Tweet

In theory, if you are an avid Twitter user, you can learn to plan and host your own Twitter party. I mean, we weren’t born hosting parties — it’s something we learned to do. At first glance, Twitter parties and chats are pretty simple: pick a date and time, a hashtag, and start promoting. However, while it sounds simple enough, there are many reasons why you should enlist the help of a professional.

Why go with a pro? Because putting together a party for the first time can be a challenge. If this is something you want to do regularly, then get help initially from someone who is experienced and learn from them. Here are some responses from clients we have helped with parties:

“I didn’t realize how much time it took to plan a party.” Twitter parties take a lot of planning. A host can help with brainstorming party ideas and themes, devising discussion topics, creating hashtags, setting up a registration page, writing legal copy, promoting the party, training new/guest hosts on how to best attend, e-mailing subscribers about the party, hosting the party, fulfilling prizes, writing press releases, creating a post-party recap post, and providing sponsors with post-party stats. If you have time in your schedule to do all of that on your own — great! If not, you might need some assistance from a host.

“I didn’t know how to promote it.” Sometimes a sponsor decides to have a party to increase their number of followers and fans. An experienced party host comes to the table with a following comprised of those users who like to attend parties and tweet about them. We promote parties via Twitter, Facebook, our subscriber list, blog, and even sometimes paid ads. If you do not already have a strong social media presence, you might want to consider working with someone who does to give your following a boost.

“I was nervous during the party and at times, didn’t know what to tweet.” Some people are a little anxious when hosting their first Twitter party. For an hour or two, you are the center of attention and you must lead others in what you hope will be a thought-provoking and entertaining discussion. You usually have to start discussions, field many questions, chat with attendees, giveaway prizes. An experienced host has done this many times before, knows what to expect and how to conduct a party. They are confortable with being a host and are good at conversing with attendees. It helps to have someone ‘emcee’ the event-start discussions, conduct giveaways-while the sponsor might remain on hand to answer questions and converse with attendees. If you don’t want to be overwhelmed for your first live event, it might help to go with a pro for peace of mind.

“I overlooked a key component of the party.” A regular party host knows everything you need to do to put together a successful party. If this is your first time hosting, you might forget something important. We have helped people remember to include important information on the info/registration page or in a promotional tweet, or to include disclaimers or other legal wording necessary for a giveaway. Someone who has ‘been there, done that’ with regard to planning a party will know what needs to be done to make the party a success.

If you are going to invest time and effort into planning and hosting an online event, consider having TweeParties help. For more information about our affordable Twitter party & chat hosting services, visit our hosting page at TweeParties.com!

Tags: plan Twitter event, social media marketing, TweeParties, Twitter party

When I was a kid, I lived and breathed golf. Not such an easy thing to do, living in a climate that sometimes resembles the arctic.

I loved to play and dreamed of becoming a pro. My dad also shared my passion, and whenever the pros came to town, we would go to the pre-tournament practice rounds together, which provided me with some of my best memories with my father.

It was 1989 and we were attending such a round at the PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes. My dad and I spent all day following around our favorites, many of whom drew big crowds even on a practice day. We were enjoying the event, lingering around on some far end of the course when we noticed the crowds were disappearing and most of the pros were heading back to the clubhouse. The summer sun was just entering its late-day golden hour. And ours turned out to be golden in more ways than one.

As we began our trek back to our car, sad that our time with the pros was ending, we looked down a fairway and saw a golfer and his caddy making their way toward the hole. We stopped and squinted, trying to figure out who it was. Maybe an amateur? There weren’t any other fans around, so that must have been it. If it was anyone accomplished, surely there would be more people flocking around the hole, more people than just us, the player and his caddy.

I think my dad and I figured it out at the same time.  As the pair approached, we realized that this last player on the course was none other than golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

We watched him hit his approaching shot, walk to the hole, then putt. He said something to his caddy, who was also his son. Then he left the green, walked right past us and proceeded to the next tee. The way I remember it, he quietly said hello to us and we said ‘hi’ back, and watched him go on his way. Apparently, as long as there was daylight, there was more golf to be played, even for the best player in the game.

