One of the best ways to learn about social networks and social software is to interview who use it, especially those are a top user. Jay Oatway is a Tech-Culture / Mobile Lifestyle Trend Hunter, Magazine Columnist, Digital Journalist, Social Media Editor and the top twitter user in Hong Kong. I had a chance to ask Jay Oatway about the way he uses social media, the value of social software and how it has benefited him. We also touch on what he sees are some of the future trends and what he is looking forward to.

What were the primary elements that first drove you to become a heavy social media user?

Competition. In early 2008, there were only a handful of Twitter users in Hong Kong. I knew many of them. As a project one day, I decided to see just what sort of level of effort was required to become #1 (according to http://twitter.grader.com). It didn’t take too much effort to get a few thousand followers and rise to the top. Within a few months I was topping the chart, and addicted to the experience.

Which parts of social software do you see providing the greatest benefit and added value? Who benefits the greatest from this added value? Users? Marketers?

Any software tool that allows you to “socialize” and create useful connections to other people. This is true for businesses who need to make genuine relationships with customers, as well as users who find value through the exchange of ideas and experiences with like-minded people.

As a top user of social media and social software, how has his benefited you personally? Has it enhanced your reputation? What are drawbacks?

The exposure I’ve been able to generate through social media has opened many doors — everyday I receive a call/email/tweet from someone new wanting to do work with me, or to ask for my advice. It’s truly amazing. While I do my best to reply to everyone who contacts me (just as I’m trying to reply to  your questions), I feel that the demands for my time are getting to a point where I’m not always able to dedicate the same level of attention to everyone as I once did.

Twitter isn’t as popular in HK compared to the US and other regions. How have you used Twitter to your benefit? Does this provide you with a larger global audience?

Out of my 80,000+ followers, more than 35,000 are in the US. While the HK user base is growing rapidly, it’s important not to be fenced in by your physical location. Being based in HK only affects the time of day I’m able to be present online. Otherwise, my tweets are no different than what someone in London or New York can produce. We are all equal in 140 characters.

What are some of the trends you see in the near future for social network sites and social media?

“Social” now becomes “real-time”. Expect Twitter to lead the charge, and expect the new “lists” to spark a new boom for Twitter — at the same time, many leading experts are going to be calling for an open framework of distributed micro-blogging that would free us from the tyranny of the Fail Whale. Regardless, everything on the web will be re-tooled to function within the “real-time web” that Twitter has given birth to.

We can expect that Facebook will continue to reshape itself to become an ever more important prominent player in the real-time web. Bing is working hard to provide better “real-time” search results. And Google Wave may prove to also be a game changer.

Tags: social media

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 8:22 am and is filed under social analysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.