Do you know a lot about Happy Family? If you’re a mom, chances are your kids have sampled their healthy & delicious foods for babies, tots, kids. Or maybe you’ve tried one of their Happy Squeezes – their product line for adults? If so, you might already know that one reason mom’s love Happy Family Baby Foods is because they are organic and 100% natural, made without any pesticides or preservatives.

But did you also know that Happy Family is also a community committed to the well-being of families? It’s called “Generation Happy” and through Happy Family you can take the Generation Happy Pledge, get special VIP offers and connect with other moms in your area and all over the world who are as committed to their children’s health and well-being as you are!

Which is why we are excited to announce another Happy Family online event aimed at helping parents have a healthier winter:

Happy Family’s Staying Healthy in Winter Twitter Party to be held Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 9pm ET!

Join @HAPPYsuperfoods for an hour-long party/chat on Twitter about ways we can all stay healthy this winter! Whether it’s getting more active, or boosting our Vitamin D, join this event to trade ideas & tips and get some expert advice on staying as healthy as possible during the winter months.  This is the latest in a series of Twitter parties Happy Family has hosted, all of which have had topics that are important to parents of small kids. What’s great is that there are so many members of the Happy Family community who attend these Twitter parties, that by joining in, you have an opportunity to chat with like-minded moms and maybe make some new Twitter friends along the way!

As an added bonus, simply by joining in the discussion and by RSVP-ing to the party on the official Happy Family party page, you’ll be entered to win one of the awesome prizes to be given away during the hour, including $100 worth of Happy Baby products! (Must be a U.S. resident over 18 to win. See official rules here.)

We will also be joined by a group of panelists who will be on hand during the party to lend advice and answer any questions about winter health. The panelists include Amy, Nutrition Advisor for @HAPPYsuperfoods, Elise from Green is Universal (@greenisuni), Chandra from Stonyfield (@Stonyfield), Jo-Lynne from Rose Romano’s (@RoseRomanos), Charise from I Thought I Knew Mama (@IThoughtIKnewMa), Christina from Theraderm (@Theraderm) and Carrie from Weleda (@Weleda).

How do you join the party? First, RSVP by leaving your Twitter handle in a comment on the official Happy Family Twitter Party page. Then, just log onto your Twitter account at 9pm ET on November 20th, follow @HAPPYsuperfoods and tweet using the party hashtag #TravelWithHappyFamily. You can see everything everyone at the party has to say by searching for the hashtag in Twitter search, putting the hasthag into an easy, web-based program like Tweet Chat, or follow along with this custom page Happy Family has created at Tweet Grid. If you’re still not sure about how a Twitter party works, check out our Beginner’s Guide to get started.

For more information and updates (and to RSVP!), please be sure to visit the #HFWinterHealth Twitter Party page!

TweeParties was compensated for this post and for helping out with the #HFWinterHealth Twitter party to be held on Jan. 24, 2013. 

Sometimes tweets can do a lot of good. We’ve seen this happen during times of natural disaster, when a single tweet can alert family members that a relative is safe, or spur on action by people to help, donate or volunteer. Or in areas of the world with political strife: one tweet can help people mobilize in protest, disseminate vital information, or tell people in other parts of the world exactly what is happening to them through words, pictures, and video — often when their government won’t.

As the news of the tragedy in Newtown, CT began to unfold, people took to Twitter and Facebook to express their shock, anger and support for those affected by the shooting. Social media became a community that people could turn to, to offer support and collectively try to make sense of it all.

However, some companies scrambled to try to figure out what to do with their scheduled programming. Should marketing campaigns be put on hold? Should a live event on Twitter be canceled or go on as planned?

The results were mixed: some Twitter chats were canceled or rescheduled, while others carried on as planned; some advertising on social media ceased, while other posts and tweets continued. In what is still considered to be an evolving medium, it seems that on social networks — at crucial times — confusion reigns. But the backlash can be swift and sometimes unforgiving.

For example, Kmart had a toy chat scheduled for the afternoon that the news broke. They decided it would be best to cancel it. In tweeting about the cancellation, they used their chat’s chosen hashtag, but also included a hashtag about the Connecticut shooting that was trending at the time.

