Category Archives: Twitter Tips
To live tweet, or not live tweet: that is the question
Just put away the smartphone!
Joan Stewart posted a great opinion article on her blog, The Publicity Hound, last week on live tweeting. Joan made the points that live tweeting during a presentation takes away from the experience, as a participant. For example, while live tweeting, an attendee can miss points made during the presentation.
Live Tweeting Can Throw Off a Presenter
You know, giving a presentation is not easy! It takes a lot of focus and nerve. That’s the reason why I request that people not take photos during my presentations (although they usually do, anyway). But live tweeting is worse. When I’m up there in front of an audience, it is slightly unnerving to see people bent over their Blackberrys and iPhones. I don’t know if they’re live tweeting, or bored and checking their email, or what. As a speaker, you need nonverbal cues and facial feedback from your participants — are you losing your audience? Should you pick up the pace? Did they get that last point, or do they seem to need clarification? So I think paying attention and being in the moment is respectful to the speaker.
Live Tweets Lack Perspective of the Presentation as a Whole
In my experience, looking at the live tweets that have posted after my talk, I have also found that people who live tweet my presentations often focus on superficial details, and I can see where they’re missing points mid-stream. They are basically missing the forest for the trees by focusing on the micro, instead of processing the whole. Live tweeting can get a little “high school.” It’s the digital equivalent of passing notes in class. I’ve had people live tweet about my appearance (in a complimentary way, still, it’s beside the point of my talk), or about the kinds of pictures I use in my slides.
I see other drawbacks with live tweets, in addition to the ones you mentioned. Some people approach live tweeting like court reporting, recording every point, and I think that’s a mistake. Once, I reiterated a point, and someone made a snarky tweet that I was repeating myself — but he was tweeting almost every statement I made! But in presentations, repeating main points is important.
Live Tweets Are Not Effective Communication
I also think live tweeting can be a disservice to your Twitter followers. Your followers may appreciate your insights from a presentation they can’t attend, but when that report is coming across the stream in disjointed bits and pieces, interrupted by other tweets — well, that’s just not effective communication. (This is the same reason why I don’t like Twitter chats.)
Live Tweets Do Not Help Your Personal Brand
When I think about activities that enhance your image and raise awareness of your personal brand online, live tweeting is not one strategy that comes to mind. That’s because Tweets have such a short life span, and almost no search engine results value at all. That’s a lot of effort that could be diverted into blogging. How much better would it be to take a few notes, snap a photo afterwards (with permission), and then write a blog post about your takeaways, which would elevate both you and the speaker (and wouldn’t evaporate from search engine results, the way tweets do). Then you could tweet the link to your blog post.
Live Tweeting May Make You Less Social
To be sure, live tweeting can be distancing. One thing I’ve noticed: live tweeters rarely come up to me and introduce themselves, before or after a presentation. But bloggers almost invariably do. It could be just my personal experience, but in a way, I think live tweeting can make you less social.
Live Tweeting is Probably Here to Stay
As a speaker, I can’t really do anything to discourage live tweeting. It’s something people are going to want to do, and I don’t think collecting phones (some do!) or asking people not to live tweet is practical. But I may think of ways to give preference to bloggers who connect with me, such as recognition, preferential seating, good quality photos, and special attention.
What are your thoughts on live tweeting? Do you feel it adds to the experience, or takes away from it?
Related articles
- 5 reasons I don’t tweet during conferences anymore (publicityhound.net)
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How to Measure Your Engagement on Twitter and Pinterest
Red Pinterest logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Earlier this week, I posted about a basic approach to measuring your social media results. But I omitted to mention the tools you can use to measure those results.
For YouTube, Facebook, and WordPress, you can use their built-in analytics. But Twitter and Pinterest do not offer analytics to their subscribers.
For Twitter, try Twoolr. You can discover how many people mentioned you, and retweeted you, for example.
For Pinterest, try Pinreach. You can measure engagement metrics such as Likes and Repins.
