Methodology for Selecting Accounts on Twitter

One of my greatest interest is to see and explore the development of social media in Latin America.  Twitter is not the exception. The criteria I use was based first to find out if they were also using other social media tools or only Twitter.  This was important because even though Twitter is an important tool with out the other social media tools it will be difficult for a complete conversation.  For example Jumbo exchanges recipes, but Twitter is not the platform to post the entire recipe, therefore a blog or a tool like Facebook are needed.

1. Use of other social media to complement Twitter.

2. First to use Twitter in their areas and countries.

3. Using Twitter as a conversation and not marketing only, in the case of newspapers and radio, they provide headlines to any news, but all their news have blogs/comment section for the audience to comment or asks questions.

4. They have to be housed in Latin America or their main audience is the Latino community.

5. Be currently active in Twitter.

6. Be well recognized in their area of business (have years of experience in the business area)

Profile: Cooperativa On Line Radio

Date data downloaded : July 15

Industry sector :  On line version of Radio.

Twitter ID : @Cooperativa
Followers : 2,798
Following : 1
Ratio followers/following : do the math (>1 is better, to a point)

Number posts : 50,374
Account created : 2009
First post :  2009

Bio: not enough information about their background other that online radio, maybe like Serving the audience since 1935.

URLS: http://www.cooperativa.cl/
Twitter :http://twitter.com/Cooperativa#/Cooperativa
Bio link : http://www.cooperativa.cl/prontus_cooperativa/site/artic/20080603/pags/20080603113703.html
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Cooperativa/12429322861?ref=search
MySpace : NONE
LinkedIn : They do not have a current site, but they offer a link from their news to LinkedIn.
Org Blog : http://www.cooperativa.cl/prontus_nots/site/edic/base/port/blogs.html
Website home : http://www.cooperativa.cl/
Other (Videos) http://www.cooperativa.cl/prontus_media/site/edic/base/port/videos.html

Other (Podcast): http://www.cooperativa.cl/prontus_nots/site/artic/20081128/pags/20081128172416.html

About:

Radio Cooperativa was funded back on February 17 1935 in Valparaiso Chile. Cooperativa has been a very important part for Chile during the 50s, 60s and 70s and since then, it has become a leader on audience preference with their programing. It has specialize in the transmission of local and international news and information local and international through the web.  They have also incorporated social media, video broadcasting, Podcasting and blogs.

(5) Analysis

A. General

(A.1) Background: It has a plain background, no busy, the reflection of their avatar looks great.

(A.2) Avatar: they use their logo-avatar
(A.4) Transparency: They offer only links to their news or important news through Twitter.
(A.5) http://www.cooperativa.cl/prontus_cooperativa/site/artic/20080603/pags/20080603113703.html

B. Tweets

(B.1) Replies: No replies through Twiter
(B.2) ReTweets: They have not used the RT.
(B.3) DM requests: No DM requests used yet.
(B.4) Hashtags: They have not used the hashtag.
(B.5) Favorite tweets: About
(B.6) Currently they only use Twitter for their headlines news that link to their web page.

C. Questions/Suggestions
(C.1) Include some two communication messages like replies, RT, DM and Hash.

E. Conclusion

It is a radio  on line that it is experimenting social media as tools to reach audience, but they have not yet engaged in a two way conversation through Twitter.  However, it is one of the most innovative on line radio stations in South America. They have A la carte’ services, podcast, blogs, video, live video broadcasting and of course twitter, they even offer tutorials and information about Twitter and Facebook. They currently have not fully engaged in a two way conversation with the audience, most of their tweets are links to their web site with a very well written headline.

Translated examples in Spanish to English.

Profile: El Universal Mx

Avatar and Twitter Account Name:

URL, Bio, Followers, Following:

Other

Date data downloaded : July 15

Industry sector :  On line version of a Mexican newspaper.

Twitter ID : @El_Universal_Mx
Followers : 10,150
Following : 5,965
Ratio followers/following : do the math (>1 is better, to a point)

Number posts : 7,477
Account created : January 2009 (to be confirm by organization
First post : January 2009 (to be confirm by organization)

Bio: El Universal a great Mexican newspaper in Twitter. They need to add more information like how much time in Twitter and when the newspaper was originally funded. They also need to add some information about who is doing the tweeting on behalf of the organization.

