TweetValleyTwitter News and Tips

Laura Fitton, twitter pioneer, author of “Twitter for Dummies” and CEO of new startup oneforty, shares her #1 tip for success on twitter:

Be Selfless

Other tips that Laura offers for any social media platform are: listen, learn, care, and serve. If these rules are applied, she says, “You will absolutely have success.”

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 Michelle Maura is an Organizational Psychologist, singer and Yoga teacher. She practices Mantra Yoga Meditation and Hatha Yoga, while studying Yoga philosophy. Michelle shares her thoughts on her blog Thoughts Are Things, while also contributing at Intent.com. She focuses on the importance of looking at the positive side of every situation in life and always moving forward. You can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/michellemaura.

There are infinite uses one can give to Twitter- from online marketing, to sharing interesting information to filling in moments of boredom or loneliness. There are also varying degrees of Twitter usage- there’s the user that will go online for 20 minutes a day and check older tweets as mini emails, there’s the person who logs on after every break to update others and themselves on the day’s happenings, and there are the hard core users who use software like Tweet Deck or have apps on their mobiles to notify them of every tweet possible, audio alert and scheduled tweets included.

Whether you are new to the vast and still growing Twitterverse or already feel established your tweet space, you might have asked yourself this question just how much Twitter is good for you. Here are a few questions that might help you get your answer.

  How much Twitter is good for you?

• Are you using social media to establish your product or company on the market, and would like to enjoy the advantages Twitter offers?
• Are you aiming to promote yourself because you like the idea of being a microcelebity?
• Are you going through a lonely stage in real life and hoping to meet fellow tweeters and feel more connected?
• Are you engaged in your goals and activities and simply like the additional social advantages of Twitter?
• Are you only looking to share information with like minded people, or learn new things from those who think differently?

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This “How To Throw A Killer TweetUp” post written by Kim Redd (@RedSmitty) was originally published at Kim’s Blog: The Adventures of Reddsmitty, on August 31, 2009.  Kim is a charismatic Social Media Coach, Sales and Marketing Diva, Event Planner Extraordinaire, and Road Warrior who seeks out new business, opens doors and uncovers new opportunities.  A consultative problem solver, she analyzes business situations at a glance and offers strategic solutions.

Kim Redd

Have you ever wondered what your Tweeps are like in real life (IRL)?  Ever wondered if they really look like their avatars?   Why not host a TweetUp!  No matter where you live or what you do there are others on Twitter nearby and there’s nothing quite like meeting your favorite Tweeps in real life (IRL).    Just ask @RobinWalker or @MisterNoodle…I hugged them when I met them at a TweetUp.  Besides hugs you may also find job leads, sales leads, new connections, and folks with whom you can barter entrepreneurial services…I know I did.  So what’s stopping you?

 Here are 7 tips for hosting a successful TweetUp in your neck of the woods:

1. Select the Venue -  Choose a location that’s central and easy to navigate.   Find a spot with plenty of standing room as well as seating for those with “barking dogs”.  Convenient parking and/or public transportation is key.  Free WiFi is a consideration if the event is in the morning or midday when Tweeps are tethered to their laptops.  Be sure to talk to the owner/manager of the establishment prior to the event for their blessing and possible sponsorship.  Make sure you visit the venue before publicizing the event.

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This ““Mad Men” vs. #Twitter – An Opinion on the Fortune 10” post written by Beth Frysztak (@bethfrysztak) was originally published at Beth’s Blog:  Network Your Life, on September 6th, 2009.  Beth is a cool twitterer, charismatic leader, successful marketer & Mom of 2 who thoroughly understands how to satisfy customers.  She is passionate about networking and “all things connected”.

Beth Frysztak

When I meet people IRL (in real life) – new acquaintances, peeps that I know well, friends, co-workers, and even family, there are only a handful of people who “get it” when I talk ‘Twitter’.

I speak so often to companies that I work with – as well as new corporations I am strategizing with – to talk about the value that their brand can receive through the right use of Twitter.  So, why is it when I ask a standard response is, “Yeah, we’re on Twitter”… I then ask them, “what does that mean?”.

DO LARGE CORPORATIONS REALLY GET IT?

Many large corporations do not.  They are struggling with the change from a world with ‘Mad Men’ media – to a world where messaging is cluttered, media is fast paced, multiple channels are available, and ‘Social Media’ is perceived to surpass other forms of media in short order.  So, what does this mean to your brand?