Both are free and easy to use 
Engagement Guidelines for Individuals and Brands on Twitter
When using Twitter for marketing, you are naturally concerned with appearing engaging to your followers. But what makes for an engaging Twitter account? What are the best practices? For example, How often should you post on Twitter? How often should you retweet? How many people should you follow?
While the attribution of engagement is a matter of opinion, TwitCleaner has developed an algorithim that identifies Twitter accounts you follow that are less than engaging (so you can unfollow them). I use it, and I think these guidelines are very useful, especially for brand accounts on Twitter. I’ve blogged about that before, but I think it bears repeating, as more and more brands are moving onto Twitter.
On Twitter, you have to give people a reason to love you. Read the rest of this entry
Public relations ethics: remember to disclose client relationships on Twitter
Most public relations agencies and professionals I observe on Twitter are conscientious about disclosing client relationships when tweeting. It’s easy to do: all you have to really do is add the hashtag #client to the tweet. Like this:
However, one prominent D.C. agency’s employees have been really missing the boat on this. They keep tweeting about their clients, without disclosure, e.g.:
They do this a LOT.
So what’s the big deal? Read the rest of this entry
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Do you spend too much time on Twitter?
Image via CrunchBase
Twitter is fun, fast, and easy.
But is it effective, as a marketing tool? Is it the best use of your company’s time and resources?
I believe most companies and organizations should have a branded presence on Twitter that is monitored daily. But I also observe that many place too much emphasis on Twitter.
When you look at engagement on Twitter, it’s important to keep the facts about its impact in perspective. Twitter is still not representative of the general public. It can be easy for communicators and the media to over-estimate its reach, since communicators and the media are two professions that make up the largest segments of active users on Twitter.
Edison Research found that while most Americans (97%) were aware of Twitter, only 8% of Americans had a profile on Twitter (20 million Americans), and of that 8%, only 3 out of 10 used it every day. Compare that to the 51% of Americans with a profile on Facebook. Only about 40% of registered Twitter accounts globally are considered “active” and of those active accounts, barely half have posted an update, reply or retweet in a month or more.
Most tweets do not get engagement — they do not @replies or retweets. Less than 3 out of 10 tweets see any reaction, and that only in the first hour. Only 6% of tweets get a retweet.
Twitter can be a very useful tool for reaching special interest groups, keeping tabs on legislators, government agencies, and political candidates, and connecting with the news media (use Twitter lists to organize your contacts). It can be a useful monitoring and customer service tool, so maintaining a branded presence on Twitter is important.
But don’t over-rely on Twitter to reach the general public with important messages or promotions. Monitor daily and be responsive; incorporate outreach on Twitter as one element in an integrated marketing strategy, but remember what it’s good for. Don’t neglect result-netting tactics, such as blogs, advertising, email marketing communications, print (and for some businesses and organizations — Facebook.)
Related articles
- To Follow or Not To Follow: Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter? (mashable.com)
- Top 10 Most Retweeted Brands [REPORT] (contently.com)
Event organizers, recognize the value of a Twitter hashtag
I learned something very interesting this week. From my unscientific sample of event organizers, there seems to be a lack of appreciation — or perhaps the word I want is
understanding — for the simple power of a Twitter hashtag (#).
Every month in 2012, I plan to write a post about notable events for content marketing. I like to include recommendations for Twitter accounts to follow and hashtags to mention.
This week, I contacted the organizers of several events, some of which get national broadcast placements. In speaking with the public relations staff in charge of these events, I had to explain to some of them what a hashtag was, so let’s just state really simply what it is and what it can do for an event.
A hashtag is a keyword term you put into a Tweet that you precede with “#.” This action makes the term searchable. It can help the term become promoted on Twitter. People like to use hashtags when they attend events. So, for example, people who are attending Social Media Week in DC, or talking about it now, are using the hashtag #SMWWDC.
Hashtags should be short, so they don’t take up too much valuable Tweet room, but easily recognized. You can’t use spaces, and you can’t use any characters other than letters and numerals (so hyphens and underscores are out). Hashtag creators use either use one word, multiple words strung together, or acronyms.
