I expected this session to cover the same old “rah-rah twitter” but was pleasantly surprised as the panelists shared interesting tips and insights on how to use twitter to drive your business.

Cam Balzer, VP of Marketing for Threadless shared some great tips for brands engaging on twitter.  For companies like Threadless, which sell directly online, twitter is a very meaningful and measurable marketing tool.

Cam shared 8 Emerging Principles for Social Media (somehow I only captured 7):

1. Have clear Business Objectives - Define your business objectives before you get started.  They may change over time as you learn, but you should always tie back to business goals.
2. Multiple Account Managers – If you have multiple account managers as many large and medium businesses do, leverage tools to enhance efficiency and measurement.
   1. Co-tweet
   2. TweetDeck
   3. Mobile Twitter
3. Learn by Doing - You can read all you want, but once you get out there are participate you’ll really start to learn.  Try different things and measure the results.
4. Always be Posting - You can’t take a week off of twitter and be successful.  Use tools to stay active on twitter outside of the regular 9 – 5.  Twitter doesn’t stop when you go home for the day.
   1. Use tweetlater or cotweet
   2. Mobile
5. Experiment, track and refine – Try different things and measure the results.
   1. Try different things and measure the results
   2. Bit.ly to track clicks
   3. Day of week and time of day matter
   4. Where do you place the link?
   5. Experiment with different call to action
6. Use a set of metrics – Use a comprehensive set of metrics that tie back to business results, not just activity.
   1. Tie back to business objectives
   2. Don’t just measure followers.
7. Find the right followers – Spend some time figuring out who the right followers are for your business.  Much like targeting in traditional marketing (well, exactly like traditional targeting actually) target your twitter followers.
   1. Include a question mark in your search querie
   2. Follow people who follow you
   3. All followers are not created equal
   4. Look at language and image of people who you follow

Craig Greenfield, VP Search and Performance Media at Performics also shared some insights on different ways that companies can use twitter.  Twitter isn’t actually about literally answering “what are you doing?” all day, every day.  There are a number of different ways that businesses have successfully used twitter including:

• Direct sales (@DellClearance)
• Reputation management (@Southwest)
• Customer monitoring and service (@comcastcares)
• Engaging content for advertising (like this ad)
• Drive in-store traffic (@freshii)
• Use it for SEO
• Use it to disseminate thought leadership

This session was also covered on the adtech blog by Amanda Mooney.

There was much more (but I can’t type that fast).  Hope this was helpful and interesting

Lesson 1: Spray and Pray is NOT the Most Effective Approach

In the “spray and pray” approach you don’t really aim or focus on the target – you fire off as many bullets as quickly as you can and you hope that some of them hit the target.  Based on the sheer # of bullets you fire you have some chance of hitting the target.  This is like what spammers do – they send a large number of untargeted messages in the hopes that at least a few hit the target.  Even if just a few hit, it can pay out.  The issue is that there are a lot of wasted bullets (which cost money).  It is far more efficient to spend time upfront focusing on the target and hitting it dead on in one  shot.

Lesson 2: Strategy Counts for Nothing if the Execution Sucks

I was kind of scared by actually firing the gun – I’d be calm, line up correctly, take a deep breath and then sort of cringe and look away right before I fired.  All the setup counted for nothing because I lost it during the execution. The same is true in marketing.  A great strategy is only the first part of the equation – execution counts for everything. The problem is that execution is often seen as a  small detail and is handled by the least experienced people on the team.  Especially in social media – execution is everything – make sure that it is appropriately resourced and given the right level of attention to be successful.

Lesson 3: Don’t try too Hard to Fit In – Or You Won’t

I was really excited about going to a gun range – so I did what any Canadian would do – I dug out my army green pants and but on a sweet camo hat and shirt.  Seemed appropriate (or at least funny).  Everyone else was dressed in normal attire – many wearing the same clothes they wore to work.  In my effort to fit-in in an unfamiliar environment I went overboard.  The same is true in marketing – be yourself and take some time to assess the landscape before juming in. Especially in social media – sit back and observe the community, the norms, the ettiquette and be yourself.  Don’t try to hard based on stereo-types or preconceived ideas.