Out of all of the tournaments I had seen—both in person and on t.v.—that memory sticks with me like no other. And why? Because I came thisclose to greatness. Thisclose to someone I truly admired. Thisclose to Jack. For a brief moment, it was just the four of us out there. It was like he played that shot just for me. It was like I was dreaming.

That’s one of the reasons I was drawn to Twitter. It has made me feel closer to people I admire and respect—and not just big names, but those from all walks of life: people to communicate with, trade ideas with, learn from, become informed by. Twitter really has made me feel better connected to people I might not have had any connection to at all in the past. Get a tweet from someone you admire, and you’ll feel they are talking to you and only you. That’s part of the allure: you feel special, like you’re in on a secret. Like you’re a VIP. Twitter has made people and organizations accessible in ways we could not have imagined years ago.

This story is also a testiment to the character and discipline of a true winner. By the time I had my encounter, Mr. Nicklaus was already a legend, already the winningest golf professional. And yet he was the last one on the course, still practicing after everyone else had packed it in. After all those years, all of that training and experience, he still felt the need to be out there. Maybe he just enjoyed being there and playing when everyone else had left. But to me, it looked like he was studying the course, trying different shots, analyzing his game.

I think throughout life, we all at one time or another have someone we dream of meeting one day. Back then, Jack Nicklaus probably topped my list. For me, all it took was to linger on the edge of a fairway after everyone else had gone home. Maybe nowadays, all it takes is a tweet.

Tags: Golf, Jack Nicklaus, PGA, Twitter

Tweet

With more than 110 million tweets being sent per day, it’s easy for most messages venturing into the Twittersphere to get lost in the timeline shuffle. Unless you’re Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or CNN, so much of what people tweet ends up being seen only by a few followers or goes unnoticed altogether. So how do you get your missives to stand out and get retweeted? Here are some tips:

Quality: Good writing gets noticed in part because it’s easy to read. Make good use of your 140 characters by making them good ones. Always spell correctly. Use proper grammar. Write using an active voice (such as “Jane shared her quilting tips”) rather than a passive voice (The quilting tips were shared by Jane). Don’t over-abbreviate—not everyone abbreviates words the same way and tweets containing too many abbreviations slows readers down as they try to decipher your words’ meanings. Always shorten links. Use all caps and punctuation sparingly and for emphasis. The easier you make it for people to read your tweets, the more likely they will want to read them and come to know that your tweets are worth reading when they see your avatar appear in their timeline.

Content: People follow you for a reason. Maybe you represent a company that specializes in search engine optimization, or you’re a long-time sewing expert who loves to tweet about quilting tips and fabric sales. When it comes to tweeting, create content that is appropriate for your account. If your followers follow you mainly because you said that you will tweet about basketball news and NBA players, you probably don’t want to start sending multiple paid tweets for Acai berry products. An offbeat tweet now and then is fine and acceptable, but remember to stay focused on your purpose for tweeting and why people follow you. You know the saying: “Give ‘em what they want.” Give them anything else, and your tweets might become a turn off. Even if people don’t begin to unfollow you, they might simply tune out and overlook your tweets whenever they appear.

Frequency: If you send out several tweets a day—great! However, if those several tweets are crammed into the same hour, you will be missing out on the opportunity to reach more of your followers who tune in throughout the day. If possible, spread out your tweets more so that you increase the odds that more eyes will see them. If your schedule does not allow for checking into Twitter more than once a day, consider assigning the task of sending tweets to someone other than yourself. Often companies manage social media accounts in shifts, which allows them to interact and be available more for customer service questions (some companies even post their ‘tweeting hours’ on their account bios). There is debate over whether or not people should use a service that allows them to schedule tweets. Some argue that if you tweet you should also be available to respond to comments about those tweets. I agree that conversing with your followers is imporant. However, if you do not have the staff to support extended time on social media, a compromise might be in order. Try a mix of real-time tweeting and scheduled tweets. Log in to Twitter when possible to send real-time tweets and monitor follower feedback. Some services that can help you get started in scheduling are Social Oomph and Twuffer.