There’s a real art to coming up with a great hashtag.
So far, so good right? They’re free to create, and the only thing you need to create one is a Twitter account. You just have to remember, as a planning group, to append that hashtag to all your tweets before an event, so they get traction.
Social Media Week DC does that very well. Another event organization hosting their own “week” event, not so much. I contacted “Let’s- Just-Not-Name-Them-Publicly Week DC” to inquire about their official Twitter account and hashtag, because I couldn’t find it on their website or in search. I wanted to promote the event in my blog.
The staffer informed me that there was a Twitter account, but it was primarily for the director’s use, that it wasn’t updated that frequently, and that they really didn’t want people to refer to it. I mentioned to the staffer how people attending their events would most likely want to to tweet about them, and for that, a hashtag would be a great idea (in case they were thinking of creating one I could include in my article), but he told me they were not pursuing that.
I can’t tell you too much more without revealing them, but I can assure you, their audiences are on Twitter, and so is the media covering their events. Most definitely. And other, smaller cities who are doing this type of “week” event do have their social media accounts set up and are promoting them. But not the organization in our Nation’s Capital.
So, you know it’s hard to purchase a decent print display ad for less than 3 grand. Now I’m discovering there are event organizers who choose not to use virtually free promotions, and I’m really perplexed. I can understand how some people don’t recognize the value of hashtags, yet. But to dismiss Twitter completely for a high-profile event? That, I find surprising. And suffice to say, they didn’t make the cut for inclusion in my article.
To their credit, PR people from two other organizations recognized the value of a hashtag immediately after our discussion, promised me they would meet about it and decide on a term, and get right back to me. Now, that’s responsiveness! And I will promote them.
Creating a Twitter hashtag is a simple, quick and easy, no-brainer tactic that can drive potential followers to your Twitter account, and from there, to your website and event.
Hashtags are worthwhile learning about, and incorporating in your public relations and engagement plans.
If you need help with understanding and making the most of social media for your business, nonprofit organization, or association, please contact me (571) 269-7559.
Writing for engagement: tips and best practices (video presentation)
I had the opportunity to speak at the RHED Pixel annual Open House last week on best practices for effective social media updates, and wanted to share the video with you today.
I enjoy this event because the speakers are terrific, it’s informal and interactive, and free! So mark your calendars for the Open House next year.
Thanks so much to Richard Harrington for inviting me to present and to Adam Martray and the terrific RHED Pixel team for coordinating and taping the event (which featured a lot of other speakers, including Richard Harrington).
If you didn’t have a chance to go (the room was packed!) or watch the presentations live on UStream, I’ll share the link to those recorded presentations when they become available online. Meanwhile, the folks at RHED Pixel have generously shared the video of my presentation and if you have the time, check it out. I’m sharing tips for marketing your business, nonprofit, association or govt. agency with blogs, Facebook Pages, Twitter profiles, YouTube and more.
These are my highly subjective opinions about what has worked for me and what I have observed. If you concur, or you believe differently, or have tips to share, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your views.
For more creative and affordable marketing tips, please subscribe to the Fletcher Prince blog http://fletcher-prince.com/blog
Presentation recorded October 25, 2011 in front of a live audience at RHED Pixel, Falls Church, Virginia.
Related articles
- How to Get More Readers for Your Blog (fletcher-prince.com)
Tweet…Tweet…Ka-CHING!
$3529.50 per tweet
So, people get paid to post updates on Twitter. Seriously. Or at least they get a cut from their agency.
I am so not lying. This is what advertisers are paying an agency for sponsored tweets, in case you were thinking of blowing a few grand on this kind of marketing.
It’s touted as completely ethical, and I suppose it is. The rules of disclosure are honored. But to me, it’s just an icky thing for a brand to do.
Here’s what you will have to shell out if you have the moolah for this kind of marketing…
Khloe Kardashian: $8,235.50 per tweet. ONE tweet, people! Gemvara, a jewelry company, evidently felt it was worth the investment to pay her to tweet.