Lesson 4: Pay Attention to Your Surroundings Before You Commit to a Lane

They assigned us to a lane in the gun range and beside us were a few guys with a giant gun (I don’t know what kind).  The shells from their gun were flying into our lane making it difficult to concentrate and focus.  We should have looked for a lane with nobody beside us or at least surrounded by people with smaller guns.  The same is true for marketing.  Before you pick your focus area, look around at who will be beside you.  Take note of your competitors.  If their guns are way bigger than yours it can be very distracting and difficult to stay focused.  Select a niche with few competitors to distract you.

Lesson 5: Safety First – If You’re Gonna Play Understand the Rules.

When you get to the gun range they give you protective ear wear and safety glasses.  Prior to entering the range they make sure that you understand the safety precautions.  The same goes for Social Media – be sure to understand the rules before you jump in.  Lots of people and companies rush in to social media without understanding the rules and etiquette of the community.  Before you dive in, spend some time to understand the rules and norms of the community. You’ll be less likely to screw up.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Please Share

On the last evening an interesting debate ensued about what constitutes “spam”. It is such a nasty word. Nobody wants to be a spammer. Yet a growing number of social networkers are increasingly spamming their “friends” or “followers” with shameless unsolicited plugs for their blog, book, business or whatever.

This is the surest way to degrade both your network and the value of the network overall.

What is social spam?

Sending unsolicited mass messages directly to your social network to promote your own interest.

Simple.

Examples:

Twitter Direct Message Spam – The “auto direct-message to new followers” is annoying. I wish twitter would disallow it. “Krista – thanks for following me. You might be interested in thislink – let me know what you think..”. The link is a random link to their blog or some site promoting their interest. Just because I follow you doesn’t mean you can spam me.

LinkedIn Message Spam – Sending messages to your linkedin network that only promote yourself.

If you can’t take the 30 seconds to write me a genuine message, you should not be so bold as to ask me to spend 5 minutes reading your blog.

Why does it create a problem?

It becomes difficult to differentiate between genuine and authentic communications and social spam. I now disregard many Direct Messages as spam, when I’m sure that some of them are legitimate messages.

Social spam sucks because:

1. It degrades your social capital – When you are not genuine or transparent you are degrading your social capital – nobody likes the guy who is always promoting himself or asking for something.

2. It degrades the value of the network for everyone – I used to like myspace (yes, I admit it). But when my inbox became 75% spam it became less useful to me. I had to invest time in checking which messages were real and which were spam. Facebook is beginning to have the same problem. Once our inboxes are clogged with irrelevant messages the medium becomes less useful for everyone.

3. It is a misuse of the vehicle – Social networks have places for broadcasting messages. Use them. Not my inbox.

4. The Golden Rule – do unto others…. When you are tempted to do something that is “spam-like” imagine the implication if everyone in your social network did it. If it would annoy you if everyone in your network did it, then don’t do it.

Why do you do it?

Most of the social spammers that I talk to are really great people. They don’t think that they are spammers. They think that they are telling people about something that they might really be interested in.

Newsflash – all marketers think that people are interested in their products. They all think that they are offering something of value.

You might be offering something of value and I might be interested, but spamming me isn’t the way to get my attention.

5 Ways Not to Be a Social Spammer

1. Use Appropriate Channels. There are channels for mass communication – group discussion sections on linkedin, posting links on facebook groups or the public timeline of twitter. Most social networks have a place to “broadcast” messages to large groups. Don’t disguise your broadcast as a 1:1 communication.

2. Be Transparent. Be transparent about what you want; if you trick people you will lose social capital over time. Clearly label requests for help, or a Digg or whatever. If you have social capital a lot of people will be willing to help.

3. Be Choiceful. Be choiceful about when you choose to ask for things and use your social capital wisely. A

4. Ask Permission. Ask permission to send messages directly to people who are interested. The CANSPAM act requires companies to do this, and people should do it to. Let those who are interested opt in to your email list or newsletter. Simply because they are your friend or gave you their business card doesn’t mean they want mass messages of you promoting your stuff.

5. What if Everyone Did It? Take your behavior and imagine if everyone in your network did it. If you have 200 LinkedIn friends imagine if they all sent you messages promoting their stuff every month. That would be 6 messages a day. How would that limit your use of the platform?

What do you think?

DO YOUR PART. DON’T BE A SPAMMER!

Here is why:

• The phone conversation is a 1:1 interaction, not something that is publicly posted.
• Customer service reps are trained and given approved or standard responses to many questions. Often times those twittering don’t have any training.
• There are policies that customer support representatives follow; few companies have social media policies for their employees.

