Twitter broke the news of Whitney Houston’s death 27 minutes before the news broke the story. Twitter is definitely on its way to becoming the number one source for news. If there are entrepreneurs and small business owners that still don’t see the value of Twitter, well then shame on them. Companies such as Bank of America, Verizon Wireless and Southwest Airlines can attest to Twitter’s effectiveness. Twitter set an all new record during Super Bowl 2012 with 12,233 tweets per second while Madonna’s Super Bowl half time show came in 2nd with 10,245 tweets per second. News of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Japan’s Tsunami reached millions in just a matter of seconds thanks to Twitter users worldwide. In his blog, Jeff Bullas shares that Twitter is fast approaching 500 million users.
Twitter should definitely be included in any social media strategy. The reach potential is endless and it affords business owners with the opportunity to directly connect with clients. Twitter is less about self-promotion but more about relationship building and engaging with others. The relationships that you build on Twitter can potentially be worth more than investment dollars spent on print, television and radio advertising campaign.
Brands are actually directing their clients to their social networks. Imagine the impact you can have by connecting with clients in real time, decreasing the need for surveys and questionnaire's with the hope that customers will fill them out. Here are some tips that might help generate buzz around your brand:
• Identify your audience
• Listen to your audience
• Know the wants of your audience
• Engage your audience
• Build relationships
• Share information
• Be consistent with your message
• Tweet often
• Host a twitter party/chat around a product launch or event
• Acknowledge your followers often
• Launch a contest
• Tweet fresh content
• Link to your website
Don't Forget Video
At today’s Social Media Week launch, Ogilvy Digital Strategist, Kelly Ferraro shared that online video consumption grew 40% in 2011 v. 2010. With statistics such as these, companies should plan on incorporating video in their branding and marketing strategies.
Your customers are social. 800 million of them are on Facebook, 490 million are on YouTube and in a matter of days, 500 million will be on Twitter. Meet your customers where they are and watch your business grow.
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday, November 8, 2010
Has Social Media Robbed Us Of Personal Interaction?
Has social media robbed us of interpersonal communication? This is a question I often ask when I reflect over time spent conversing via Internet-based social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and even iTune’s Ping. As the Communications Director for my employer, a large part of my day is spent interacting online and identifying strategies to obtain and engage our friends and followers.
At work, when colleagues and clients ask what is the best way to reach me either by phone or in-person, my first response is e-mail. With electronic dialogue, we can control the conversation, when it starts, when it ends and multi-task without appearing offensive.
Personal interaction is important
I was raised in an age where personal interaction was key and I eagerly embraced the opportunity to engage others at school, throughout my career and social activities. At an early age I was introduced to people and learned the importance of effective communication and interaction. However; what I observe now, is that many adults are no longer educating young people on how to interact with others. They’re putting cell phones and laptops in the hands of their children and leaving them to their own devices. Seventeen million teens between the ages of 12-17 are on the Internet. This number represents about 75% of young people in the United States. Many of these youngsters are engrossed in Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social networks. The world and its technological developments are constantly evolving and it is great to live in a world where new developments arise at almost every stage of life.
Are we creating narcissists?
My question; though is, are we teaching young people to become narcissistic. Facebook has more than 500 million users, Twiiter has more than 175 million users and as of February 2010, YouTube reported 48.2 million users and over 120 million videos on its site. It is safe to say there is a steady growth of Internet communication and those who’ve yet to embrace it, need to do so.
My point is we need to have balance. Let’s not lose sight of interpersonal relationships, and networking in public places. I love meeting new people, as well as learning about their achievements and how they got there. I’m a student of life and I absolutely love to learn. But, I also notice that as much as I love to learn, there are people who absolutely love to talk about themselves, their accomplishments, what they do, how they do it, etc. Facebook is my favorite opportunity to show “my” friends, who really aren’t my friends, all of my pictures of me, my cat, my friends, and anything else related to “me.” Just notice how many times I’ve used “I” in this post alone.
A February 2010 post in Social Media Today, “Does Twitter Breed Narcissim” mentions a research study published by professors at Rutgers University indicating the majority of updates in sites like Twitter and Facebook are “self-centered.”
Are we really addicted to social media?
How many times have you been out on business, personal, etc., and after just five minutes, have a strong desire to “check your Facebook page” to see if someone commented on “your” post or status update? Our addiction to social media has undoubtedly affected the way we interact with others. When we’re out with friends and colleagues, nine out of ten people will find a reason to pull out their phone to check e-mail, send a text or a tweet letting their “followers” and “friends” know exactly where they are at that very moment. Narcissism at work once again.