Her sister, Kim? You have to call for her rate, buster. In other words, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. But Best Buy can. Best Buy pays her to tweet, no lie.
Okay, if the Kardashians are too rich for your blood, you can get Lindsay Lohan for the relative bargain price of $3,529.50 per tweet. I’m bewildered, however, that the National Inflation Association and Sauer Energy, a manufacturer of wind powered turbines, paid to have LL be their spokes-tweeter. Talk about things that make you go “hmm?” Sauer also hired Jillian Michaels ($3250 per tweet) to say essentially the same thing as Ms. Lohan.
If that blows your mind, as it did mine, wrap your head around the fact that Glidden Paint paid runaway bride and Playmate Holly Madison to promote their free paint testers, and she rates $4,000 per tweet.
I always did associate centerfold models with home improvement. Not.
On the other hand, you don’t have to be a huge national brand with money to burn to get someone to tweet for you. You can get Partridge Family’s Danny Bonaduce for only $29.41 per tweet. And he is experienced: he has tweeted for a home STD testing company.
Okay, one last one: Tom Felton “Draco” of the Harry Potter movies earned millions per film — yes, him – apparently, the enormous wealth accumulated by the 24-year-old actor doesn’t stop him from promoting Edge Shave Gel and posting an asking rate of $2,353 per tweet.
Well, at least it isn’t “Harry!” All Daniel Radcliffe‘s tweets seem refreshingly unpaid for.
Related articles
- Pop Princesses Top Klout’s ‘Most Influential Actresses’ List (huffingtonpost.com)
How to use Twitter for your business (when you really kind of hate Twitter)
Image via CrunchBase
I like Twitter. But I talk to a lot of business owners who really hate it. I mean, they do not mince words. They think it’s pointless and a waste of time, when it comes to their businesses.
Well, Twitter can be a waste of time, or to put it another way, recreational. And it can be tricky to sift through a rapidly updating stream of tweets from the many people and brands you’ll follow.
Unless you know how to work it!
Even if you don’t like the idea of Twitter, there are ways for your business to benefit from Twitter, with a minimal investment of time from you, or one of your staff. What you need is a system to make your involvement of time with Twitter manageable and productive. This system works well, and anyone can do it, without using third party applications. Most of the work is set-up and is done upfront, which we can help you with, if you prefer.
The first step is to stake your corporate claim on Twitter. Take the time to set up a branded Twitter account for your business. Start following Twitter accounts, just aim for 100 or less to start. If you’re looking for good accounts to follow, check out who your competitors are following on Twitter, or look at trade associations and local groups affiliated with your business. If you have a blog, fix your blog settings to post a link on your Twitter account to announce new articles.
The next step is to make sure you don’t miss anything important, like comments about your company. There are a couple of ways to do this. In Settings, set your notifications to receive an email when anybody mentions your Twitter account name or replies to you (an “at” or “@” mention). Then in Search, set up a few saved searches: your company name, important brand names, maybe your proper name, perhaps a key competitor’s name.
Next, create a few lists of people and accounts you really want to follow on Twitter. You can make them public or private. For example, you might create a list for
- Partners, trade associations, and vendors on Twitter.
- Clients on Twitter. Be sure you’re following their updates!
- Trade media, reporters, and bloggers who cover your industry. Twitter is an excellent way to build your media contacts.
- Competitors (you can put this list on private view — you don’t even have to follow them to put them on a list. If you only list your competitors and put the list on private, you can keep tabs on them — and emulate their best practice on Twitter! — surreptitiously. They will never know it’s you
- Speed Dial List: this is the private list I make of accounts I really enjoy following and ones I really must keep tabs on — best clients, most significant competitors, news about my industry, etc. Most days, it is the only list I check.
Next, just check in once day. If that’s too much, check in every other day. This is what you’ll want to do during this check-in, and it will only take a few minutes.
1. Check your followers and see if you have any new ones. Follow back new followers. You don’t have to thank them (and don’t use auto replies!) — just follow them back. Take a quick peek in case they should go on your Speed Dial list.