A spokesperson for Kmart said the use of the promotional hashtag was necessary to inform those who were planning on participating in the chat of the cancellation. However, some have argued that their goal could have been reached by using only the hashtag intended for the chat, not the trending tag as well. By including the trending tag in the tweet, it appeared to some that they were taking advantage of the trend to gain greater exposure for their promotion. According to Kmart, that was not their intent. But unfortunately, it came across that way to some of those who were following the trending topic hashtag.

Some lessons to be learned in similar, difficult situations:

When in Doubt, Don’t Tweet (or Post). Posting about anything business or sales-related in the middle of a tragic event can cause others to question your sensitivity. If you have any doubts about whether or not the timing is appropriate–don’t do it. Rescheduling a chat or delaying posts won’t cost you much in time, but will help you save face. Also, when most people are seeking more information about a breaking story, or trying to cope with the news and are reacting very emotionally to it, they are not likely to be interested in hearing your marketing messages or taking part in a Twitter chat. So why risk it?

Never Hijack a Hashtag. It’s one thing to contribute meaningful content to an existing tag. But don’t combine it with any other hashtag, no matter how well-intentioned. Some have done it by mistake; others wrongly seize an opportunity.

Be In Tune With Your Followers. Take a look at their tweets. Take their emotional temperature. Are they reacting strongly to something? Then make sure your tweets are appropriate and do not offend. No one knows this better now than Kenneth Cole, who sent out a tweet during an uprising in Egypt that not only included a trending hashtag, but also mentioned one of Cole’s products, and seemingly made light of a terrible situation. An apologetic tweet sent two hours later did little to put a positive spin on this gaffe. (Some even wonder whether the designer truly regretted the original tweet, and perhaps even subscribes to the ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity’ theory.)

We’ve all heard the expression, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When encountering a sensitive situation, the best advice for a business might be to do as everyone else does: turn off the marketing messages and be a human being.

With Hurricane #Sandy barreling down in the East Coast and major power outages expected, @FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) issued a statement today urging people to stay connected via social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook when other modes of communication fail. One of many tweet reads:

People’s in Sandy’s path are also being urged to charge up their phones and to follow certain Twitter accounts, such as @FEMA, for updates, alerts and tips. Local governing agencies are also setting up or pointing people to certain Twitter accounts to keep people informed, since many might still be able to access social media sites via phone during the storm.

During many emergencies over the last few years — tornadoes, hurricanes and the tsunami in Japan — people who found themselves without a landline or land internet connection — were able to connect via smartphone. Many Twitter accounts, especially those for news services and government agencies, dedicated their Twitter accounts to posting information and updates about the disasters. People also were able to locate family members and friends via social sites.

Here’s a list of sites & accounts to follow during #Sandy:

National Hurricane Center – get text/email updates

@NHC_Atlantic – National Hurricane Center

@usNWSgov – NOAA’s National Weather Service

@WeatherChannel – The Weather Channel

@TWC_Hurricane – The Weather Channel Hurricane Updates

LIVE Updates/News from the New York Times

GOOGLE Map for Hurricane Sandy

GOOGLE Map Specifically for New York City

Tags: Facebook, Hurricane Sandy, Natural Disaster, social media, Twitter

Twitter announced this week changes to its API that will limit the number of times a third-party client can access Twitter (see Mashable article Twitter’s API Update Cuts Off Oxygen to Third-Party Clients to learn more).

While this news has some developers scrambling (or seething, depending on who you talk to), what exactly does this mean for the general Twitter populace? For starters, it could change how you tweet.

API or ‘application programming interface’ is basically the gateway to Twitter for other apps. There are limits on how many times an app may contact Twitter, and this week Twitter restricted those limits even more. According to Twitter, these changes are intended to “deliver a consistent Twitter experience” for users. Twitter is trying to encourage the development of apps that help with things such as analytics and influence rankings, and discourage use of apps for aggregating tweets or apps that people would use as a Twitter client instead of using Twitter itself. This makes sense for Twitter: they want people to use their client and see their ads and promotions, not someone else’s.

However, many third-party clients are popular not just in day-to-day use, but for communicating more easily during Twitter chats and Twitter parties. Applications such as Hootsuite, Tweet Chat and Tweet Grid are used by thousands every day to attend chats. At the start of nearly every Twitter party we host, we tweet out a “custom link” for people to more easily attend a party via TweetGrid. As of right now, attending a Twitter chat strictly on Twitter without the help of a third-party client is not an option many users want to take.

