6 Ways to Get Noticed By People on Twitter
It’s been a year and a few days since I first joined Twitter. I admit to being one of those people who didn’t see the point of the platform. I thought it was useless. But I was intrigued and I was on a mission. I knew Twitter was up and coming and rapidly gaining in popularity. For that reason I chose to write my diploma thesis about Twitter as a tool for Relationship Marketing. It was a challenge to say the least. I’d never used the platform before. Hell, I didn’t even know ANYONE in the Marketing, PR or Social Media industry. And yet, I needed a minimum of 120 experts to take part in my survey. I needed them to share their knowledge and experience with me. Someone, no-one had ever heard of before.
I’m not going to lie to you. Being new to Twitter sucks because you need to build an audience that helps you spread the word. Preferably an audience that has a big audience themselves. You want to connect with people that have influence in your niche, that know what they are talking about and whose single Tweet can get you noticed by a lot of other people. All of this is intimidating. You’ll need to be interesting, humorous, provide quality content and not be afraid to approach people. It’s a lot to take in and a lot to handle for a Twitter newbie.
A year ago, I was a newbie. Now, 5000 something Tweets later, a great thesis and some wonderful connections in my bag I’m going to share with you what I would have loved to know a year ago. I’m not going to talk about how you need to provide quality content or Retweet others because there are a million posts telling you exactly that. What I am going to do is to give you some tips that will help you become a blip on the influencer’s radars. The people that do something awesome, are interesting, have a wide reach and know their stuff.
Approach people!
This one is really important because people are not going to come knocking on your door. You have to work for what you want. Say hi to people. Ask how they are. Provide them with quality content. Comment on their blogs. @message them on Twitter. Do not spam them. No-one likes to be spammed. It’s probably not going to work the first time or the second time or even the third time. It all takes time. Don’t give up. If I had given up I would have not finished my thesis. I would still sit here and wait and hope.
Big shot or not, people are people
It doesn’t matter how famous someone is. People are people. You’ll probably find it intimidating to approach the celebs of your niche. There’s no need to. They are human. Maybe with a bit more knowledge and a bit more $ in their bank account but they are human. Remember that.
Be yourself
There’s nothing worse than being approached by someone who isn’t authentic. Be true to yourself. There’s no need to be something you are not. Being yourself greatly increases your chances of being recognized.
Don’t rush things.
What would you say if a stranger knocked on your door and said, “Please help me build my house.” Would you say yes? I doubt it. If you want others to help you, you need to be patient. Relationships take time. In that respect, Twitter is no different to real life. It’s a give and take. If people start to get to know and like you, they will be more than willing to help.
Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.
Every person has an opinion. Most of us are just too afraid to speak their mind. There’s no harm in saying what you think as long as you pay attention to how you say it. If you read a blog post by someone that is “famous” but you don’t agree with it, say it. They are not going to bite your head off. If anything, they’ll be appreciative of your opinion. They hear all day long how awesome they are. As I said, people are people. Just because people are well known, doesn’t mean they know it all. They still learn from other human beings. Try to be one of those people they can learn from.
Sometimes, just ask!
People will surprise you. Asking never hurts. If you did all of the above and you still haven’t reached the goal you set out to achieve, ask them straight. What’s the worst that can happen? They say no or nothing at all. No-one gets hurt. But, you might just win the jackpot and they will say yes. You never know.
When trying to approach people that you feel intimidated by it’s important you grab the bull by its horns, as they say. The influencers won’t come looking for you. You need to go looking for them. You need to be worth their time. Twitter allows you to approach them. Now, go do it.
Today’s guest post is by Antonia Harler. Antonia recently graduated and holds a degree in Management, Communications & IT. She’s performed extensive research on how to best use Twitter for Relationship Marketing. For more information about her visit her blog www.socialglitz.com, follow her on Twitter (@antwizzel) or join her on Facebook www.facebook.com/socialglitz.
The New Foursquare for Admission Departments and Universities
Universities are kicking butt in social media! They’re on Twitter, Facebook and are beginning to use geolocation applications like Foursquare. Why is this going to work? Most prospective students make decisions on where they will be attending school on the campus tour. So making a good impression during the first tour is important. Foursquare allows universities to explore the campus in a whole new way. The application can be used to leave tips to ensure that prospects know where to go and what to do during a visit. Other reasons for universities to use geolocation applications are:
- Point out traditions
- Share little known facts
- Share information about landmarks, buildings, and addresses
- Address questions before they’re asked (safety,navigation)
- Offer rewards and badges to encourage new students to explore the campus
- Share traditions of the school
- Get students immersed in the community off campus
- Receive advice from alumni
Another use for Foursquare in the university setting is for alumni “re-visiting campus”. Foursquare can help them find out what’s been happening since they’ve graduated. For instance, an alum will check in and see a new building. The different landscape could be important to some people revisiting the University…. time will tell on that one. Adding onto that feature is an application that will tell them the new building purpose and “new” history. It helps the alum keep connected and not feel lost.
