Experiencing e4 One Tweet At A Time -- Twitter 101

For e4 2009 Experient is showcasing social media in the Meeting and Events arena.  As you may have already noticed, we have unveiled e4 Group Meeting Sites on LinkedIn and  Facebook .  Experient is also introducing an e4 presence in Twitter, a social media application gaining momentum rapidly in the online community!

About two months ago, at the prompting of a close friend, I entered  the world of Twitter (affectionately referred to by users as the “Twitterverse”)  for the very first time.   Admittedly my initial experience was confusing, akin to the sensation one feels when learning a foreign language.  With persistence I soon discovered the magic of this online communication tool.

So what is Twitter?  Briefly, Twitter is a “micro blog” service for people to communicate with one another, staying connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. Twitter users write short updates, called “tweets” of 140 characters or less. Messages are posted to the user’s profile, viewable by their followers and other Twitter users.  They are also indexed to Twitter search.

The power of twitter is it’s potential reach.  Your followers are other twitter users choosing to view your messaging, and vice versa.  When you post a tweet, it is shared with all of your followers.  In turn,  they may choose to re-post your tweet to their followers and so on.  (called a “re-tweet or RT”)  So, exponentially, your tweet posts may be viewed by hundreds and thousands of twitter users potentially.  That is viral marketing at its best!!

Optionally, Twitter users may include links to other Internet sites within their tweets.  For example if I find an article about a topic of interest, I can include the URL for that article in my tweet post.  Or… a picture, video, or music file…. the possibilities are numerous!  When a follower views your post they can click on the URL for the link you posted and their Internet browser will take them directly to it.

Some other useful features…

• Favorite – If you come across a tweet (even your own) that you want to refer to later, you can bookmark it as a favorite.
• Direct Message — You can send private messages directly to other Twitter friends.
• Twitter search – You can find tweets on any possible topic you can think of and this is a great way to find new users to follow.  (people with common interests)
  

In the Meetings and Events business the potential for use of Twitter is significant.  Already, many organizations are embracing Twitter as a communication tool in their Keynote Sessions, educational events, and social gatherings.  For example one association uses a live Twitter feed in their general session.  The audience posts their questions in realtime to a large screen at the front of the room via cell phone using a hashtag (#) in a twitter application called Tweetchat.  What a cool concept!!  Another organization setup large screen monitors in its coffee break areas with live twitter feeds.  Attendees send messages throughout the event and they can be viewed on these screens.  Or..  session additions/changes are posted on those same screens for all to see.

How do you get started?  Here is an excellent article (The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter) written by a twitter colleague of mine, Michael Hyatt.   It will walk you through the basics of getting setup on Twitter, both on your home/office computer and your cell phone.  If you have any questions about this information, or Twitter please contact me!  You may reach me anytime by email, twitter or phone at (847) 825-0243.

Please give this tremendous social media application a try…. You won’t be disappointed!  I hope to see you out there in the Twitterverse … Happy Twittering!