Scott Moroney

Ebook - Twitter Basics

Twitter – www.twitter.com , http://search.twitter.com

Twitter, in simple terms, is a bit like instant messaging on steroids.  Twitter is not a toy.  It is not aimless as is frequently reported.  It is a powerful tool to build a community of followers and share targeted information.  It is not all business.  It is a social tool of course.  Many people use it to create networks of like-minded or similarly interested people.  Dell recently shared that they attribute $1 million in revenue through their Twitter accounts.  It is for real.

How does it work?  Create an account at www.twitter.com and then visit http://search.twitter.com to start searching for topics, people or keywords.  The results will show you “tweets”, 140 character topics shared by users.  If you like someone or something they are “tweeting”, you simply hit the follow button.  No approval, confirmation or review.  Click follow and they are broadcasting to you and all other followers about whatever they like.  Most people on Twitter stick to some small range of topics to keep their followers interested, and to ensure their own relevance to their followers.

There are few rules outside of the good etiquette that is expected if you wish to keep these followers.  Burn a bridge and it is unlikely you will be very successful.  You are only one click away from being blocked or “un-followed” in Twiter speak.

Back to the Dell example.  This will help you understand how/why Twitter is something more than sharing what you are cooking, where you are taking the kids on a Saturday or what you are pondering in your navel.  These topics are fine if you have followers interested.  For business, Twitter takes a few forms: straight push marketing of information a company wants interested followers to see, and community building with no direct “buy” model.  Both work, both are great examples of how Twitter is growing as an effective business tool.

These are the basics.  Here are some experts who you can learn a great deal from by following them. Some are social media experts and some are just celebrities that have big followings.

 Chris Brogan.  Robert Scoble.  Shaq.  Ashton Kutcher.  Tony Robbins.

Don’t be discouraged by everyone who you follow, not following you.  Notice that the examples I provided in some cases have a few thousand followers.  It is impossible to follow everyone.  There are tools such as TweetDeck that allow you to sort who you will follow more closely and by topic.  This makes it reasonable to really use Twitter in its potential.

AS with all topics in this ebook, I will share with you how it all ties together at the end of the book.  Read on.

Twitter Trick - Hashtags in Your Blog Title

Yes, I tested it and it works.

To increase the reach of your blog or other feeds coming into Twitter, include the # (hashtag) symbol and a topic (#twittertricks, #comcast, #crazythingspeoplesay, etc...).  This will get your feed pushed into Twitter...and more importantly, the searches of the hashtag.   Keep in mind that Twitter and your Titles in a blog, YouTube, Flickr posts are character based (text).  This aligns to feed the # hashtag perfectly in the testing that I completed. 

The novelty of this idea is that you can reach people that are not already a follower, increase your following, and ultimately improve the performance of whatever you are doing using social media (promoting a cause, introducing a product, or entertaining with news/gossip/info). 

Pick a hashtag or create one and include it in whatever content you are feeding to Twitter.  The results may surprise you.

That "Social Network" Called Twitter

Annie Slater gave me a new perspective today on Twitter.  It is in fact a social network.  We talk more about "social media" as a generic item.  There are actually at least three "social" things out there for marketers to use.

Social media - the use of new tools to promote and share information in a two-way dialog (vs. the one way traditional print and Web 1.0 methods)

Social marketing - how marketers use social media and networks to promote and research markets and customers

Social networks - tools or meeting places that bring people together.  Ning, Facebook, Twitter, etc...

Take a quick read through Annie's article.  It demonstrates how a social network like Twitter can work in some potentially unexpected ways.  Thanks Annie.

Twitter is a Marketer's Research Dream

You all know Twitter.  You may think of it as Ashton's playhouse, Life of Shaq or some other celebrity "love me because I am famous" log.  As a marketer, the growth of Twitter brings up a new arena for what is happening with your customers and prospects in many markets, but not all just yet.  Here are few ways you may not already be using Twitter but should ...

• Listening to what the Twitterverse is saying about your products or company
• Understanding the current dialog on a subject related anything (shoe style trends)
• Predicting the upcoming trend for an upcoming shopping season
• Uncovering a yet unfilled need in some application (how do I solve some technology application gap)
• Searching for a better job

This is just a quick list of five.  There are endless possibilities now that Twitter has the user base that has "tipped it" over the underground usage.  Twitter is mainstream in many markets. 

So how do you untapped the gobs and gobs of information out there?  Twitter Search.  You can be simple and use the search at the Twitter site or a host of tools out there like Tweetdeck.  The key is to sift through what people are saying and asking.  It is out there for many marketers.  Go get it.

Twitter Followers Tip - Follow the First Person Featured

Why do you use Twitter?  Information, interesting people, links to this and that...and of course to be a smarter social mediarite (no not meteorite).    We all use it a bit differently to some degree.