Harvard is one school who is utilizing Foursquare. They offer historical information and fun things to do on campus, which can all be found on Foursquare under the Harvard page. Harvard University has several pages on Foursquare for its many buildings.
Universities are known to have a lot of events. A different application to help share all these events is Whrrl.This application allows for users to check-in as well as upload photos and messages to share about the event. This app has the potential to bring together new students and alumni. They are connected by their shared experiences and can see in real time what’s going on at events on campus. According to Mashable, in May 2010, St. Edwards University used Whrrl to commemorate its graduation ceremony.
The other incentive for universities to begin using geolocal applications is the amount of data that can be collected. The data can show what events are being most attended, demographics, college culture and can make informed decisions based on what the students respond to. Higher education institutions that embrace geoloaction applications will be ahead of the game and will be able to connect with its students in valuable ways.
Google Apps Hits 30 Million Employees
http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/20/google-apps-now-used-by-30-million-employees/
The Right Way to Market Yourself on Twitter
Trying to market yourself on Twitter can be tricky. Being a pushy salesperson, while never popular anywhere, is strictly taboo in Social Media. So how do you engage potential prospects while avoiding the appearance of a door to door vacuum salesperson?
I recently had an interaction with Kat from GoHeadBand.com who negotiated the art brilliantly. I had tweeted how difficult a 2 mile run for me had been in spite of running a mini-marathon just 5 months ago. She responded to me with encouragement and some advice. I was told to take things slow, but to remember that I will attain fitness faster because of my prior running.
As I don’t know this person, I was inclined to look her up on Twitter to see what she was about. Her bio mentioned that she had completed 5 marathons and she also made “moisture wicking headbands.” Since my most recent run was in 94 degree heat and I am fond of headbands, I now found myself as an interested prospect.
Not once has she offered to sell me anything, but here I am as a potential buyer. So what did she do right that we can learn about as we navigate the roads in Twitter?
- Search. She obviously had a twitter client, like CoTweet, where she was searching for keywords like “running.” This helps you identify a group with interests in your product.
- She offered Value. She not only gave me some friendly advice, to adapt to things slowly, but she also offered me encouragement. You can trace those lessons back to “How to Win Friends and Influence People” as classic relationship management.
- She had a great bio. Her bio told me a little bit about herself in that she was a runner. It also clearly defined to me what she specifically offered as a product or service including a website link.
Much of the advice available in the realm of social media is pointed towards telling us what not to do. While those lessons can certainly help us avoid some challenges, it doesn’t give us clarity on what we can do. I am thankful for this experience and I will definitely add this to my “rules of engagement” on Twitter.
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Todays guest post was written by Brian Richardson has 19 years of sales and management experience and is a sales trainer at ExactTarget. Follow him at B__Richardson (that is two underscores) and check out his Twitter bio for hobbies and interests.
20 Ways Businesses Are Using Foursquare
I know. We are trying to figure this “foursquare” thing out. I understand completely. The research team at Brandswag (Rachel Elsts and Stephanie Gray) decided to put together 20 different ways foursquare is being using in the business setting. Hopefully this will help you in your search to using Foursquare for increased revenue and interaction.
1. Retail stores
Retail Stores are using Foursquare to get shoppers to not only “check-in” but to buy. It’s coupon clicking for retail without the hassle of having to chase a sale. Below are some great examples:
Express “$30 off $90 @ Express stores now-9/14/10, ring code: 2793. Limit 1 offer per customer. Offer must be presented at the time of purchase. Other terms & conditions apply, see store associate for details.”
American Eagle - “Check-in to any A store and unlock a 15% Off discount towards your next merchandise purchase. Expires 9/30/10. Limit one per customer”
2. Restaurants
Restaurants have been among the most popular places to use Foursquare. Many restaurants are being to play around with the application so be sure to “check-in” when your out. Some great examples of restaurants using the application are:
Carrabba’s Italian Grill - “Show that you’re the Mayor of Carrabba’s and enjoy a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entrée. Grazie!”
