The big importance of small interations on twitter and in real life

@get_hoodzpah #gettinbizy

THE BIG IMPORTANCE OF

SMALL INTERACTIONSLaguna College of Art + Design

Professional Practices Fall 2014


SMALL INTERACTIONS

Twitter


Twitter Is The Cheat Code

Right now you don’t know anyone but your teachers and other students. You need to start making friends in the design community to build recognizability; but how?

Interviews, AIGA Events, networking meet-ups… these are all good ways, but there is a shortcut that you need to be

taking advantage of! Twitter.

SMALL INTERACTIONS | Twitter


The Design World Is Very Small

Designers and influencers who’d be hard to meet in real life because they are important, busy or geographically

not near you, are personally active on Twitter and directly accessible. The design scene on Twitter is a much smaller and more accessible world than the real world one. Use it

as a segue.



No Gatekeepers!

On Twitter there are no secretaries to hinder you from talking to the people you want to meet. No

need for friend-of-friend introductions. Just you and your wits. If you can interact with them in a

personal, engaging way, you could get noticed much easier than by competing for attention in their

email inbox or by a cold call.



They Spill The Beans.

You want to know how the design greats work? Want to know what programs they’re using? Want all the secrets? Most designers are posting all this

and more on Twitter.



Personal Anecdote:

I’ve been reading and loving Little White Lies magazine for years. I’ve always wanted to get on their radar to possibly

do illustrations for them. The other day I gave them a follow and replied to one of their tweets, praising them for their new release in a witty way. Not only did they respond back, they followed back! After years of trying to figure out who to talk to to get in touch with these people I am now

on their radar and one degree closer to them and their awesomeness, in whatever capacity.



That being said…

!

Don’t Be A Bar Fly

There’s a difference between interacting and harassing. If you get into Twitter just looking to connect for your own

benefit or to spam people for work, you will get shut down. Play it cool. Don’t come off as aggressive or desperate.



Appreciate peers and influencers

They’re not just a means to an end. Genuinely interact with your network because being insincere and self serving is one of the biggest turn-offs on social media. Twitter is

meant to be “social”, not a hard sell, or a stoic pitch interview.



Twitter is the modern cocktail party

It’s a who’s who guest list and if you can stand out and contribute interesting conversation then you’ll be a hit at

the party. However, if you only talk about yourself or don’t talk at all and creepily stand alone by the snacks, you won’t

get invited to other parties.



So we’ve got some tips for you…



Shorten your links using bit.ly

140 characters is a small window to get your point across. Don’t spend 2/3 of it with a long link.


http://bit.ly


Link to your website in your profile, and visa versa, link to your Twitter from your website.



Use hashtags correctly

It will help people find you based on content/topics they want to hear about. Tweets with hashtags get 2x more

engagement.



Include links to your topics if it applies.



Use images. Tweets with images are proven to have 2x higher engagement rates.



Don’t just promote yourself

Pepper self promotion in with funny stories, pop culture observations, links to interesting articles, and plugs for

other people’s projects or new product releases you dig.



You get what you give

Respond to other people’s tweets. Favorite them. Retweet when applicable.



Be careful of the follower/following ratio:

If you’re following 3,201 people but only have 94 followers, people will be hesitant to follow you back. It may sound

gamey, but it’s true. You always want your followers to be higher than your following. It makes you seem like a

tastemaker.



Use Lists

If you want to follow news organizations, or design outlets etc, consider adding them to a list instead of following them. It’s the best cheat way to keep up with people

without upping your following number.



Keep your ears open to the world around you.

Not only will you hear some hilarious stuff from strangers, but you all are surrounded by talented friends. If your

friend or teacher says something inspired, quote and tag them. That’s you creating helpful content and promoting your network. If you promote them they’re more likely to

want to promote you back.



Start Conversations.

It’s easy to be a reactor in Twitter, but try to actively engage your network. If you see something in an article that you talked with a Twitter friend about before, send them the link or mention it to them to get a convo going

and remind them you care/exist.



Ask Questions.

Want to know of a great local printer? Want to know of an online sticker vendor? Want to know how people are dealing with Yosemite update bugs? Ask your network!

It’s a great way to get friends engaged and get real, useful knowledge.



Grammar and spelling still sort of matter.

Sure, you use acronyms to shorten speech, but don’t look illiterate. You still have to use ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ correctly.



SMALL INTERACTIONS

How To Write Better Tweets


Relevance is key.

Twitter feeds move fast. So does life. Stay up to date on news, trends, culture and design-happenings. That way

when the conversation arises, you have something to say. Relevant people become influencers.

SMALL INTERACTIONS | How to Write Better Tweets


Tweet about great resources as you come across them.

If you find a great free mockup or a great new stock photo site that finally offers decent, natural looking photos, share the link and tag the site’s

Twitter account.



Tweet about things other than design.

Do you watch popular shows that are trending on Twitter? Then join the conversation. Twitter isn’t just strictly business. Having interests outside of design is helpful and can connect you with unique people that can widen your network. If you know an influencer you follow on Twitter likes “The Walking

Dead” and you watch the latest episode, ask them if they saw the latest episode and make an interesting comment about it (no plot spoilers). Find original ways of connecting with users

beyond “hey, I like your work.”



Don’t be a fan, be a peer.

When you just say “hey, I love your work.” You become a fanboy. When you offer design-centric feedback, you

become a peer. “Great poster! How do you do your amazing shading technique? I have been using vector textures in

multiplied layers.” This gets a conversation going.



Interaction In Real Life

SMALL INTERACTIONS


Know what you’re working on.

Because when you run into people, they WILL ask you. Have something specific to say other than “stuff”.

SMALL INTERACTIONS | In Real Life


Know how to explain where you work and what you do in 3 sentences or less and in an engaging way.

New introductions WILL ask you. It should cover:


Full name. Last names still matter.

Where you work at or if you are freelance.

What you do at that company (or for yourself).



The Evolution of an Introduction


How I introduced myself 4 years ago:

“I’m Amy”



How I introduced myself 2 years ago:

“I’m Amy and my sister and I work at this thing called Hoodzpah.”



How I introduced myself now:

“Hey, I’m Amy Hood! My twin sister and I run a design company in Newport Beach called Hoodzpah. We do

branding for start-ups and design-centric small businesses.”



Don’t feel like you’re tooting your own horn. People are curious!



LISTEN!

When someone is talking don’t scan the room for other people to talk to. Listen up and ask engaging questions.



Do your homework to ask better questions.

Research the members of a meet-up or event before you attend. If you know more about your Twitter friends or

influencers and what they’re up to, you’ll have interesting things to ask them about once you get there.



Don’t feel like you can only talk business.

Sometimes the best way to make a lasting connection is via interests other than design. TV shows, pop culture, music. Branch out! Get personal! Note: read your audience. Some

people are very private and may be uncomfortable about too much information, so look for context clues.



Shyness is often misconstrued as rudeness.

So throw caution to the wind! Go up and say “hi” to someone if you don’t know anyone. Or at the least, smile! If you see

someone you know, go over and give them a handshake or a hug. Don’t pretend like you don’t see them. They WILL think

you’re a self-important jerk.



Be less worried about looking stupid and more worried about missing opportunities.

So many people let insecurity get in the way. No one cares as much as you think they do. Promise. Say “hi” to that person you’ve been following on dribbble. Say “hi” to that person

you met last year at the AIGA lecture. Most people don’t bite.



Get Your Tweet On.

The big importance of small interations on twitter and in real life

Career

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