This isn’t to say that all chat apps are immediately being put out of business or that the chat apps we mentioned above are done for; however, they might be limited on how much they can grow, the maximum number of users they can have, and how many tweets they can access per hour. So it is possible some of our favorites will be affected and we might have to get used to the idea of attending a chat in a different way. Twitter says they will work with some developers who have reached their limits to gain more access than what is allowed. But how many apps and which ones will get special treatment are still for the most part unknown (though tweet collector Storify was mentioned by Twitter as being an app that exemplifies the types of Twitter apps developers should be creating.) This could lead to serious issues for Twitter chats and Twitter parties as the events grow in popularity. Many of these apps are free to use, and exist with the hope of generating ad revenues to fund themselves. This clashes with Twitter’s goal of generating ad revenue, and could be a reason why these limits now exist: to turn eyes away from apps and back to Twitter where their clients’ ads are running.

On the bright side (if you can call it that), Twitter-owned aggregator Tweet Deck most likely will not be compromised. It works in the same way as many of the third-party aggregators and since it has the Twitter stamp of approval, we can only guess that it would not be subject to strict API limitations. In the future, we might be instructing Twitter party and chat attendees on how to use it for a better chat experience. Or much to the disappointment of developers and Twitter users alike—the only option for a better chat experience.

In requests for more information about our Twitter party and Twitter chat services, we are often asked, “How can I get my hashtag to become a trending topic on Twitter?”

The question’s frequency makes sense: To have your hashtag or brand name displayed along Twitter’s ‘trending topics’ column is a coveted position, with the top or ‘promoted’ trend costing an advertiser a reported $120K to achieve it. Trending topics are seen and monitored by millions of sets of eyes per day; to be one of them can be game-changing for a company. When a user clicks on a trending topic, they will see a list of all recently-tweeted tweets that contain that term. For companies, this means having more people learn about them and get introduced to their products and services. And free advertising that could be seen by millions is impossible to resist.

What exactly makes a topic trend?

According to Twitter, “an algorithm determines which topics are ‘trending’ in the location you’ve selected. This algorithm identifies topics that are immediately popular, rather than topics that have been popular for a while or on a daily basis.” What this means is, one million people each day might tweet Justin Bieber’s name, but sheer volume doesn’t make a topic trend. A trending topic usually represents a surge of tweets, even if the volume is less than that of a topic tweeted about regularly. It’s Twitter’s way of trying to keep is users aware of what is current and newsworthy. If sheer volume was the only factor, Justin Bieber might be the top trending topic every day for years, making the whole point of having trending topics useless.

How do I do it?

Often a trending topic is something that is newsworthy that suddenly becomes talked (or tweeted) about by a large number of people at the same time. For example, an event being watched on t.v., such as an awards show or sporting event, are likely to become part of a trending topic due to the number of people who are likely to tweet about it at or around the same time. So there is the element of timeliness as well as volume that seems to make for a trending topic. Your goal then should be to get a lot of people tweeting your hashtag at the same time. If you do not have a national stage to work with (such as a high profile t.v. show or event), then a great way to attempt to achieve this is a Twitter event, such as a Twitter chat or party. Twitter parties occur at a specific time, have a certain hashtag that people will tweet to be included in the event, and usually have a significant number of attendees online at the same time who will tweet using that tag. However, simply deciding to have an event and holding it won’t guarantee that your hashtag trends; you still have to put together a quality event with a skilled host, informative content, noteworthy or high-profile guest contributors and awesome prizes and special offers to really get some buzz. We’ve found that those elements are a big draw when it comes to Twitter parties, and are most likely to get tweeted about. However, there is a downside to becoming a trending topic during a chat: hashtag spam. Once you’re topic starts trending, beware of spammers hijacking your tag by using it to promote their own links completely unrelated to yours. Be prepared to offer followers of your chat an alternative hashtag to switch to for purposes of the chat, to steer clear of spammers and get the chat’s conversation back on track.

How not to do it.