I’m not necessarily seeking an answer, this is just an observation and something to ponder. Does this mean I’m going to deactivate my Facebook and Twitter accounts? Absolutely not! I will; however, make every effort to educate young people and adults to maintain balance in all aspects of communication.
At work, when colleagues and clients ask what is the best way to reach me either by phone or in-person, my first response is e-mail. With electronic dialogue, we can control the conversation, when it starts, when it ends and multi-task without appearing offensive.
Personal interaction is important
I was raised in an age where personal interaction was key and I eagerly embraced the opportunity to engage others at school, throughout my career and social activities. At an early age I was introduced to people and learned the importance of effective communication and interaction. However; what I observe now, is that many adults are no longer educating young people on how to interact with others. They’re putting cell phones and laptops in the hands of their children and leaving them to their own devices. Seventeen million teens between the ages of 12-17 are on the Internet. This number represents about 75% of young people in the United States. Many of these youngsters are engrossed in Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social networks. The world and its technological developments are constantly evolving and it is great to live in a world where new developments arise at almost every stage of life.
Are we creating narcissists?
My question; though is, are we teaching young people to become narcissistic. Facebook has more than 500 million users, Twiiter has more than 175 million users and as of February 2010, YouTube reported 48.2 million users and over 120 million videos on its site. It is safe to say there is a steady growth of Internet communication and those who’ve yet to embrace it, need to do so.
My point is we need to have balance. Let’s not lose sight of interpersonal relationships, and networking in public places. I love meeting new people, as well as learning about their achievements and how they got there. I’m a student of life and I absolutely love to learn. But, I also notice that as much as I love to learn, there are people who absolutely love to talk about themselves, their accomplishments, what they do, how they do it, etc. Facebook is my favorite opportunity to show “my” friends, who really aren’t my friends, all of my pictures of me, my cat, my friends, and anything else related to “me.” Just notice how many times I’ve used “I” in this post alone.
A February 2010 post in Social Media Today, “Does Twitter Breed Narcissim” mentions a research study published by professors at Rutgers University indicating the majority of updates in sites like Twitter and Facebook are “self-centered.”
Are we really addicted to social media?
How many times have you been out on business, personal, etc., and after just five minutes, have a strong desire to “check your Facebook page” to see if someone commented on “your” post or status update? Our addiction to social media has undoubtedly affected the way we interact with others. When we’re out with friends and colleagues, nine out of ten people will find a reason to pull out their phone to check e-mail, send a text or a tweet letting their “followers” and “friends” know exactly where they are at that very moment. Narcissism at work once again.
I’m not necessarily seeking an answer, this is just an observation and something to ponder. Does this mean I’m going to deactivate my Facebook and Twitter accounts? Absolutely not! I will; however, make every effort to educate young people and adults to maintain balance in all aspects of communication.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
TweetDeck Tailgate Party
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| TweetDeck |
I like to refer to TweetDeck as a “Tailgate Party” for twitter addicts. A social gathering held in a media hub before, during and after your favorite twittering experience. Like a tailgate party, TweetDeck allows people with similar interests to tweet and socialize in numerous chat discussions and spontaneously chat across the multi-column platform. My tweetdeck tailgate party allows me to keep up with weekly chat favorites such as #blogchat, #SMManners and #tweetdiner just to name a few.
There are several other perks associated with TweetDeck that provides you with a more intimate experience and actually makes you feel personally connected. The tool allows you to view user profiles, as well as their timelines. This feature will help you make a decision as to whether you prefer to follow a specific user. If you’re taking part in a chat discussion and a tweet comes across your screen in an unfamiliar language, don’t worry; TweetDeck will translate the tweet for you. Not convinced yet? Well maybe you’ll be convinced by TweetDeck’s built-in url shortener that automatically shortens any url entered in the message box. And although there are some great url shortener programs such as google’s newly released shortener, goo.gl and bit.ly basic, TweetDeck’s program saves me the extra step and instantly shortens any url.
You can create columns that allow you to track new followers, mentions, direct messages, trending topics and more. And just in case you’re having trouble saying what you need to say in 140 characters or less, the application will “tweetshrink” your update. You customize the tweetdeck application so that it suits your specific need. Check out 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Tweetdeck.
TweetDeck is not for everyone. It is an advanced tool that even the most experienced twitter junkies have to get used to. But if you’re up for the challenge and not intimidated by the constant tweets that pop up at any given time, then this is the place for you. We’ll see you at the next “TweetDeck Tailgate Party.”
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