Twitter is all about reading. The easier you make it for your followers to read your tweets, the more likely your message will get noticed…and retweeted. Happy tweeting! ~Erin

Tags: 140 characters, business, how to tweet, lesson, tweeting, Twitter, Twitter marketing, writing

Tweet

Most people agree that when it comes to social media, one post alone won’t likely boost your business. Instead, each tweet or post is just one small piece over the overall social media marketing puzzle. Just as it takes many bricks assembled together to make a house, each tweet builds on the others until all of our efforts add up to something in the long run. It’s about creating relationships and interest in our products and services and most of the time it’s not about making a quick sale.

But while one tweet cannot make your business, can it break it?

One such scenario that made the news recently was a tweet sent out by designer Kenneth Cole (@KennethCole) that many considered to be in very poor taste. Here’s the tweet that was later removed from Twitter:

Kenneth Cole later issued the following apology on the company’s Facebook page:

“I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.” - Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer

It is unclear what impact-if any-this will have on Kenneth Cole’s business. Today the company still has over 10,000 followers. However, there were dozens of comments left on Kenneth Cole’s Facebook page, reactions ranging from expletives, outrage and promises of boycotts-the kind of publicity no company desires.

So how does one avoid such a mess? It’s easy to say, “Don’t post anything stupid,” but sometimes that might be easier said than done, especially if your business has multiple people manning the social media helm. Here are a few tips to help your company send tweets that don’t garner negative reactions:

Think Before You Tweet. Sounds easy, right? But Twitter is a medium that by its very nature compels people to tweet their latest thoughts and opinions. That’s fine if this is your personal account seen only by friends. But for a business, every tweet becomes part of your public image and might be scrutinized by followers and media alike. It’s good to be current and ‘in-the-moment’ at times, but be sure to think about what you’re tweeting and the impact it might have on your followers. Be sensitive. And when in doubt, leave it out.

Set Standards. If you have more than one person representing your company on Twitter or Facebook, set guidelines for what should and should not be posted. Be explicit about what is and what is not acceptable and make sure everyone understands what is expected of them when tweeting. Just as you want to keep the lines of communication open between you and your followers, do the same with your staff. Regularly meet and discuss what your social media objectives are, what feedback your account has received from followers and fans, and what gets the best reaction. Make social media a team effort. Your online presence should have one consistent voice that followers come to identify and trust, even if many people comprise that voice.

Be Wary of Humor. It’s good for a business to have a personable ‘voice’ on Twitter and Facebook-to let people see that the account is not an automated robot, but rather populated by real people with real personalities who can respond when asked a question. But be careful if you try to make your posts humorous. Everyone’s ‘sense of humor’ is different; what’s funny to one person, might not be so amusing to another. Sometimes written humor can be misconstrued by the readers. Keep in mind what your purpose is. Is it to entertain? Then by all means, crack jokes now and then. But is it to inform and to interact with consumers and provide them with some form of customer service? Then it just might be best to leave the rubber chicken at home.

Be Wary of Politics. Often companies get involved in charitable causes and tweet about fundraisers or organizations they support. But be careful of tweeting or positing about anything of a political nature, unless you want to take a stand or know that the majority of your followers would agree with you. There is evidence that people do not respond or click on links if they do not agree with the political statements being made in them. If you want to engage your followers in a conversation and keep them talking to you (and about you), leave out the politics, unless that type of dialogue complements your business.

Tags: business, etiquette, Facebook, Kenneth Cole, Twitter

Martin Luther King, Jr. would have loved Twitter.

He would have used it as another powerful means to inspire, mobilize and inform those in his movement on a level not possible during his time. In an age before text messaging, emails, blogs and Facebook, spreading a grassroots message often came in the form of phone calls, door-to-door visits, pulpits, and (if you were lucky) mentions on radio, t.v. or in the local paper. 

Some say that the Civil Rights Movement might not have progressed the way it did if it weren’t for images of protest and violence being broadcast via television. But if the internet and social media had existed in the mid-20th century, it could have taken the movement to the next level by increasing awareness, providing a forum for discussion and debate, coordinating and organizing events, and sharing people’s personal thoughts and experiences with the world. Social media could have injected the Civil Rights Movement with a high-level, virtual octane.