Twitter has specific guidelines for hashtags and tweeting that, if not followed, could get your account flagged when trying get your hashtag to trend. If you see another topic trending and try to get your hashtag noticed by including it in a tweet along with the other trending topic’s hashtag, that is considered spammy and unacceptable (Twitter does not like unrelated hashtags in tweets; it’s misleading). Repeatedly tweeting you hashtag, or encouraging others to do as much as possible so as part of a tweeting contest, in an attempt to get it trending without adding value to the conversation the hashtag is part of is another no-no (tweeting contests are acceptable if limited to one tweet per day). Also, taking a trending topic hashtag and tweeting out links to your profile or website along with those trending tags is another way to get into trouble. On Twitter, like everywhere else on the web, organic is good. Create hashtag tweeting opportunities that are natural and not forced. While it’s great to get a topic to trend, it’s even better to provide excellent content to your followers, become a value to them, and remain in good standing with Twitter.

With ‘Tailored Trends,’ Are Trending Topics as Valuable as They Once Were?

Recently, Twitter allowed users to get ‘tailored trends’ — or to turn their list of trending topics into a column customized just for them. Twitter says this about tailored trends: “Trends offer a unique way to get closer to what you care about. Trends are tailored for you based on your location and who you follow.” To turn this setting off or on in your own account, go to the “change” button next to the trending topics column. Click on that, and you’ll get the option either to turn this feature off or on, depending on your current settings. The intent of this feature is to help users see trends related to those issues/places/people who matter most to them. Tailored trends takes into account a user’s location and those users he/she follows to come up with a list of trends that are relevant that user alone. With this feature turned on, the topics you see trending are no longer the same as what everyone else is seeing, but rather made just for you. What does this mean for trending topics in general? When your hashtag trends, it may not be seen by as many eyes as in the past, since everyone might not see the same trends. However, if you don’t succeed at making your hashtag trend on a worldwide (or countrywide/citywide scale), it still might have the ability to trend to your followers — or those who might really matter to you and who are already eager to hear what you have to say. Tailored trends might have put somewhat of a damper on widely-viewed trending topics, but on the flipside, the service might help topics that would normally have trouble trending on a large scale now get noticed more easily. On another note, if you are hosting a chat or party, and see your hashtag ‘trending,’ check to make sure whether or not you have tailored trends turned on. You just might be ‘trending’ to a limited audience, rather than citywide, nationwide, or worldwide.

Tags: hashtag, tailored trends, trending topic, Twitter, twitter chat, Twitter party

Twitter, a popular social network, has moved into the mainstream. People are using Twitter everywhere, from schools and libraries, to home and work. Have you jumped on the bandwagon? If not, you are missing a powerful opportunity to establish your brand and grow your customer base.

(Courtesy of west.m)

Twitter is a free service that will not cost you a cent. But the return on your investment is priceless. The Internet providers in my area use Twitter to gain followers and turn them into customers. Thoughtful and timely tweets can do the same for your business.

A “tweet” is the informal term for a Twitter post. You can tweet about anything or nothing, in short bursts of 140 characters or less. Like other social media, Twitter lets you share, friend, and follow as many message feeds as you like. Unlike other networks, Twitter is public; everyone can view your feeds, so you reach a much wider audience.

How Do I Sign Up?

To start using Twitter, register for an account. An online help guide walks you through the process and answers your questions. A Twitter account gets you a home page and a profile page, which you can customize to build your brand. From there, you can read comments, post messages, and find other streams to follow.

Basic Twitter Concepts

For a better grasp of Twitter, you need to learn a few basic concepts and functions. Your “handle” is your twitter name, and your messages are called “tweets.” “Follow” is the act of adding other users to your contacts list so their tweets appear on your homepage. A “reply” is a message directed to a particular handle, while a “retweet” republishes another user’s post. A “direct message” is a private message. “Hash tags” categorize terms to enable access to related tweets.

Why Use Twitter?

Why use Twitter, or any social networking service? They can seem like a big waste of time. While Twitter does require a commitment, it is worth the time if it helps you achieve your goals. Before you dive in, identify your objectives to determine if Twitter is right for you. As mentioned, the Internet providers in my area use Twitter to build a customer base. You can use it to network with colleagues, connect with customers, build a brand, or market products and services.

Who to Follow, And What to Say

For Twitter to be effective, you must follow other users and they must follow back. But aggressive following can be counterproductive. In Twitter world, quality rules over quantity. Start with your current contacts, then search for people you know on Twitter. Then seek out people with a clear and focused interest. Twellow, Twitterpacks, and other online tools are a good way to find people who share your interests.

