twitter101bymikeschinkel

Welcome to:

July 2008 Meeting on Twitter by Mike Schinkel

www.atlanta-web.org

Tonight’s Major Topic:

Why you MUST have a Twitter Strategy

All about Twitter and Microblogging/Lifestreaming

© 2008 Mike Schinkel

Intro to Twitter

CPC TEXT Understanding the “What” and the “Why”

For those who say “Huh?”


Video Introductions

WallStrip on Twitter

CommonCraft’s Twitter in Plain English

How to Use Twitter (9 min, too long to play)


Press about Twitter Twitter is on its way to becoming the next

killer app. TIME Magazine

Suddenly, it seems as though all the world's a-twitter.

Newsweek It's one of the fastest-growing phenomena on

the Internet. New York Times

Incredibly useful Wired Magazine


Testimonials for Twitter Twitter is the telegraph system of Web 2.0.

Nicholas Carr, Author and Technologist

Twitter is the first thing on the web that I've been excited about in ages.

Jason Kottke, Blogger

When I first started doing it, I thought, 'geez, not another website to worry about updating and checking', but now I'm glad I did it.

point_chevalier, livejournaller


Twitter Testimonials (cont’d)

If you aren't familiar with Twitter, it is one of those things, like MySpace, that sounds totally ridiculous and stupid when you first hear about it. But once you start using it, you realize how much fun it is.

Eric Nuzum, Author of The Dead Travel Fast


What is Twitter?

From Wikipedia:Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Huh?


One Man’s Perspective Last year I thought “What a time waster!”

I’ve been using Twitter actively for about a month The most zealous are the recently converted!

My goal with this intro is to: Provide those new to Twitter with background Give you my “newbie” perspective Prepare you to ask questions of our experts

Why has Twitter interest exploded? Low friction: 140 chars makes it easy to participate Central systems aggregates messages Architecture encourages ad-hoc communities Gives people a passive way to stay connected Builds relationships like we do ofline, little-by-little


Twitter’s Home Page


Create an Account


Update your Settings


Add you Device (a.k.a. Phone)


Ready to Tweet!


How to Follow


Following via Devices

Set your Wallpaper


More Wallpaper


Twitter Terminology Tweets

The short messages people send via Twitter Following a.k.a. “Friends”

People whose Twitter feed you have subscribed to follow Followers

People who have you subscribed to your Twitter feed Replies

Referencing someone by Twitter name using an “@” sign, i.e. @Scobleizer

DMs Direct messages to people that are private like emails but sent

through Twitter and Fail Whale

Image of Whale you get when Twitter is down


Benefits for Individuals Stay connected to friend, colleagues

Much less effort than even email Establish Authority

Get to be known for what you are good at Build Relationships

Twitter allows you to maintain more and better relationships Enable Ad-hoc Meetups

“You are working on the same thing? Let’s meet up later at…”

Stay in the Loop Don’t be the last one to know


Benefits for Individuals (cont’d) Get Quick Answers, i.e.

“What’s the best project management website?” “I’m getting this Ruby on Rails error; Suggestions?”

Follow Breaking News Faster than News Outlets (Sorry CNN!)

Energizes work-at-home types With Twitter, you are never alone If you Tweet you are working on something, people hold you accountable

Get Priority Customer Support If a brand is listening and you bitch, they will often get it resolved for you.

“Twitter is my village” “Passive conversations fosters natural, gradual relationship-building” http://pistachioconsulting.com/?p=172


Benefits for Business/Brands Research Emerging Trends

Use http://search.twitter.com

Monitor Sentiment Track Keywords with http://tweetbeep.com

Customer Service i.e. http://twitter.com/comcastcares

Customers Interact with your Site Use the Twitter API or upcoming “1z”

Other Our experts will tell you!


Real-Time Market Research


Brands on Twitter

zappos (their CEO) comcastcares jetblue SouthwestAir MyStarbucksIdea Dell (22 Twitter Accounts!) Atlanta Brands Mostly Absent!


Grab your Trademarks!

Brands Grab your trademarks now!

Twitter will release But why fight that hassle?


What are you doing? i.e. What to Tweet? “I’m having toast and jam”

Lame! “I’ve just blogged this post about …”

Great way to get quick traffic “I’m working on a Flex/Actionscript app”

Great way to find someone to collaborate “Where’s a great place to eat in Austin?”

Get people to help you “I’ve at Octane; come join me?”

Eliminate loneliness, get people to help you face to face! “ARRESTED”

Berkley Student arrested for taking photos in Egypt! See Twitter Hall of Shame

http://www.insidecrm.com/features/twitter-hall-of-shame-061908/


Getting Started with Twitter Follow people you know

Locally, or In Your Industry

Don’t follow too many too quickly You’ll get overwhelmed and quit People will think you a Twitter Spammer

Watch your “Twitter Influence Ratio” Following/Followers ideally should be <= 1 Block people following 2000 with 10 followers!

Other Thoughts? Out Experts can give you more


Using Twitter Short URLs are Critical

tinyurl.com, is.gd, snipurl.com, etc. Converse with People

Use @replies, i.e. “That’s a stupid thing to say @MikeSchinkel!”

Don’t Overwhelm Followers 50 tweets/day excessive, thank you very much

Twitter Teaches Conciseness 140 characters makes you get to the point!

Focus on Building Relationships Don’t worry about what Twitter “Rock Stars” have to say Remember Dunbar’s #: Relationships = 150 people max


Twitter Etiquette Don’t ask for Follows

Unless you known them very well Don’t Follow Too Many People

You will be considered a spammer Don’t Broadcast, Communicate

Join the conversation, or go home @Reply when value for others

Otherwise, use DMs Don’t Twitter every 5 minutes

People will just unfollow you Don’t be Rude or Passive-Aggressive

Just don’t be Promote Moderately

Don’t tweets just to sell things


Twitter Web Services Twist – Visualize trends between two keywords TweetBeep.com – Monitors Keywords via email GroupTweet.com – Group message broadcasting Monitter.com – Real time Twitter keyword monitor TwitterLocal.net –RSS feeds of Local Twitter users TwitterFeed.com – Feed your blog to Twitter TwitPic.com – Share photos on Twitter TwitterVision.com – Real-time mashup of Twitter

Public Feed and Google Maps Twitterholic.com – Top 100 Lists, or as they say:

“WE’R IN UR TWTTR PAGES, READN UR STATZ”


Twitter Tools Desktop Twitter Clients

Twhirl TweetDeck Spaz (opensource)

iPhone Clients Twinkle Twittelator Twitterific

FireFox Plugins TwitterFox

Twitter Messaging Engine 1z (in stealth mode)

More Stuff Here http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Apps


Twitter Blogs

TwitterHandbook http://twitterhandbook.com/blog/

Other?


Criticism of Twitter

Wastes Time Unreliable Other?


Alternatives/Competitors

Pownce, Jaiku, Utterz, other? I have no experience with them but I’m sure our

experts will have. Identi.ca/Laconica

Competing Service Identi.ca running on open-source Laconica.

Uses Twitter API FriendFeed, SocialThing, etc.

“Lifestreaming”; Scobleizer loves FriendFeed


Links & Slides

Lots o’ Twitter-related Links: http://delicious.com/MikeSchinkel/twitter


www.atlanta-web.org

[email protected]

Thanks for attending!


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