Trending competitions are rubbish

I've noticed that the #moonfruit hashtag is still at number on the the trending topics on Twitter this morning. This pisses me off.

Moonfruit are bribing Twitterers to use their hashtag in every conversation they have on Twitter by (supposedly) offering a macbook pro a day to someone who does. So yes, the campaign reached its objective of getting to number 1 on the trending topics like #squarespace did a few weeks ago.

But there are two reasons this pisses me off:

1. So Moonfruit got to the top of trending topics. The problem is that it was done with an unrelated hashtag in random conversation so anyone browsing through the trending topics still doesn't have a clue what Moonfruit is or what they do. I also very much doubt it did much to the traffic on their website. So the campaign didn't drive traffic and didn't drive true awareness so what is the point.
2. These competitions will stuff (and I really want to use a stronger word) up what hashtags are meant to be for and thats aggregating conversation so people can find related content. IE, lots of people were taking about Tweetcamp on the weekend so Tweetcamp trended (which was exciting for me!) and people browsing the trending page could get an idea of what it was about and related links. Moonfruit is trending but when you browse through the trending page the conversation is complety random. "Feeding my cat #moonfruit". What the hell is the point of that?! No one walks around in real life going "Good morning mate. Coca Cola".
   

So to sum it up: Clueless, old school, BS marketers stop stuffing (and I mean something else) up a very good system that is very helpful when used the right way. And if you were one of the guilty ones that got sucked into this and used the hashtag, shame on you. You're encouraging the clueless ones to do it more and eventually trending and hashtags will just be a pointless mess.

Posted via email from Jon's posterous

Comments

[Jim Anning]

Spot on Jon. Apart from the fact that its "stuffing" the hashtag system, I think it also mis-fires from an engagement marketing perspective. I've seen so many tweets from people along the lines of 'Im really sorry to spam you.. but I want a macbook'. So rather than associating themselves with the brand, I'm seeing a lot of people actively disassociate themselves from the brand. I guess that wasn't moonfruits intention.

[tehbus]

I agree with what your saying and it has echoes of the redent Habitat marketing debacle. However, at least they were getting their messages, even searching "What the Trend" etc.. I am still none the wiser as to what Moonfruit is or what they do.

[Jon M Bishop]

Thanks @jimanning and @tehbus! Good to know that when I go out on a limb, there are some people that agree with me!

[Andre]

OK. I have been called to defend my actions :))

I'd like a new MacBook Pro, and I'm prepared to tweet the moonfruit hashtag a couple of times a day. They seem like a nice bunch, and they get Twitter enough to actually interact with the people they're targeting. Huge props.

Also, (cos that's all I have in the way of defense :)) there are some holes in your argument:

1. "and eventually trending and hashtags will just be a pointless mess"
Actually hashtags have only ever been of limited (visual) use anyway. Search engines certainly DO NOT need a term to be preceded by a hash to work.

Trending is a vanity issue. Don't pretend that it has some socially respectable purpose. It doesn't.

2. "I also very much doubt it did much to the traffic on their website. So the campaign didn't drive traffic"
Jon, you may be a fine guy and really smart, but just cos you say it, doesn't mean it may be used as fact IN THE VERY NEXT SENTENCE to support your point of view. No, that's just not going to fly. Alexa (a tad more empirical) says it drove HUGE traffic to their site.

3. "done with an unrelated hashtag in random conversation"
Isn't it interesting that you challenged me on this tweet?:

I am not ashamed. Last night? I partook of the fruit of the moon. No, really :)) http://href.co.za/48a #moonfruit

You looked at the image, right? Jon?
Please tell me you DID look at the image??

The campaign has it's fair share of pointless unrelated MacBook-greedy entries, but it's also spawned (and rewarded) a wonderful creative endeavour.
That's a bit of a achievement, no? Well, I think it is, and I applaud them.

My final insight for you? Destroy Twitter (how inappropriate is THAT name for my argument? :)) is a very cool Adobe Air Twitter client. One of it's awesome features, that I use to ease the pain, of pages and pages, of #followfriday tweets, is exclude users, and exclude words. Perhaps that will ease the moonfruit indigestion for you :))

And if that doesn't help? There's always Prozac, nê?
And. The compo ends today so, whoooooo-sahhh...
Be well, friend :)

[Jon M Bishop]

Woah @andrevr! essay! You are a character I'll give you that.

All valid points those Andre, and you are correct, I didn't check out the Alexa rankings so I could be wrong on that account. I still stand by my point that it messes up the good natured, collaborative intentions of hashtags.

Oh and amazingly soon after I wrote this article, Twitter pulled the Moonfruit hashtag from the trending topics! They must have read it and agreed with me
;-) Read it here

[Andre]

I read the Moonfruit respose last night. And I agree with their assessment that it was a little rude of Twitter not to answer or engage them about it. I suspect (as do others) that Twitter is simply flexing in order to protect functionality that they hope to monetise, as in sell to large enterprise for MONEY...:), from being too funned-down and played with, so reducing it's value in the eyes of the stern-faced cheque signers.

[Jon M Bishop]

@andrevr, yeah it is rubbish of Twitter to pull it down without explanation. But saying it is for monetary purposes is as unfounded as me assuming Moonfruit didn't get any traffic out of this campaign. We could also assume that Moonfruit are strategically reaction in anger/disasppointment to milk the PR opportunity.

I feel Twitter are protecting their users from trending spam as it is becoming an issue that could kill trending topics. It happened to us when #Tweetcamp got spammed which put a damper on the acheivement.

Also remember that if it is a monetary issue, Twitter needs to monetize eventually otherwise it will just disappear which is no good for us and every other Twitter user.

[SheBee]

looky here, I have to agree with both of you boys:

a) yes - #moonfruit in a general tweet does seem rather pointless. but also,
b) like andre mentioned, it's working for them on Alexa. therefore,
c) who gives a f*ck?

i've kinda adopted the attitude of glazing over hashtags containing fruit of the moon or an oddly symmetrical space shape too. even though i'm guilty of partaking in both compo's once each.

to each their own, lovelies. and at a last resort - unfollow button ftw!

xox

[Jon M Bishop]

@shebeegee Ha ha! Unfollow is for quitters!

And I do think we should give a f--k because it is our industry and if we didn't put pressure on companies to protect us from evil doings, spam, scams and other bad things would destroy Twitter and the internet!

This article is an example

[Andre]

Once upon a time there were two boys, arguing.
Along came a girl, and said her piece.
The boys looked at her, then each other, and suddenly, silently they were on the same side.
Girls have that effect.

[Jon M Bishop]

Cause girls are pretty!