Granite City Food & Brewery - “One Complimentary Appetizer or Flatbread for the Mayor!”
3. Fitness Clubs
Fitness clubs can engage with clientele by using Foursquare. The Five Seasons Family Sports Club offers this deal for checking in “See Thad, Fitness Director, for your complimentary Personal Training Session. Thank you for being a member. (one per member)” This is a nice incentive for current members to use the application. As a guest who happens to visit I would consider becoming a member upon discovering this…after all I could be getting a FREE training session.
Currently they have this ad running.
4. The vast majority are doing it- even small business!
Corporations not necessarily related to customer service such as restaurants, retail stores and so forth are using Foursquare. SpinWeb (Indianapolis, IN)
“Since this is your third meeting at SpinWeb, you’ve won a free massage at Healing Key! Ask us for your gift card 
” Pretty nice incentive and thank you for business gift. Businesses can give a personal gift without having to promote it all over town. It feels exclusive.
5. Parks are using Foursquare.
Parks are slightly different than any other venue. Its a venue where people assume interaction so using Foursquare to heighten this interaction is second nature. For Instance, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park offers“$2 off General Admission on your first check-in! (one discount per Foursquare account “
6. Want to rule the town?
Mayorship is not a new perk of using Foursquare, but being recognized in the media because you’re the mayor is. Metromix Indy recently ran a cover story with the top mayors all around Indianapolis. Now, some Starbucks are even offering special discounts for “mayors” of their location. It may just be a title, but it does seem to come with fame (and a little fortune.)
7. Sport teams move to Foursquare
Redskins fans are in for a Foursquare reward: check in at the game and obtain a special Redskins badge. With the increase in geolocation social media, football season is sure to start to jump on the Foursquare bandwagon, with the Redskins leading the way. The move into social media will be a great way to measure fan base and game attendance plus the ability to make the game more interactive to fans. And the ultimate reward for constantly checking in at FedEx Field? VIP tickets. Not a bad idea at all.
8. MTV and the Entertainment Industry
MTV recently paired up with Foursquare to offer a contest to users that frequently checked into local music venues. Whatever venue had the secret “Moonman” badge put the user into a contest to win tickets to the VMAs on September 12.
The real question now is what celebs checked in at the actual event?
9. Get a discount on all the books you could ever want.
Borders has entered the digital e-book market and is using Foursquare as a new marketing strategy. Borders said it had started running a promotional campaign focused around Foursquare, where customers would receive a 10 percent discount off all full-priced books after every third Foursquare check-in at a Borders store. Borders is planning to roll out the campaign to all of its 26 stores and would keep the deal going for an initial two months (via Delimiter).
10. Did you check-in before or after you ordered your burger?
At 4food in New York City, the owners are giving customers a chance to rate their food and tell their friends immediately after eating. LED screens are displayed around the restaurant showcasing twitter mentions and Foursquare check-ins, while customers are encouraged to rate their meal during their visit. 4food states that they have yet to spend a dime on advertising, because they let their reputation and customers do it for them…and isn’t that what social media is all about?
11. FREE FOOD.
Two words that have driven crowds to dress up, wait in line and even forced college students to skip class. So how does it apply? Qdoba offered free burritos for those who checked in during a visit and shouted “I’ve been burrito boredom!” Not only does this have consumers become more outgoing due to Foursquare incentives, but the social media advertising has done the chain restaurant wonders.
12. (Socially acceptable) Gaming
With an increase in businesses participating in Foursquare, the competition between friends, peers and even strangers for mayorship/badges has taken gaming to a whole new level. The social media aspect is evident, as most hardcore Foursquare users post their status to various SM sites. However, there is a constant competition of who can become mayor of the workplace, coffee shop, etc. Coworkers “check in” fervently to try and win the title, glory,and available coupons.
13. Voice Recognition
It may not be the most socially acceptable way to check in, but Vlingo has created a way for the Android app users to “check-in” on Foursquare by voice recognition. It’s a speech check-in feature that will save time, even if it does raise a few eyebrows.
With the new app, Android users can speak a simple “check-in to [insert place name]” command after tapping the home screen button. The command will prompt Vlingo to automatically pull up the location in question, and other nearby venues, on Foursquare, providing users with a fast alternative to touch-based Foursquare check-ins. (via Mashable)
14. Foursquare on Broadway
Have you seen Foursquare in Times Square lately? The geolocation social media app recently had a digital advertisement appear above the American Eagle store in New York City last week, encouraging users to check-in and find their friends. Foursquare is moving up beyond the local Starbucks check-in to the city that never sleeps…moving up has never been so rewarding.
