Coffee Twalk

April 27, 2009Robin Frank @robeen

What is Twitter?

What is Twitter• Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message,

or the web. • Twitter can be used to update your Facebook status, your blog, and various other sources simultaneously.• Why these three - because these networks have risen to the top for professional interaction, and are generic enough for anyone to be a member.

Basic Terms• Tweet: to post a message on Twitter • Follow: to subscribe to a Twitter user so you see their updates • @username: a reply sent in the public timeline so everyone else can see it• Direct Message (DM): a private message sent to another Twitter user• Re-tweet: to re-post someone else’s tweet while attributing it to the original poster, build relationships, compliment and endorse others.• Fail whale: when Twitter goes down, the “Fail Whale” appears as an error message

Twitter Etiquette

• #hashtags: great ways to tag your Twitter update on a specific subject. This way, followers and non-followers can find your update using the Twitter search box on the Twitter homepage, or using one of the Trending Topics.

• #followfriday: Probably one of the most popular #hashtags is #followfriday. Follow Friday is the day when you recommend users to all of your followers, and anyone watching the #followfriday trend, by including @username and #followfriday in the same tweet.

• URL shorteners: tinyurl.com/, bit.ly/, Bit.ly will show a history of your recent shortened URL’s, as well as the number of clicks this shortened URL has received, and also additional Bit.ly links that have been created for the article.

Your Profile -Real, Human,

Useful• Be authentic, real, AND interesting• our profile reflects your personal brand.• Use a clear, high-quality photo Use the same profile photo on all sites• Fill out complete information - keep it professional, yet interesting• Use the same information about yourself - tell the same story

• Edit your social media profiles & elements with the right keywords

Follow

• Follow– people you know– people they know– people who interest you– people who follow you (this is polite)– Check out profiles first

Get Followers

• Directories• Wefollow• Justweetit• Whoshouldifollow• Twellow• Geofollow• Follow

Content, then search

Not all Followers are Equal• Are your followers active? Active users share your links, they give you

feedback, they talk to you.

• Do the people who follow you have influence? Would you rather get 50 retweets from users with 10 to 100 random followers? Or you rather get 10 retweets from influencers in same niche, with all of them having 1000 to 10,000 very relevant followers?

• Tweet a link or idea and having someone with a blog in the same niche write about it and link to you? Some users can reach more people much faster and these are the ones that can help you.

What to Post• Business PR• Avoid blatant self-promotion• Post useful, interesting information (articles, blog posts, news, events, etc.)• Promote others to build connections• Make introductions to refer business to others (givers gain)

• Remember to be professional, yet interesting and personal

What to Post• Keep customers informed (Southwest Airlines)• Provide customer service via Twitter (H&R Block)• Capture orders via Twitter (coffee shops, etc.• Tweet about interesting ways your customers are using product or service• Distribute your press releases • Announce events• Gather customer feedback via Twitter (Whole Foods)• Announce new versions of your product or new features

What kind of information isinteresting to these people?

What kind of information isinteresting to these people?

What kind of information isinteresting to these people?

What kinds of problemsmight a Twitter account raise?

Multiple posters

What?

Hold conversations

Share links

Link to your sites

Amplify

Acknowledge problems

Hold promotions and contests

Effective postingPromotions and contests

Reveal yourself

Communication Strategies

• Who do I want to talk to?• What is interesting to them?• What do I want to say to them?• Align this with my marketing objectives

More Etiquette• Remember everyone can hear you• Keep small conversations private• Whatʼs rude in life is rude on Twitter• Watch your ratio• Be consistent but don’t go overboard• Plug yourself moderately

Twitip• Participate in conversations to show engagement• Post photos with TwitPic• Mobile apps like Tweetie keep you connected• Automatic blog post announcement• Automatic FB updates• Ping.fm• Mashable, Techcrunch

Listening Techniques and

Tools• Search.twitter.com• Tweetbeep• Twist - see trends• Tweetdeck, twirl

Search.twitter.com

Tweetbeep.com

Twist.flaptor.com

Contact me

Robin Frank

@robeen@greenrobeen

Robeenf@gmail.com