  

I’m not saying that companies should not participate in social media.  I am saying that there are risks that are greater than talking on the phone, and the training/policy/process side for social media is typically underdeveloped vs. traditional telephone customer service.

I’m not advocating canned responses; my suggestion is that employees need guidelines to feel empowered in their social media interactions, and to protect the company legally.

On a Continuum, Social Media is somewhere between PR and Customer Service

I’m not saying it can’t be used for customer service, but due to the publicity aspect of social media it is closer to talking to the press than customer service. The people in a company who are permitted to speak publicly are typically:

• 1. Very few
  2. Well trained
  3. Seasoned and experienced; have demonstrated good judgment
  4. Coached beforehand
  5. Given clear guidelines on messaging

There are also legitimate legal risks

When I worked in consumer goods every word attached to every piece of copy published by the company was approved by legal. Unless you have been engaged in this type of a process before, it may be difficult to appreciate the legal implications of things as simple as phrasing. There can be a world of difference between saying “virtually spotless” and “spotless” or “best clean” and “cleanest”.

Large companies are dragged into law suits all the time for their advertising copy.

That being said, social media is different in that copy can be changed/edited fairly quickly and at a very low cost. That being said everything you say online is indexed. It will be there, somewhere forever.

At the same time, even if something said on social media is outside of legal standards; if it is changed quickly, the probability of your competitors suffering any serious damages is fairly low.

Solution? Manage the Risk.

I’m not here to be a buzzkill for social media, I am a strong believer in the value of social media. That being said, I think that the risks are often understated and brushed under the carpet.

The reality is that companies, especially large traditional ones with lots to lose, need to be cautious when using social media.

Prior to jumping in, these are things that you can do to mitigate risks:

• Develop policies on messaging. Engage External Relations/PR and Legal.
• Create guidelines for those participating in social media.
• Provide training on acceptable and unacceptable responses.
• Create a list of topics that can’t be addressed.
• Provide messaging that sounds like it came from a real, normal human being for negative comments that you are likely to receive.
• Provide an escalation process for dealing with difficult or sensitive situations.

It isn’t about trust. It is about mitigating risk and creating guidelines.

Policy creation doesn’t mean standard canned responses. It means making sure that employees understand what they can and can’t say and why. It means helping employees feel comfortable answering questions because they know the company position on various issues. It means training. It means allowing employees to talk via social media like real human beings.

Thoughts/Comments?

Find people who are already talking about you (both good and bad) and engage them.

To do this all you need is the right attitude and an email account.

Examples!

Positive Conversations

Scan social media for people who are already saying positive things about your brand.

• Talk back to them
• Thank them
• Send them something free
• Offer them exclusive access to something
• Show them you care
• Tell them they matter

Find the people who already like your brand and give them a reason to talk about you and like you more.

Example:

I was at the “It Won’t Stay in Vegas” bloggers party. Lovesac was a sponsor. I tried the lovesac and loved it (ha) and included a photo of me in the lovesac and said “I want one so bad” in a blog post.

• 3 people specifically asked me about the lovesac based on that post
• The ParnassusGroup (the agency that put on the party) contacted me and offered to send me a lovesac. They didn’t ask for anything.
• I twittered about it and posted on Facebook.
• I got more comments from people telling me that they too loved the lovesac and from people who wanted to check it out when it comes in.
• I told a number of people in person, who were also interested in the lovesac.
• Responses and comments came through Facebook, my blog and twitter.
• I’m going to host a tweet-up lovesac warming party since I had so many people ask about it.
• Other bloggers and influencers will try the lovesac and spread the word.
• More buzz/online discussion.

I’m not sure what the total # of media impressions will be but I do know that:

• 1. They will be high quality because they are genuine.
  2. The reach includes my networks and the networks of those who also commented.
  3. The equity impact is highly positive and probably stronger and more lasting vs. traditional marketing.

Think of it this way; you can spend many thousands of dollars working on blogger outreach programs and social media programs, or you can ignite, inspire and participate in the conversations that people are already having about you. It also builds positive brand equity.

Social media works best when it is natural and authentic.

Negative Conversations

Companies are often concerned about people who say negative things about them. They should be. Especially if they don’t respond to them.

A few realities:

• People who are mad will rarely contact you.
• The Book Buzzmarketing says that for every 1 customer who complains, 26 don’t bother to complain and unhappy customers on average each tell 16 people. So for each complaint you get there are actually 27 unhappy customers * the 16 people they each tell which equals 432 people who have heard negative things about your brand.