URLS: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/noticias.html
Twitter : http://twitter.com/El_Universal_Mx
Bio link : Not found on their home page, I used other resources given by wikipedia
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/ElUniversalOnline
MySpace : NONE
LinkedIn : They do not have a current site, but they offer a link from their news to LinkedIn.
Org Blog : http://blogs.eluniversal.com.mx/
Org website home : http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/noticias.html
Other (YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/ElUniversalTV

Other (Mobil): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/disenio/servicios/EU_movil.htm

About:

El Universal was funded on October 1, 1916 by Felix Fulgencio Palavicin.  The main objective back then was to provide information about the Mexican Revolution. For many years, El Universal de Mexico ha sido one of the most important newspapers in Mexico.  On June 17, 2008, this newspaper launched his internet version with vertical online sections: Blogs, Mobile, YouTube, Video TV other social media tools like Facebook and Twitter.

Since 2001, El Universas Mx website has become the Hispanic newspaper on line most visited around the world with 507 thousend unique users per day about 5.2 million of unique users per moth.

(5) Analysis

A. General

(A.1) Background: It has a plain background, however may be giving it a bit of a newspaper touch would be helpful to identify immediately what they do.

(A.2) Avatar: they use their logo-avatar
(A.4) Transparency: They offer only links to their news or important news through Twitter.
(A.5) Bio Link: Not available on their website, they need to add it.

B. Tweets

(B.1) Replies: They reply to questions or suggestions.
(B.2) ReTweets: They have not used the RT.
(B.3) DM requests: They have used the DM, they responded to our request to participate in the Twitter book.
(B.4) Hashtags: They have used the hashtag before, the most recent one was #Honduras.
(B.5) Favorite tweets: They were posting the latest news about the swine flu development in Mexico and around the world.
(B.6) Currently they only use Twitter for their headlines that link to their web page.

C. Questions/Suggestions
(C.1) They can use the hashtag to track some of the most important news found in their website.

E. Conclusion

El Universal has provided a great platform for people to know about the latest news using the headlines only, this way the audience decides whether to read the entire news or not. In addition, they are using other social media tools to make it more accessible for their audience to share the content and to share their opinions. The most important tool is to offer their content via mobile since Mexico has reach critical mass on mobile phones.

Learning Moments from Twitter

Twitter started as a tool to communicate with friends and family or just to share with others about your day.  However, Twitter has been use lately as a tool for various organizational purposes: Marketing, public relations, organizing, mobilizing, branding, social media reputation ans lately for job search and many more.  Also the use of tweets has become more global and through this venue, people around the world may have other venues of access according to their needs and accessibility. For example, in Mexico and in other parts of Latin America, mobile is the venue to have access to social media tools.  Many people in Mexico were not aware that this tool could be use or access through texting, but after a report from CNN in Spanish about how people in Mexico used Twitter to mobilize people to vote “No Vote”, people became more aware of what Twitter was.  I posted a link with instructions on how to use your text message service to tweet in Mexico and withing minutes I had 56 clicks to the link.

I think the discovery above was very interesting, because even though I was aware about the mobile accessibility in Mexico, I was not aware that Twitter could be accessed through text message and that it could be a great potential in Mexico and in other parts of the world where text message is the only availabe/affordable technology in other parts of the wold.  Good job Twitter!

Jumbo Twitter Profile

Date data downloaded : July 14
Industry sector :  Retail/grocery store

Twitter ID : @Jumbotienda
Followers : 750
Following : 808
Ratio followers/following : do the math (>1 is better, to a point)

Number posts : 157
Account created : April 8, 2009
First post : April 8, 2009

Bio:

Jumbo Was funded back in 1960 by Horst Paulmann Kemna who started in the supermarket business at the end of the 50s. In 1960  it was inagurated first under the name of “Las Brisas” in Temuco, Chile.  Then it transformed in a supermarket chain that established its presence in main cities. In 1976 they change to Jumbo with a new concept: One stop only. The idea that people had to to buy everything they need in one place.  The first 7,000 thousend store was open.  From 1988 to 2005 they expanded to other regions in Chile and in Argentina.  In November 2007 they lunched their electronic supermarket web site www.jumbo.cl.

URLS:
Twitter : http://twitter.com/Jumbotienda
Bio link : http://www.jumbointernet.cl/institucional.htm
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/jumbotienda
MySpace : NONE
LinkedIn : NONE
Org Blog : http://www.jumboblog.cl/
Org website home : http://www.jumbo.cl/FO/LogonForm
Other (Mobile) : http://www.jumbointernet.cl/iphone.html

About:

Jumbo is one of the first chain of supermarkets that has adopted many of the e-commerce, social media and conversational-human model. They have 9,264 fans, in which they share recipes, current offers and news. They also have a blog, mobile devise application and a electronic system to purchase and door delivery.

