Business
Business Buzz: Keeping up with tech trends

PHUKET: If you’ve been following this column regularly, then you will be aware of the statistics on the soaring increases in use of the Internet and Social Media in recent years.
Coupled with this is the substantial increase in the use of smart phones. Many platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have now specifically set up self-filling forms to assist in using smart phones to easily place orders and provide information to complete online commerce transactions.
It is worth noting that some demographics are more or less likely to embrace certain technologies.
While millennials are happy to use smart phones for e-commerce, and almost everything else for that matter, the older generations still prefer using desktops to do their online purchasing.
As a company, you should understand your target market; its behaviors and the things that are likely to reach them successfully.
This can be uncovered with some online research or through forums and marketing companies.
The secret to success with technology is to be aware of current trends. Then you can be pro-active and keep up with them.
It’s even better to be one step ahead, so that you are planning and launching your marketing into the mediums that are getting the best results while they are at their peak, rather than turning up late to the party.
An important aspect of using analytics is that the company can direct resources to solutions that produce results. Trends are good at identifying marketing priorities. They may cause a big stir, but the stir may not affect the company’s bottom line. So trust tight analysis.
Facebook ‘likes’ are a classic example of this. In Thailand, it is very easy to get likes, but the real trick is to convert the likes into dollars.
I was recently talking about this over coffee with the shareholder of a large online systems company. The company is very informative because they are very good at analytics.
As I have said many times, if you don’t know your numbers, you are relying more on good luck than good management.
The company in question provides an IT-based platform for global distribution services (GDS) in Asean, and more specifically Thailand.
In reviewing their year-on-year results, they noticed a 240 per cent increase in online sales from the agents using their systems and a large drop in counter-based sales. This has been repeated for several years now and shows no sign of changing.
This translates to a complete consumer behavioral change, where customers are no longer buying products at a retail counter, but preferring to book online.
The trend is the same for all users, which shows how important it is to evolve with the times. If you don’t, you risk being left behind. Examples of industries where this has happened include book sales, newspapers, magazines and video stores, and they will certainly not be the last.
So where is your business in relation to the future, and are you keeping up with the times?
It’s never too late to start thinking about this, but the sooner you get into the mindset and start preparing, the better it will be for your business with less damage done.
Simon Wetherell is a Digital Media Expert, Trainer and Lawyer. He now resides in Thailand where he shows businesses and individuals how to profit from the Social Media industry. For more information, go to PhuketOnlineMarketing.com or call 095-085 3355.
— Simon Wetherell
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Business
Governments & old media versus social media – who will win? | VIDEO

We look at the recent changes made by the Australian and Indian governments to except control over the world’s biggest social media platforms. India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social. There is now an open battle between the rise of social media platforms and the governments and ‘old’ media that have been able to maintain a certain level of control over the ‘message’ for the last century. Who will win?
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told. The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
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