One of the reasons I use it is to find interesting people that I can learn things from relative to my interests.  Bikes, social marketing, cool stuff, anything. 

Here is a tip.  Start with one person you find interesting and follow them.  When you are on their page, select the first person they have on their follow list.  Then do this over and over.  You ask why?  This person is likely the first person they selected when they joined the twitterverse...and maybe someone with some influence, something interesting enough to get some to open a Twitter account and of course someone that has been involved longer than you...meaning they may have something to teach you.  Keep in mind that depending on the Twitter tool you are using this could be easier or harder. 

Simple.  Do this enough and you are likely to have a pretty good list of people to follow.  This is a simple, yet non-scientific, way to qualify your follow list a bit. 

What do you think?  Let me know if you think my first follow is interesting or not. 

If Twitter is a Public Phone Line. What is Facebook?

Reading a blog post passed along by Robert Scoble on Twitter related to a possible Facebook announcement tomorrow, Jason Winer coined Twitter as a "dial tone".  For me at least, this sums up the microblogging tool/community/team well.  I have struggled to predict how Twitter will evolve and grow.  I am continually impressed at how the Twitter team has opened up itself to developers.

"Twitter is a Dial Tone"

A dial tone is essentially a signal that demonstrates the infrastructure is there for you.  Sounds like Twitter.  Most people using Twitter use some other software over the Twitter homepage.  Twitter is microblogging for most intensive purposes.  They essentially have the backbone to the microblogging world at the moment.  Yes, a few blue whales tell you the dial tone is not quite perfected yet, but you must admit it is pretty impressive that a start up has created such a major buzz that is tipping towards cult icon status.  If you are not hip without being on Twitter in the same way suburban kids buy skateboards and BMX bikes with no idea what they are used to do by true skaters and bikers.

Facebook appears to be facing some serious pressure to incorporate a better microblogging capability.  There were the reported talks for Facebook to buy Twitter unsuccessfully.  There are plenty of other rumors you can imagine about others trying to the same. 

So what does Twitter have that Facebook does not?  Think of Twitter as a public telephone line, one that you can look up in a phone book (yes, remember those old yellow books that show up once a year) or Verizon website.  Facebook is like an unlisted number that has some security cracks in it to sort of allow you to get a phone number if you ask nice enough.  This is where the leverage seems to exist for Twitter.  They opened themselves up like a streaker in a public park while Facebook is may show you some ankle skin if you can convince them you once met somewhere along your life's journey. 

Stay tuned to the public back and forth that will certainly take place.

Thanks Jason and Robert for sharing these ideas.  Thanks to TWN and Flickr for the image.  Find more from TWN at Flickr.

One Way Twitter is Evolving - Copyright Infringement Grey Area

You all know Twitter.  If you don't,  leave this site and go directly to the Common Craft "In Plain English" tutorial for Twitter.

So you know Twitter is a microblogging tool and the hottest tech tool today.  Athletes are tipping it beyond just a cool techno-tool the geeks and marketers are talking about.

Have you heard about books being read via Twitter?  Hamlet.  Yes, it is happening 140 characters at a time. 

Have you heard about play by play at sporting events?  NBA Courtside.  Yes, it is happening 140 characters at a time.

What about movies?  I am watching a classic right now, Animal House.  I posted a quick quote to my Facebook friends and realized "why not Twitter"?  I makes sense to drop some quotes in and add some commentary.  It could be fun for all, but it could also be a waste of time.

Here is my question about all three scenarios.  Where does the line between copyright infringement get drawn by the owners?  Is this any different than a book ready at a library to a book club or talking on your cell phone at a game?  No.  The movie scenario is a bit different only in that the movie industry has drawn a more definitive line in the sand about "fair use".  They define fair use as you buy it and watch in your house.  Anything more and they want another fee.  This is a dying business model.

It will be interesting to see how this line in the sand is further challenged by the new media models developing, emerging and taking over.

I would like to help Twitter

I like Twitter.  I want to help them with something that has been itching at me for a few days.

Tiny URLs.  I think this should be pretty easy from the Twitter website.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.  I am not sure why though.

Searching the help section I see a few answers, but none that tell me how to create these URLs inside the Twitter interface.   Here is where I can help.  The Twitter help site does not have the answer, but it does state that there are "24 Twitter employees ready to listen and respond".  Could these these available employees scan through the comments to see where users are not finding answers.

The "not easy way" is to go to www.tinyurl.com.  I don't really want to leave Twitter to do it.  I must be missing something obvious.

I say this in a positive way.  Hope it came across this way.  Looking forward to an easy way to create those tiny URLs.