(5) Analysis

A. General
(A.1) Background: It reflects the line of the store: Grocery store
(A.2) Avatar: they use their logo-avatar
(A.4) Transparency: Jumbo’s information is available to the public and when the audience demands attention to a particular issue, they respond or converse about it.
(A.5) Bio Link: http://www.jumbointernet.cl/historia.htm

B. Tweets

(B.1) Replies: They reply to questions or suggestions.
(B.2) ReTweets: They have not used the RT.
(B.3) DM requests: They have used the DM with various clients.
(B.4) Hashtags: They have not used the hashtags yet.
(B.5) Favorite tweets: Casual tweets in which they great the audience or ask how day work  or driving to work was.
(B.6) Jumbo started to tween in an advertising way, but later they were able to change gears and addopted the conversation model. There are things that they can improve, but to be one of the first to incur in this conversation process, they are doing better than many other ratailers in South America.

C. Questions/Suggestions
(C.1) Why are they following more people than the number of people who are following them?
(C.2) Provide the names of the people who are tweeting on behalf of Jumbo to make it more human.

E. Conclusion

Jumbo has been able to provide a human presence through social media, it could be a model for other to follow in many parts of Latin America. Especially because they have incorporated the mobile application and mobile has reach critical mass in many parts of Latin America including Brazil and Mexico.

I have translated their tweets so that you can see the kind of messages that they post and receive.  They only have 157 seven posts because they recently started to use Twitter.  Their first tweet was on April 8, 2009 and their first tweets were only promotional, but later they changed into a more conversational way.  Very good change, it will be very good to know why this change and to see how this change has impacted their business. To see the screen shots visit Jumbo screen shots

BIENVENIDO A JUMBO

En Jumbo nos esforzamos diariamente para entregarte la mayor variedad de productos y la manera más cómoda de comprar y ahorrar en el mejor supermercado. Jumbo pone a tu alcance, un gran surtido de productos nacionales e importados con el objetivo de satisfacer todas tus necesidades, manteniendo la atención y servicio que lo caracterizan. Disponemos de locales amplios y ordenados, donde podrás ahorrar con nuestras ofertas y encontrar las mejores promociones y eventos. Nuestro objetivo es que realices tus compras cómodamente, en un ámbito cordial, rodeado de personal especialmente capacitado para servirte y prestarte un excelente servicio en todo momento. Además, encontrarás en todos los locales diversas tiendas que te ofrecen servicios complementarios a tu compra. Tenemos disponible también nuestro servicio de supermercado online para comprar todos los productos de Jumbo con despacho a domicilio.

Three Best Practices: JUMBO

Twitter Use:

An important aspect in the use of Twitter as tool in an organization is that it provides a platform for a human conversation to occur by using short messages. Jumbo has been able to engage in a conversation with its audience. Their tweets are written in a casual-human voice to show the human side of the organization and not only the sale and more sale side. See the translation of Jumbo screen shots

In addition, a conversation occurs when both sides are sharing and listening, Jumbo allows the audience to share content such as family recipes, about their day or their opinions about a new store or product.

Both parties are listening, but what do they get in return? It is simple, Jumbo provides incentives for the audience to participate in this conversations.  They offer special rewards, discounts and delivery time to motivate people to buy on line, they post their current merchandise deals, and the most important they listen and respond to the audience.  On the other hand Jumbo receives participation of its audience, they offer feedback to the store on services or products. They have a blog and a Facebook page in order to support the bigger conversation (more than 140 characters).

Live Broadcasting Via Internet: Ustream/ Broadcasting en Vivo Via Internet: Ustream

Materials you need:

Camcorder with A/V outport.

Cable to connect A/V port (plug) to RCA audio/Video (yellow, red & white)

External video capture card (we used Dazzle DVC100)/ about $40)

Adove flash media live encoder 3.0

RCA audio to mic-in plug adaptor (in case audio don’t go thrugh Dazzle DVC100)

Ustream account.

To Upload image

1) Open an account on USTREAM (abrimos una cuenta en ustream).

2) Downloan Adobe Flash Media live Encoder 3.0 (bajamos el “Adobe flash media live encoder 3.0)

3) From our account we dowload the XML file to be open in the Adobe Flash Meida Live Encoder. This will tell the software where to send the image that we want to generate to our USTREAm channel. (de nuestra cuenta en ustream bajamos el XML file para abrirlo en el adobe flash media live encoder. Esto le dice al software donde mandar la imagen que generemos (a nuestro canal de ustream).