As VP Marketing at Photrade I had a number of first hand opportunities to engage with people who had negative initial interactions with us.

• A blogger was upset because of something in our FAQ that was actually out of date. He left negative comments all over the internet. I emailed him directly, explained that the FAQ was out of date, thanked him for bringing it to our attention and left clarifying comments where he had commented. We began a dialogue. He became one of our biggest advocates and power users, and defended us in online forums.
• A photographer didn’t like our Terms of Service. He wrote a negative blog post about it (he didn’t contact us). We responded to the blog post immediately, validated his point and changed our TOS in four hours. He wrote a new post and twittered about it.
• A discussion board (on another website) was complaining about one of our site policies. It was something we had a lot of internal debate about. We joined the conversation, explained both sides of the issue and asked their opinion. They provided us with great feedback that helped shape future decisions.

My experience has been:

• People like to vent when something annoys them.
• They often won’t contact you and tell you they are mad.
• They want to be heard.
• After receiving a genuine and transparent response they often feel as though they may have over-reacted.
• They can become your biggest advocates if treated with respect.
• Sometimes they will still be mad. You can’t turn everything around.

Tips to Responding to Negative Comments

• Be courteous. Your blood may be boiling, but your response should never show that.
• Validate their point of view (you can do this without agreeing with them).
• Empathize.
• Provide a reasonable and transparent explanation.
• Offer a solution.
• Be genuine and personal.
• Ask for their perspective/help. Start a dialogue.
• Remember, you won’t win them all.

Companies Who are Doing it Right

• JetBlue – @jetblue on twitter responds to all individuals who mention their brand. Look at this recent exchange:
  • @jetblue this morning you charged me $245 to change a flight and now you’re telling me that flight is cancelled? nice
  • @gregverdino When were your flights? – we are waiving change fees for customers traveling through NY Metro area tomorrow: http://is.gd/Pjg 17 minutes ago from web
  • @JetBlue tonight. Changed it from tomorrow but still paid fees. Looks like the flight is back on for tonight at least. Can you confirm?
  • @gregverdino can you follow us so I can DM? what flt number?
• Ford – @scottmonty does a great job of engaging with social media on behalf of ford. If you even think about Ford he responds.
  • @ScottMonty: I’m about to start a social media session with Ford’s advertising & marketing agency. What should I tell them? Tag it #Ford
  • Scott got 50 responses in about an hour – see them here.
  • Now isn’t that cheaper and easier than intensive consumer research?
• Freshbooks – @freshbooks engages in two-way conversations on twitter. When a user says they are switching from Freshbooks they try to find out the problem and offer a solution.
• Zappos – @Zappos is probably one of the best examples of effective use of social media. See complete stories about them here, here, here and here.

What do you think? Any other examples of Companies getting it right?

Me on the Sweet Lovesac at the It Won't Stay in Vegas Blogger Party

- Krista

Check out this video from SNL with the interactive Mega Map:

Don’t Innovate for Innovations sake.

Chris Heile, VP of Advertising at HyperQuake presented the problem and questions to ask when looking for a solution.

The Problem

- Marketers have created an economy of abundance

- Consumers want to consume media when and where they choose

- Consumers are choosing not to be advertised to, and for the first time technology is enabling this (DRV, BitTorrents, ITunes, etc)

- Brands need to ad value with their marketing. The marketing needs to ad value, not just the product.

Finding the Solution

- How can marketing add real value to the lives of consumers?

- Provide things like: status, information, rewards, exclusivity, access, etc

- What is the consumer passionate about that relates to your product? How can you interact with them in a meaningful way around this passion?

- How can technology provide unique value? Pretend that anything is possible.

In a world with so many products and where consumers are accosted by so many messages in so many mediums, it is important for marketers to really ad value.

What do you think?

Anyone have examples of companies doing this right? What are the next big technologies that will enable consumer interactions?

Read more about this session at:

The Official AdClub Cincinnati Blog

Purple Trout

One of the themes?  Alcohal.  It was only 10am, yet the booze was flowing freely.  While I don’t want to complain about free alcohal, all of the companies offered me drinks yet none of them actually told me anything about their company or gave me any literature….  Fun??? Definitely.  Effective???  You tell me.

Margarita’s with Targus, Beer with some company I can’t remember and SHOOTERS with Traffic!