There’s a debate going on about the role Twitter has played in the Tunisian uprising. Some are even going as far as calling it the first “Twitter Revolution.” Others argue that Twitter didn’t cause a revolution, the Tunisian people did. However, there’s no doubt that Twitter has played a role in helping spread news and images about the goings-on in the African country. Twitter can put power in the hands of people who might be restricted by regimes that try to prevent them from having any.

And perhaps that’s the difference. Before social media, we had to rely on the professionals to disseminate news: print and broadcast journalists, photojournalists, wire services, writers. But in the internet age, anyone can disseminate news quickly and easily and without a lengthy resume: just take a pic with your phone, upload a photo, add a caption, and you just might have the next ‘tweet seen around the world.’ Or the tweet that might convince the world that your world desperately needs help or change.

Since I joined Twitter & Facebook for personal use in 2009, I have felt that those who use social media are an informed, socially conscious, aware, philanthropic group. Tweet an important cause-a bit of vital breaking news, a plea for help for a good cause, a newsworthy story-and watch it get retweeted more than your average post. Even Twitter itself has said that it sees itself not as a social network but more of a news and information network. We saw so many tweets from ‘regular people’ in Iran, in the southern U.S. during the Gulf Oil spill, in Haiti. We saw many photos that we might not have seen had ‘regular, non-news people’ not had the courage or ability to send them. 

Though some have criticized Twitter and Facebook as being ‘flashes in the pan’ that might not exist in a decade, if not those two, then something will take their place. We are all connected now, and now that we have it, that desire for connectivity won’t just disappear. People use social media to feel that they are a part of something larger than themselves: a group of friends, a shared interest or opinion, a cause, a movement, a moment in time. It’s up to those who use Twitter to advance their causes to figure out how to get our attention and get us to act.

Tags: Social Change, social media, Tunisia, Twitter Revolution

I love a writer who not only writes well but also who inspires at the same time. For me, one such writer is Bob Hall. Mr. Hall is a printing industry veteran and every month he writes an insightful column that is published at the beginning of every Quick Printing magazine.

It just so happens, I picked up his magazine this morning, just as I was getting down.

With the beginning of every new year, the prognosticators come out in full force. This year, many forecasts have focused on social media, specifically how social media can or cannot help a business succeed in marketing. The entire concept of using Facebook or Twitter for marketing purposes is so new, no one is 100% certain what the long term gain might be, though some may think they know. A few experts are calling it a fad. Some are saying it’s a waste of time and resources. A big ol’ flash in the pan.

This month, Mr. Hall’s column focuses on past predictions from the experts of their time. Here are just a few the highlights:

• 1880: The lightbulb is a ‘conspicuous failure’
• 1897: Radio has no future
• 1904: Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value
• 1916: The cinema is little more than a fad
• 1936: A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere
• 1961: There is no chance satellites will be used to improve telephone service in the U.S.
• 1962: Transmissions of documents via phone lines (fax) is possible, but not practical

There are so many experts out there who have formed opinions about social media. Some of these experts believe there is no value for a company to get involved in Twitter or Facebook. These experts want hard numbers-sales figures and ROI-and without them right now, they say venturing into social media for a business is pointless and a waste of time.

Some experts have also been critical of events such as Twitter parties, Twitter chats and Tweetups. They question the value of such events, once again claiming that these are a waste of time and money for a company to get involved in.

My prediction: I believe social media is here to stay, not just to interact with family and friends but also with businesses. I also believe that a company that does not get its feet wet now will be scrambling to catch up later. I believe in the power of social media to help us better connect with people whether they are acting as a friend or a consumer. I believe in the power social media can give a company to help it open doors and start conversations that one day will ‘pay off’ down the road.

Will sending one tweet today get you a big sale tomorrow? Probably not. Will throwing one Twitter party next week instantly give you thousands of followers? I doubt it. But this is about relationship-building, about long-term engagement. Isn’t that what I learned about years ago in a class about traditional selling? That it was not about a quick, one-time sale but rather about developing a long-term relationship with the consumer?

