Social media basics: Twitter

Tweet your way to better investor and community relations.

With the unfortunate reputation as a platform for spoiled pop stars to rant about their first-world problems, Twitter was slow to establish itself as a social media platform for serious business communication.

But professionals and businesses are catching on to the beauty of communicating in 140 characters or less. Twitter is now the fastest growing social media platform with 230 million active users on Twitter posting 500 million tweets every day. Twitter_logo_blue

There’s room for the conservative mining industry too. Over 360 mining companies have Twitter accounts already according to this list of mining companies on Twitter maintained by Mining.com.

Following the money

Junior exploration companies looking to raise new capital should consider Twitter a core part of their strategy to broaden their investor base in the lead up to an initial public offering (IPO). But is Twitter the magic bullet for junior companies raising new capital?

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Community relations aren’t core business yet. Here’s why.

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Utah copper mine

Sustainable development has no future in the mining industry until community relations and development professionals are considered functional equals, social science researchers have warned in a recently published paper.

Relationships with local communities can make, break or delay exploration and mining projects large and small. Land access and community buy-in are essential to long-term success of any mineral extraction project.

But despite the make-or-break power that rests the shoulders of the community relations function, it is not widely seen as core business. Not yet anyway. (more…)

Call to action: How to turn website visitors into valuable leads‏

arrowIn the online world, where attention is the most precious resource, catching the eye of the reader scanning your website is crucial. Funneling their attention to meet the goals of your website – sales, subscribers, new business leads – comes down to the humble ‘call to action’.

If you have ever clicked ‘search’ on the Google home page, subscribed to an online publication, signed up for or shared on social media, or hit ‘buy’, ‘add to cart’ or ‘download now’, you have used a call to action. Or CTA in online marketing speak. (more…)

How 3D printing will disrupt mining, in a good way

NASA is planning to use 3D printers on the International Space Station and several companies hope to employ them to mine near-earth asteroids.

Seen as an expensive hobby 20 years ago, 3D printing (see refresher below) has now firmly established a reputation as the future of manufacturing. But there is enormous potential for this technology during mineral extraction too. So what are the applications for 3D printing in mining here on earth?

3D printed parts. Photo: Andrew Craigie, Flickr

3D printed parts. Photo: Andrew Craigie, Flickr

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Social media basics: LinkedIn

Professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate of more than two new members per second. 

LinkedIn is an online professional network that has gathered 238 million members worldwide in the last 10 years. Individual members upload resume information, connect with professional acquaintances, join groups with similar interests and follow companies. News sites are calling it big data meets human resources and it’s time for your business to jump in.  (more…)

Start blogging!

Recently I went searching for blogs about exploration and mining written by the companies themselves. The result? Slim pickings.

While there are thousands of blogs talking about exploration, mining, commodities, investment, minerals, resources, mergers & acquisitions… there are very few written by the explorers and miners themselves. (more…)