Online Journalism News

Don't be afraid to restrict your social media community, says UBM Live digital director

Community, collaboration and participation were key to B2B brands well before widespread use of the internet, United Business Media (UBM) Live digital director, John Welsh, told participants at an Association of Online Publishers forum yesterday.

"Here we are in 2009, and everything we do is what we would have done 10 or 15 years ago," he said in his presentation at the 'Making Business Communities Work Online' event.

"B2B has always been about communities; second generation web translates (...) It's one and the same thing. When I bumped into the second generation web I knew it was the same place - it just happened to be online."

Welsh, who has been editor of several different trade publications during his 20 years at UBM - a global media company which publishes over 200 websites and 200 print publications -  said that B2B publications should not be afraid of creating a 'niche' and select online audience.

For example, Welsh - who blogs at  'These Digital Times' - blocks users from following him on Twitter if their profile does not indicate an interest in social media. At the time of writing he was following just 55 Twitter users.

Welsh said that B2B media needs to change its working habits: "I probably open myself up 50 per cent more than I would have done in the past."

Whereas it would once have been alien to him to 'give away his secrets' to a rival publication, it is now a natural part of the process.

Speaking to Journalism.co.uk afterwards, he said social networks have made him aware that his competitors are also watching him online.

"Instead of being secretive; we're open. Things will come to you that never came before," Welsh said.

He advised all the delegates, who came from a range of business magazines and online publications, to create personal profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn if they had not done so already, but reminded them it was possible to be 'personable' rather than 'personal' when using them.

Everyone, he said, had the chance to be a 'micro-celebrity' or 'the Stephen Fry of the B2B sector', citing the popularity of the editor of one of his group's travel titles as an example.

Tags (click tag to find related articles; click icon for feed):
events | aop | magazines | social media | association of online publishers | john welsh | these digital times |

Sign up here for our free, daily email newsletter to get all the latest stories, jobs, tips and more.

Got a story? Email our news team: Laura Oliver; Judith Townend or telephone +44 (0)1273 384290. You can also follow us on Twitter: @journalismnews / @LauraOliver / @JTownend.