15. SXSW (events) and Foursquare
South by Southwest is a popular music festival in Austin, TX flooded by young adults. The festival has been integrating technology into the activities for the duration of the week long event. Three years ago, Twitter dominated and this year Foursquare was all the rage. Over 15 badges specifically created for the festival and SXSW stated that “Foursquare is a great way to keep track of one’s friends during a busy and crowded day in Austin, TX.”
16. Analytics/Check Stats
Businesses are using Foursquare to track the statistics of their locations in many ways. Here are the real time statistics businesses get insights into:
customer behavior while at venue
- most recent visitors
- most frequent visitors
- the time of day people check in
- total number of unique visitors
- histogram of check-ins per day
- gender breakdown of customers
- portion of foursquare check-ins broadcast to Twitter and Facebook
17. Foursquare as a Businesses Mobile Application
The application works as a real life walking advertisement; a potential customer checks-in somewhere down the block…they see that nearby there is a special deal just for checking-in…chances are they will visit. Foursquare tells users where the deals are and how to unlock them. Essentially, they drive traffic to your location.
18. Customer Service and Support
Foursquare helps guide the customer to this answer though tips and to do lists via friends on Foursquare. The users who give tips are customers with more than an opinion but an experience. These customers speak on the behalf of the company (good or bad). In a nutshell, customers are checking-in and soon discovering what’s so great about the product, venue or food from relevant sources. Businesses can let the customers speak for them and use their word of mouth to spread the love.
19. Managing an Online Reputation
The application appeals to tech-savvy users and companies use it to promote themselves on various social media channels. Social media allows companies to have greater control of their online reputations. Foursquare is another way a business to manage its reputation by engaging with customers that they know have been to their location.
20. It’s still an open playing field.
Businesses are still figuring Foursquare out, which means now is the time to figure out a locations strategy. Businesses can bring all the things that make social networking fun straight through their doors. Foursquare offer incentives ( a reason to visit the location), a game and a way to connect with friends. Why not play?
Indianapolis Ranks the Best and Brightest
The 7th annual Indy’s Best and Brightest awards will be held on Wednesday, October 6,2010 to recognize Central Indiana’s 10 finalists, age 40 and under. The event will take place at the Indianapolis City Market and is expected to have 600 attendees. The Indy’s Brightest and Best website features all the finalists to be honored. When you visit the website you can take a look at past years finalists and sponsors of the event. I’m completely honored to be included in the list.
What makes this event interesting is why these people were chosen. The selection criteria is as follows:
- Be no older than 40 years of age as the date of event
- Reside or work in select Indiana counties
- Have meaningful professional accomplishments
- Positively influence others around them
- Demonstrate leadership qualities in the workplace or community
Once the committee selects 100 finalists they narrow it down from 100 to ten finalists from each industry category.
The 10 different industry categories are: Accounting; Banking & Financial Services; Education & Nonprofit; Government; Health& Life Sciences; Law; Manufacturing, Retail & Services; Media, Entertainment & Sports; Real Estate Development & Construction; and Technology. All finalists will receive an award and the winner of each category will be announced.
This event’s proceeds go to the Junior Achievement of Central Indiana,Inc. It’s a great organization that aims to educate and inspire Indiana’s youth to value business, free enterprise and economics to improve the quality of their lives. Needless to say, this organization is important for the future leaders of our community.
An Awesome Social Content Hub. Social Media Informer.
I would recommend checking out the new Social Media Informer website… no joke… it is the complete package as your one stop shop in webbiquity. What is Webbiquity?
1) The fusion of SEO, search marketing, social media, reputation management, content marketing and interactive PR.
2) Being omnipresent on the web for the search phrase that uniquely describes you or your organization.
3) The place to find help with all of this. Webbiquity – be everywhere online. This is the definition the site provides and with a little research of my own I find this to be true.
Readers can easily navigate through the site to find the information relevant to them. The site also features a newsletter to ensure that you are as up-to-date with the world of social media… from the people who write about social media.The site features contributing writers who cover various areas from blogging, marketing, copywriting….everything.
In short, you won’t be disappointed upon visiting the site. You’ll read up-to-date social media news and can now eliminate the endless search for the most coveted news. The site was launched last Wednesday and already features a list of credible writers.. This site is a definite must read for people wanting share and learn all things of and beyond social media.
