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When it comes to social media, many in the business and financial service industries tread cautiously, while many in the public eye tone down their views. The subject of this issue’s “The Interview” does neither. Joe Hildebrand, reporter with the Daily Telegraph, has taken to social media like a politician to taxi tabs. BlueChipper Aideen McDonald caught up with Hildebrand to find out what drives him to stir up the Twittersphere.
Q: How important do you think it is for businesses to have a social media presence?
A: These days it’s not so much important as a basic necessity. It’s the same as being listed in the phone book.
Q: What businesses are doing it well / badly?
A: Probably the best example of what not to do was when Qantas launched its silly Twitter competition right after the infamous lockdown. It completely misread the mood of the audience which, with social media like all media, is the most fundamental thing all businesses (and journalists) should know.
Q: Who should have a social media presence and who could perhaps do without?
A: Social media will eventually be so ubiquitous that almost everyone will have some kind of presence, regardless of who should and shouldn’t. It’s like asking who should and shouldn’t have a television.
Q: What are your expectations for the future of social media and businesses?
A: I suspect they will get married.
Q: What motivates you to share your thoughts via Twitter?
A: Narcissism.
Q: Have you ever regretted venting / sharing an opinion on Twitter?
A: Nope.
Q: Have you ever deleted a comment?
A: Yes, largely when I’ve noticed a typo or grammatical error in it. That is akin to smearing yourself in honey and sitting in an ants’ nest.
Q: How do you feel Twitter has helped / hindered your profile?
A: Twitter saved me from obscurity after my incredibly popular column was axed. I am not ruling out divine intervention.
Q: What are the benefits of having a high social media profile?
A: Being able to manipulate people into reading my incredibly popular column.
Q: Are you attracting the type of audience you thought you would?
A: I think my audience defies type. I have everyone from right-wing Christian housewives to student revolutionaries.
Q: What do you think is your ratio of work:social tweeting? Or do you think they can be separated?
A: If you separate the two then you render both meaningless. You either put yourself out there as a human being with thoughts, opinions, a job and – in my case – a wealth of comedy gold or you might as well get a robot to do it for you. Indeed, some people do just that and they could not be more hated.
Q: What other social mediums do you use?
A: Twitter, Facebook, alcohol.
Q: What are your top twitter tips?
A: 1 Twitter tips are pretty much useless. It is just a medium. It’s the content of what you put there that will determine whether you are popular or not. 2 Having said that, riding the #qanda hashtag worked pretty well for me.
Thank you very much for your honest and open answers Joe.
To read the blog Joe so shamelessly promotes in ‘The Interview’, please click here or, my personal favourite, his recent rant about the Labor Party on Sky News.
