of Zeit online(2) more than 13 percent of all German websites use Google Analytics.

The controversial question still is: Are IP addresses personal data? Now the German courts have to decide. The legal situation is still unclear.

For digital marketing agencies like iCrossing, web analytics are very important. We use tools like Google Analytics to measure visits, page views, bounce rates and other performance indicators. The behaviour of an individual user is not relevant for us, so we have no interest in storing the user’s personal data.

I personally consider IP addresses no personal data. An IP address can change at any time, it can be shared and you never really know who the person behind the screen is.

Nevertheless: If the Germans courts decide that IP addresses are personal data this would be a slap in the face for the whole online industry.

(1) http://www.google.com/intl/de/analytics/tos.html
(2) http://www.zeit.de/digital/datenschutz/2009-11/google-analytics-datenschutz

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Is it illegal to use Google Analytics in Germany?