HOW DOES A BRAND BECOME EFFECTIVE IN 140 CHAR?

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This "Ode to Twitter" post written by Laura "@Pistachio" Fitton originally ran on Pistachio Consulting’s website in August 2007.   Laura has since helped explain Twitter to thousands, including Guy Kawasaki, Johnson & Johnson and Harvard Business School.  Most recently, she wrote Twitter for Dummies and founded www.oneforty.com to help people take advantage of all the Twitter ecosystem offers.

Laura Fitton

Let me come clean about my Twitter adoption “arc:”

The wise student hears of the Twitter & practices it diligently. The average student hears of the Twitter & gives it thought now & again. The foolish student hears of the Twitter and laughs aloud. If there were no laughter, the Twitter would not be what it is. -Lao Tzu (well, sorta)

I was foolish. If you think Twitter’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen, I hear you.

But I evolved.

I recently tweeted what Twitter is to me:

water cooler, colleagues, sanity check, ideas, advice, good tips, friends, company, connections, inspiration. oh ya & network.

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My friend @johnhaydon shows how to find a twitter user’s RSS feed:

RSS is a way to subscribe to a blog or twitter account, etc. so that it comes to you rather than you clicking on bookmarks or a link to go there.  Here’s a great one page explanation of RSS (Rich Site Summary).

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How Twitter Search creates new opportunities for plugging in, tracking news in real time and discovering trends.

A kinder & gentler strategy for finding quality twitter follows & followers.

Note: The First Follow strategy posted here has been rendered ineffective due to changes by Twitter in how the following-follower page URL is generated.  Nuts Twitter! In the meantime this D.Cortesi tool,  [my first follow] is similar, well sort of.

Originally published at KentBeatty.com on 3.26.09, updated and improved for tweetvalley.com

If you have an established Twitter account and some interesting updates, here is a way of having some fun generating quality follows & followers.  This is NOT automated … just basic human psychology.  All legit twitter users need to be needed and want to follow “like minded” twitterees …

• 1.  Find a user you follow that you really dig, i.e. they are like minded, in the same line of work, interesting, etc. etc., whatever your criteria for judging a twitter user. Now, go to this user’s home page using the standard twitter web viewer.

http://twitter.com/KentBeatty

• 2.  Hit the person’s “following” link. (This displays the “last twenty-one people” this user decided to follow, in the order they followed.)

http://twitter.com/KentBeatty/following

• 3.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page, hit the “next” button. This displays the “second to last twenty-one people” the user has chosen to follow, in the order they followed.

http://twitter.com/KentBeatty/following?page=2

• 4.  Look at the user’s total following number, how many users is this user following, in this case 1,856. Divide 1,856 by 20, that equals 92.8.  Now, let’s go to the page that reveals the first users that this user decided to follow. Take the number you arrived at: (rounded up) in this case 93, and put that number at the end of the URL address in the command line of your browser.    …(cont’d)

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By Kent Beatty of Talent Media Group – Follow him @kentbeatty

 Twitter’s new homepage as of July 28, 2009

Twitter has updated their homepage and made their search feature much more accessible and useable.  Gone is the cartoonish “What are you doing?” days.

Everyone knows how to use search and is familiar with searching, but still most people don’t know much about twitter (the few million people that use Twitter regularly represent a tiny fraction of the planet, geographically and demographically.)  Putting the search feature at center stage helps make new user’s feel more at home and helps the page look less “foreign” to them.

Twitter Co-founder, Biz Stone, said in a blog post about the new look: "The open and timely exchange of information will have a positive impact on the world and Twitter has a role to play."

By Kent Beatty of Talent Media Group – Follow him @kentbeatty

So when your friend says, “I just don’t get the twitter thing.”  Send them over to this blog post.  Lee and Sachi LeFever make excellent videos using a technique they call “paperworks.”  They use simple tools, a white board and paper cut outs, and plain English in their fight against complexity.  Although appearing deceptively simple, their videos have lurking under the surface lessons that have been crafted with great care.  Below is their simple explanation of Twitter.

Twitter in Plain English

Connect

Lee Lefever is @leelefever on Twitter

Sachi Lefever is @sachilefever on Twitter

Common Craft is @commoncraft

Become a Fan of Common Craft on Facebook

Common Craft Web Site

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