Social Media and the Steel Industry

“Social media” is a generalized term that applies to how people interact online, and can include blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Traditional newspapers, magazines, and books do not allow for the audience to share their viewpoints (aside from a Letter to the Editor) and engage in a dialogue for real-time feedback. That’s what I’m hoping this site will evolve into (with your help of course!)

As I’m reading up on Web 2.0, a book by Paul Gillin called The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media was recommended to me. It’s a great read, and I recommend it to anyone, especially companies thinking about blogging. In there, Gillin provides a discussion on one of the original blogs on the sheet metal industry, The Tinbasher, run by Paul Woodhouse and Butler Sheetmetal in the UK. (Fantastic to see a mainstream shout-out to someone in the industry!)

In addition to The Tinbasher, I follow Steel Strip World run by Steve Sawford of BSS SteelStrip and Steel on the Net by Metals Consulting International for steel industry information. For tool & die blogs, I read Eric Kam’s Self Proclaimed Die Expert, Die Guy by Tim Stephens, and Tool and Dieing by Joe Brown of Lintrio.

These blogs all have a distinctive style and voice, and provide timely information and insight.