Other highlights of the ad:tech exhibits include (but are not limited to):

A cute little stuffed ebuddy – he was also outside walking the streets.  Hysterical.

The google marshmallow booth and the sad lonely lawyer booth…

A great logo is really important – it is one of the first impressions that people will have of your business and it will be on EVERYTHING that you produce – your website, storefront, business cards, marketing materials, etc.  I’ll post another article on how to create a killer logo.

Free

Caution – creating a logo for free might not be the best choice.  A logo is one of the key defining characteristics of your organization, so this is probably a good place to spend some money.  That being said, if you can’t afford a logo, here are some free options that will get you something:

LogoEase – Totally free logo designer.  They have an easy to use interface where you can choose your images/icons, colors and fonts.  Create a logo and download it.  All for free.  No catch.

LogoDesignEngine – Totally free (you don’t even have to sign up) but the interface is clunky and the images to choose from aren’t great.

Free Logo Maker – Works similar to the other guys – pick your images and your font and customize with their online tool.  You do get the logo for free, but if you want an ai file you have to pay 40 bucks.

LogoMaker – OK, this isn’t really free…. you can design your own logo using their tools – they have fonts, graphics, etc in an easy to use interface.  You can even save it and try it on the web for free.  If you like what you’ve created you can buy it for $49.

LogoYes – Works the same as the other guys – but if you want your logo it will cost you – $69.

Cheap

If you are a small business and cash strapped, the cheap category is the place for you.  There are potentially LOTS of different suppliers in this category, so please chime-in on the comments if there are any that you recommend that I may have missed.

E-lance – Elance is a great resource for small or cash-strapped businesses.  Essentially, you can post a “job” ie. “I need a logo!!” and service providers will bid on your job.  What makes e-lance great is that each provider has a profile on the site – you can see their work, how many jobs they have done and whether or not they did a good job.

GotLogos – They’ll create your logo for only $25.  This will only get you a basic gif – you have to pay extra to get larger files (300 dpi) and color variations.  But, for a basic logo it isn’t a bad starting point.

50 Dollar Logo – Like the name says, $50 for a logo   You get 6 samples/concepts and unlimited revisions and redraws (wow).  For a little extra they’ll also design your business cards and letterhead.  Overall, pretty good value.

The Logo Company – For $125 you’ll get 5 samples/concepts and they give you the file in 3 sizes plus the vector (Got Logos charges extra for this).  They do revisions on your choice of concept (they don’t say how many you get) and they offer a 100% money back guarantee!

Logo Design Pros – Packages here start at $195 and they offer a 100% money back guarantee “Get all your money-back if you do not like the logos we Logo design Prosdesign for you. No questions asked and no waiting for the refund!”  The bad news? $195 will only get you 4 samples.

Logoworks – You can get a logo on logo works for $299. They have a cool system that they use upfront to get a feel for what you are looking for in a logo (ie. colors you like/don’t like, use of animals/icons, etc).  You pay $99 to get started – if you don’t like any of the initial 10 concepts you can stop the process.  But if you do like something you can pay an extra $200 for revisions and ownership of the logo.

Logo Mojo - Also costs $295 to get started.  The advantage?  You have 4 “sr. designers” working on your logo, 20 initial concpets and unlimited revisions (wow).  Not bad for the price.

Expensive

You want expensive?  Hire a designer.  Depending on how long it takes, how many revisions you have and how good/quick the designer is, this can actually be fairly cost effective.  For example, if you find someone at $50/hour who can knock out a logo for you in 2 hours, you’ll only pay $100.  If you have a comprehensive branding strategy, lots of decision-makers and want to see everything in 5 different options it could take you weeks.

The main advantage of hiring a designer is that you have more control and can have better communication.  The online sites all have ways that they try to understand what you are looking for with various forms, color choices, questions, etc.  Being able to have a live, descriptive conversation with a human being about what you want can get you better results both on the initial design and the revisions.

Have you tried any of these services?  What did you think?  Anything else you recommend?  Share your tips and experiences in the comments.

Before we even get into “what” a brand is, let me prove to you (as there are some doubters) why branding is important.  Lets talk coffee…. when you think of Dunkin’ Donuts – what do you think of?  What feelings, thoughts or ideas pop into your mind.  Now think of Starbucks.  Essentially, both are selling you caffeine, but with very different approaches.  Now, think about the in-store experience of each.  How does that align with your feelings and ideas about the brand?  Starbucks and Dunkin have very different branding.