I think one of the points of Mr. Hall’s column was that none of us really knows what the future holds for social media. We can make all of the predictions we want, listen to ‘the experts,’ try to be experts ourselves, but until those predictions are proven or not, we really don’t know. That’s why we at TweeParties will continue to forge ahead with our goal of providing companies with the tools they need-at a fair and reasonable price-to hold events on Twitter and inform all of those users who are interested of the who, what, where and when of these events the best we can. Maybe I am a fool and someday the joke will be on me. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I take all of the prognostications with a grain of salt. And I thank Mr. Hall for another dose of inspiration.

Tags: Facebook, social media marketing, Twitter

Yesterday, I spent a good portion of my day baking cookies with my 3-year-old daughter. Christmas cutouts in the shapes of gingerbread men, the making of which somehow dispersed sprinkles, flour and dough into nearly every nook and cranny of our home.

My daughter had a blast, and so did I. But this was the same recipe I have been making for dozens of years, since I was about her age. Tradition is great, comforting, and fun—but I have vowed to try something new this week and treat my family to a new recipe that will surprise them as long as it’s not burned (which, actually, would be no surprise!).

During the hours that we spent baking, I got to thinking: this principle could be used in the world of social media. So many businesses are trying to leave their mark on Twitter and Facebook. They set up accounts, send out some tweets or posts, and hope all of their efforts make an impact on the bottom line and generate sales.

But as social media marketers (which all business people are, these days), we should always be experimenting, adding new ingredients to our social recipe, and trying something new to keep our followers following. Here are some ideas to keep your Twitter kitchen churning out tweets worth viewing:

Keep it fresh: It takes the right mix of ingredients to make a good recipe. The same goes for social media. If you’re sending out the same tweet every day, people will start to overlook what you post. Keep your tweets interesting and timely. Mix it up! Don’t always tweet about the same subject matter. Make it interesting. Throughout the day, write a couple of tweets about your company. Then include a few informative tweets with tips or news. Have a special offer reserved only for your Twitter followers. Variety is the spice of life…and tweets!

Keep it frequent: The more you bake, the better baker you’ll be and the greater the chance someone will have to sample your offerings. Sending out one tweet per day or a few tweets within an hour might make not much of an impact nor reach many followers. It helps to spread your tweets out over the course of the day. There are programs out there that allow you to schedule tweets to help cover more hours. Sprout Social, Social Oomph and Twuffer are some examples of services that let you pre-program a tweet.

Make it fun: Baking Christmas cookies is all about fun—together! Don’t just send out one-way communiques. Engage your followers. Ask them questions. Get their feedback. Post a survey, hold a contest, a Twitter party or chat. Make your Twitter account fun and something people look forward to viewing. Get your followers talking and they’ll most likely help spread the word about your event and in turn, your company. Don’t talk to your followers. Have a conversation with them.

Make it stand out: Which one would you grab first: a plain cookie or one with frosting & sprinkles? Each tweet you send has the potential either to be overlooked or read. With so many tweets appearing each hour in our timeline, we look for ones that grab our attention either by whom they’re from or how they appear. Try to use language that will get your tweets noticed. Using caps can be effective if you use them sparingly. Write as if you’re talking to a friend (which your followers are!) not like you’re writing a memo. Be conversational. Make your tweets easy to read and succinct. Try to avoid too many abbreviations. The shorter, the better.

Give them something to tweet about: People like to share recipes that are fabulous! So give them tweets that they’ll find so interesting and helpful they will want to share them with their followers. If you just tweet about your own company, you might not generate much sustained interest or retweets. Tweet about what’s happening with you, but also tweet about news, topics and tips your followers might find interesting enough to retweet. Set up a blog and write informative, helpful posts then tweet a link to that post. Make your tweets worth reading and sharing.

The bottom line: Creating a great batch of cookies takes time. Social media won’t instantly bring in big sales. It’s more about creating and building relationships and gaining (and keeping) the attention of your followers. So experiment. Try new things. And alter your recipe now and then to learn what works and what does not. Keep it fresh and you just might find that your efforts lead to followers who are hungry for more.

Tags: business, social media, twitter tips