2. Check and respond to your @ mentions. You already get notifications, but just be sure you have responded to all the @ mentions for that day, or past couple of days. It’s important to be responsive on Twitter.
3. Use your lists to keep updated and toss in a comment here and there. This makes your Twitter corporate profile appear real, engaging, and dimensional. Now, don’t worry too much about the stream. Trying to read all those updates will only make you dizzy. I follow more than 600 people and there’s no way I could read all those updates. Try my approach, instead. Go right to your private “Speed Dial” list (your curated list of people and brands you really need to keep tabs on). What have these people and brands posted? Interesting links? Anything you can make a value-added comment on or retweet? Good. “At mention” that account: post a tweet responding to their update, but start it with their profile name, like this: “@FletcherPrince posted a great article on how to use Twitter in an effective way: http://linkhere.com”
4. Monitor for mentions: check your saved search terms to see if anyone mentioned your name or company name on Twitter recently (it will only save a day or two of posts, which is why you should check daily or every other day).
5. If you have something important to announce, or a new article, by all means, do post an update, but try to keep your updates useful and relevant to your brand on your corporate Twitter profile. Extra points if you can tie in your update (meaningfully) to a hot topic or non-disaster-related news story everyone is talking about (think seasonal, weather, sports, and pop culture references).
And that’s it! Using this simple and quick process, you will soon come to appreciate the power of Twitter and will find it much more manageable to use as you present your brand online, respond to customer queries and concerns, monitor online mentions, and track your competitors.
Related articles
- My Twitter Speed Dial: People You’ll Be Glad to Follow (fletcher-prince.com)
Using Twitter is different for public relations professionals
Yesterday, a tweet caught my attention. It was in reference to a brand of vitamins I have given to my son.
The public relations professional who represents the company that sells these vitamins tweeted to her 10,000+ followers “Why eat gummy bears, when you can eat gummy vitamins! We’re downing them in the office.”
Next she tweeted that she had also just taken 10 of an Omega-3 supplement, also apparently provided by the client, and that you couldn’t really overdose while taking the product. She mentioned the name brand and Twitter handle of her client.
I felt a little sick when I saw that, and not just because I knew she could be in for a rough night, possibly with diarrhea. Vitamins and supplements are not candy and they are not snack food. On the bottles, which she and her employees must have read, there are warnings not to exceed the recommended dosage of two per day. I thought almost everyone knew it was possible to get sick from taking too many.
I urged her to issue a correction (she was being retweeted) and to stop taking so many before she made herself sick!
I managed to convince her, or so I thought. She issued a disclaimer “A fellow tweeter asked that I remove that last tweet to you. You should only eat the recommended dose on the bottle” but then she continued to engage, including with one tweeter who said she shouldn’t have taken the post down, that I was a “moron,” (she responded with “I know” and smiley faces) and then stating that she actually really didn’t believe it was true you could overdose.
Well, what can you do with people like that?
I wouldn’t have pointed out her mistake in the first place, but she was getting some retweets, and I could envision people taking her seriously and getting sick. Potential side effects of Omega-3 supplements (which she was snacking on) over the recommended level range from uncomfortable to truly dangerous. Dangerous, as in bleeding in the brain.
Yikes. I’m thinking a quick trip to Starbucks for the afternoon snack next time, maybe?
At some point in the evening, she had a change of heart, and left me a voicemail with an almost apology. Which was followed by an email with a real apology. Neither of which would have been necessary if we were talking about a press release, and not a spur-of-the-moment Twitter update.
So, put this warning example in your toolbox on how NOT to use Twitter.
There has been a lot of publicity about Twitter and public relations gaffes lately. But there are plenty of little stories, like this, that also impact a brand. It’s one thing to embarrass a client with a Twitter update you published without thinking. It’s another thing entirely to put out information online that could possibly make people (including children) sick.
So, my plea in my blog this morning is to think before you tweet, and tweet responsibly.