As their site promotes….Sharing is Sexy…and they have made it easy to do just that. The site has been created to share high quality content, and expose others to great writers who can help this social media mania be most beneficial to the reader. Check it out.
Twitter is Changing and Exploding Myths
I had the pleasure to attend Connections 2010, ExactTarget‘s user conference, and hear Dick Costolo (Twitter’s COO) speak about the changes happening to Twitter over the next couple of weeks. If you haven’t heard already…. Twitter is rolling out a new layout to the website with increased functionality and more user support.
Screen shot of New Twitter Courtesy of TechCrunch
According to Dick over 70% of Twitter users still use the website to send, receive, and interact with tweets and other users. Even though the stat has been touted around the web (for at least six months) it is hard for me to comprehend actually using Twitter.com. I have been an avid application user (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and CoTweet) for the past two years and it is highly unlikely I will move over to Twitter.com…. however the functionality is pretty sweet.
Laura Fitton (founder of OneForty – the Twitter application network) was nice enough to show me the functionality of the “New Twitter” while we were chatting in Indianapolis on Wednesday. In terms of increased support for your network… it is absolutely awesome. Twitter has taken top level functionality and dove deep. Could we say Facebook and LinkedIn were Twitter’s muse? Probably.
LinkedIn is powerful because it shows you the depth of your network and Facebook brings you a multitude of functionality to share information, video, pictures, and… basically… your life. Twitter is taking the “follower” to an entirely new level by showing the user a break down of their network… three layers deep.
Twitter is becoming a one stop destination for content and we could be witnessing an actual Facebook competitor.
Other posts about New Twitter:
- Behold… The New Twitter.com - TechCrunch
1 in 4 US Adults Use Mobile Applications
Smartphones aren’t just for the tech-savvy anymore. According to Mashable, 1 in 4 U.S. adults now use mobile applications. It is no secret that cell phone use has increased over the past couple of years. Currently, cellphones are losing steam while smartphone usage is more commonly the first choice in mobile phones. Smartphones can do more than connect you to the Internet. They provide the user with a variety of applications. Among the most popular apps are those that provide entertainment… surprising huh?
In a recent Pew Internet Project survey a national sample of 1,917 cell phone users were asked about cell phone applications. Of the 82% of adults today use cell phones with 43% of users with apps on their phones. It’s been understood that app users are younger and more aware of current technologies. This survey was able to confirm that app users tend to be younger, more educated, and more affluent.
Overall… application users still rank low when compared to other uses of cell phones. Only 29% of users have downloaded an application while the highest percentage is at 76% of users taking pictures with cell phones. For those who do have applications on their phones, the average user has 18 applications.
Again, there is some uncertainty among cell phone users… particularly older cell phone users… about what software they have on their phones. Fully 18% of cell phone users with apps on their phones do not know how many they have. That figure doubles to 36% among cell phone users age 50 and older.
Finally, the survey showed that there is still some uncertainty among older cell phone users. The uncertainty is in what software they actually have on their phones. 18% of cell phone users with apps on their phones do not know how many they actually have or what they do. When considering cell phone users over 50 that percentage doubles to 36%.
Finding Human Desire in Marketing
What do all marketers strive for when creating a campaign? Is it a creative ad? Of course.
Is it a funny jingle? Sometimes.
Is it a memorable moment? They try.
We (marketers) live and breathe for the opportunity to create a campaign that will move people. It is moving the consumer to action through an emotional drive that drags us out of bed in the morning. We strive to reach that point of peaking human desire.
Meeting with clients and potential clients today I was moved by their desire and pure drive for their companies to succeed. They were thrilled with the concept of creating a campaign that drove to the base of human emotion.. something that thrilled to the point of action… something that told a story.
I am talking about a stimulus that moves beyond the point of action and secures an individual as a loyal customer. Loyalty is (by far) an overused word but it is the essence of creating loyalty that builds human emotion in a brand.
Tools like Facebook and Twitter in the world of Social media bring a new platform that encourages the pursuit of that emotional campaign. In all honesty it IS THE PLATFORM to create this thrill.
There is no other medium on earth that allows for the human connection quite like social media or even the Internet. You can drive evangelists of your product to bring others to your door in a fraction of a second.You can encourage individuals all over the world to communicate and help… make.. your service or product better.
How are you encouraging communication between current and potential clients? Isn’t it about time to start?