What can you say on Twitter? Revisit your goals and objectives. You can share information, promote an idea or product, retweet other posts, or pose questions for feedback. Stay active on the site and mix up your content.

Getting More From Twitter

Monitoring your brand is an underutilized Twitter objective. Online tools can help you track what is being said about your business — or anything else, for that matter. Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, and Twitter Search are good tools to consider.

To reach more people, tweet content at different times of the day. Engage your followers with questions, replies, and retweets. Make yourself easy to retweet and follow, by tweeting abbreviated posts and including your Twitter handle on websites, email, business cards, and stationery.

Twitter also has a very useful list feature that lets you monitor groups of people and niche industries. They are great for promoting customers or suppliers. Lists allow you to gain exposure and build a following. And list management is easy with a one-button follow function.

There you have it — the basic Twitter concepts. Of course, Twitter lets you do more great things, too. And other tools help you get more out of Twitter. But the basics are all you need to start using this powerful business tool.

I’m Ruben Corbo and I would like to thank TweeParties for allowing me to guest post. I’m a freelancer writer for a lot of websites including Maxymiser and Broadband Expert where you can find high speed internet providers in my area(as well as others of course). When I’m not writing, I’m composing/producing music for short films or other forms of visual arts.

Tags: exposure, hashtags, impressions, reach, statistics, tweets, Twitter, twitter chat, Twitter party

Twitter is becoming a more and more popular way for people to communicate with others. It is an easy way to stay in touch with friends and to learn about breaking news. Advancements in technology used in smart phones have made Twitter more accessible than ever before. Owners of Android smart phones have a wide range of applications that enhance the Twitter experience. While there are a lot of Twitter apps available on the Android market, these are the 5 best applications that can be downloaded using a mobile broadband connection.

(Image Courtesy of Flickr User: xotoko)

Tweet Caster

Tweet Caster is a full twitter application that is available on the Android market for free. It is also the only Twitter app that features Facebook integration. All of the features found on the Twitter website are available with this app. It also has a nice feature that allows you to hide a tweet that you find disturbing or just do not like without having to stop following the person that made the tweet.

Twidroyd Pro

This Twitter app features all of the functionality that would be found on the Twitter website but it has one special feature that is not found anywhere else called Live Preview. Live Preview allows for you to preview any linked websites without having to go to them on the browser. This potentially saves time by not having to go to a linked website that you have no interest in. The full version of Twidroyd Pro will cost $4, but there is also a free version available.

Seesmic

Seesmic is the perfect app for people that want their mobile Twitter experience to be identical to the one found on the Twitter website. The display on the Seesmic is exactly the same as the full website, but it is also set up to handle multiple Twitter accounts. While this app does not feature anything exciting, it is a great basic Twitter app that can be downloaded for free.

Twicca

Twicca is an app that is designed for more experience Twitter users, so there may be a slight learning curve for someone with little experience using Twitter. The news feed on the Twicca app is designed to fit as much information on the screen as possible. This eliminates the need to scroll through multiple pages to read all of the recent tweets. A variety of options on the app are customizable to allow the user to get their ideal Twitter experience. Even with all of these features, Twicca is still available to download for free, but requires you to have a proper broadband connection to get the best results.

Plume

Plume is probably the Twitter app that makes tweeting the easiest to do. The home page off the app is very nice to look at and is customizable in just about every way possible. This Twitter app is available in a free version as well as one that costs $3. The free version will feature some ads, which can be rather annoying. The only way to get rid of the ads is to use another Twitter app or to pay the $3.

This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find internet service providers in your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.

Ever want to know how to host your own live, interactive event on Twitter or how using social media can help give your business an edge?

Learn the ins and outs of planning and hosting a Twitter chat or party during our FREE Webinar this Tuesday, August 2nd at 1pm EST (10am PST)!

We are proud to be part of this weekly webinar series created by Mikaela Louve at Louve Notes Media. Mikaela has done a great job helping small businesses learn about how to best apply social media to their business marketing plans.

During the August 2nd webinar, TweeParties founder & president Erin Boudreau will take attendees through a step-by-step process of creating, promoting, hosting and analyzing a live Twitter event. Learn why Twitter parties and chats are a great way to ‘spread the word’ on Twitter and Facebook about your business, products and services, and to engage your followers in a meaningful, valuable, interactive event.

For more information and to register, please visit this Eventbrite page!

See you at the webinar!

Erin