4) We connect our camcorder via AV/outport to the capture card. (Conectamos la camcorder via AV/outport a la capture card).

5) We connect the capture card to the laptop via USB conector. (conectamos la capture card al laptop via usb conector).

6) In the Adobe flash media live encoder select the DVC100 dazzle as the video and audio device input. The image appear right away.  Then you press broadcast in USTREA (if you open the breadcast now USTREAM and then follow the Adobe instructions, is not going to work). En el adobe flash media live encoder marcar como video & audio device input el DVC100 dazzle. La imagen aparece (sigue las instrucciones de Adobe primero y despues haz el broadcasting, si lo haces al revez no funcionara).

7) Open USTREAm.  abrir la cuenta de ustream

Bingo!!! your channel in on the air. (bingo !!!  tu canal ya esta en el aire

Note: there are few cases in which dazzle does not send the audio to the laptop or pc through the USB connection.  To solve this, you connect the video (yellow connection) to Dazzle and the audio (white and red cables) direct to audio that go directly to the microphone through a “RCA to plug” adapter.

Nota: no son pocos los casos que reportan que la tarjeta dazzle no envia audio al pc a travez de la coneccion usb (como fue nuestro caso). Para solucionar esto, solo se conecta el video (conexion amarilla) a dazzle y el audio (cables blanco y rojo) van directo a la entrada de microfono a través del adaptador “RCA to plug”.

You can always use your laptop if it has a camera ready or a webcam. You can also use this instructions for Justintv/También puedes usar la camara de tu laptop si viene con una o usar la webcam. También puedes usar estas instrucciones para Justintv.

Three Best Practices

Cultural Competency. 1

Identify and articulate needs which require cultural appropriate solutions in the use of Twitter.

1.1   Recognized specific information needed according to a particular country, including language, technology/ies available and current use of technology.

1.2   Explore potential obstacles according to current political and business models. This includes internet usage for mobilizing, community organizing, restrictions in the workplace (internet use) and e-commerce.

It is very important to recognized that each country in Latin America is different.  They have different practices in terms of Internet accessibility.  For example according to Patrick Burkart in Latin America mobile technology is the first venue to connect with social media and internet and has also reach critical mass, something that computers/internet have not accomplish due to price accessibility. I have worked with the Latino community in the areas of prevention and one aspect that I have noticed is that in the work place, employees do not have the the same accessibility that in the United States.  Many have restrictions for Internet or sometimes they only have one computer with access to the Internet which limits the accessibility. In addition, the Spanish language is not the same in every Spanish speaking country in Latin America.  There are other languages that are spoken in Latin America, Portuguese (Brazil) and English (Belize).  There are political aspects to consider as well, some countries in Latin America do not have the same freedom of speech as we do in the United States. Therefore

Book Ideas and Responsibilities

1) The Process: I would like to do a research on how Latino-America is using Twitter. This will consist of 3 parts:

1. Media (The news papers, Radio, Television)
2. Marketing purposes/sales
3. Grassroots and organizing

- Number of people using Twitter in Latin-America
-Main medium of using Twitter (computer or mobile)
- Why the decision to incorporate or not to incorporate Twitter as a business tool
- What has worked
- What has not worked
- What can be improved in the business and in Twitter
- What approach was taken
- Results after implementing Twitter

I would like to focus on countries with strong economy like Chile, Brazil and  Mexico.

I think that one of my strengths is research, not only because I enjoyed, but because I have done extensive research in the past and know my way around not only on the UW database, but other international information.  I also know how to use Photoshop and Illustrator for design purposes, SPP, Excel and Access for data analysis, and I also would like to broadcast the class via Juntin TV for others (we can do it public or provide a code for participants). I like writing, but English is not my first language, I may need some assistance with this.

Reading Reflection: A few Chirps About Twitter

It was very interesting to learn more about the usage characteristics of Twitter not only in the United Stated, but around the world. The authors in this article examined the user geographical spread and then they compared the results. They use both crawl and time-line datasets.

In the results obtained, it was noted three groups; users that have a larger number of followers than they themselves followed (this can se as a behavior of broadcasters of tweets), the second group acquaintances that exhibit a reciprocity in their relationships like the one given in online social networks, and the third group which follow a much larger number of people than they have followers (they have the characteristics of spammers, stalkers or evangelist, who will contact everyone in hope that some will follow them) of course this group are not among the top tweeters. In regards to the third group, I have to say that I have encountered that this spam or stalking behavior is a true problem  -I was automatically follow anyone who was followed me- not a very good idea due to these third group of individuals who will spam or stalk you using Twitter.