Not a coffee lover?  Look at Heavy.com, Youtube.com and Vimeo.com.  All three sites are essentially video sharing sites, yet each has a unique brand and brand equity that it is trying to portray.

According to Wikipedia

A brand is a collection of images and ideas representing an economic producer; more specifically, it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme that convey the essence of a company, product or service. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the accumulation of experiences with the specific product or service, both directly relating to its use, and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, product or service.

Hmmm – long explanation, so really, what is it?  A Brand is what a company stands for.  It’s “what you are all about”.  I would disagree slightly with the wikipedia description in that the “verbal attributes and concrete symbols” and not really the Brand, but how you bring the brand to life.

Another key concept related to branding is brand equity.  Again, according to Wikipedia:

Brand equity refers to the marketing effects or outcomes that accrue to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have the brand name.

Brand equity is essentially what you stand for in both the minds and emotions of consumers.  What does this mean….. Say Starbucks – in your mind it might stand for the best coffee, most choices, or some other tangible benefit.  Emotionally it may stand for a break from the day, time away from the office/family, an escape.

Think about a brand that you “love”.  What do you associate with the brand on both a functional or benefit perspective, and what are the more emotional feelings that you associate with it?

Starbucks (despite recent stumbles) has been considered a strong brand and here is why.  Everything about a Starbucks is consistent with their equity.  The price of the coffee (seriously, who thought that people would pay $5 for a coffee????), the look of the interior, the “Baristas”, the fancy pastries, the music…. everything that you experience when interacting with a Starbucks is consistent and related to their desired brand equity.

So…. this is The Marketess Crash Course on branding.  Look for more articles covering how to build and maintain a strong brand.

@geoffness in some creative meetings – no one sees eye to eye – you just have to leave it and come back at it later in the day or tomorrow.

@MattRissell I’m amazed at how much wisdom people over the age of 70 have… Even if they don’t know what Twitter is

Well…. you probably don’t.  The first time I went on twitter was over a year ago at the suggestion of Jeremy Pepper, I joined looked at the random crap in the timelines and just didn’t get it.  I re-joined a few months later, and was suddenly addicted to the wonderfulness that is twitter.  For those interested in joining the addiction, here is what you should know.

What

The easiest way to explain what twitter is is with this video from common craft:

Why?

Well, twitter is good for more than just random commentary on what people are eating and where they are…. Some of the best tweets and things about twitter include:

• Links to great articles… lots of people only link to their own stuff, but I tend to prefer those who just provide links to great stuff they are reading.
• News before the news… there was an earthquake in Cincinnati a few months ago.  It took the news about an hour to report on it (they have to get confirmations, etc).  I thought that maybe I had dreamed it (it happened in the middle of the night), but quickly logged in to twitter and found out what had happened.
• Humor… Lots of people will tweet something funny they find.
• Stay in the Know… Twitter is a great way to stay in the know on what is going on.  Scanning your stream every few hours will let you know what people are up to.
• Building Connections… You can “meet” people on twitter much faster than in real life.  It is a great way to find people with similar interests in your area or field.
• Asking for Help… When I was looking for an SEO firm I twittered, and got TONs of great recommendations. BUT be careful how often you use your social network for these things.
• Build an audience… more and more people are using twitter to build an audience for their blogs, their causes, their companies, whatever.  If you are using twitter for this purpose BE CAREFUL – you don’t want to be a dirty spammer.

How?

To get started go to twitter and create an account. These are the next steps:

1. Most people on twitter use their real names as their username (eg. I am @kristaneher) – using your real name will make it easier for people to find you.
2. Fill in your profile info – many people won’t follow you unless they know a little about who you are and why you might be interesting to them.
3. Upload a picture – I would recommend not changing your picture too often, as many people scan their twitter feeds looking for the pictures of the people they are interested in – so choose wisely
4. Start following people (see below for who to follow.  Don’t come out of the gate following hundreds of people you don’t know or have nothing in common with.

Who to Follow on Twitter

• Start with people you know!!! You probably already know at least a few people on twitter.  Start by following them (they will likely follow you back) and try @ ing them (sending a public message intended for them). For example @kristaneher – I just read your blog post and this is my first tweet…
• The twitter elite/popular – following these people will keep you “in the know” on the broader twitter community.  You can find a list of
• Do a tweetscan of terms that you are interested in…. it could be socialmedia, PR or groundhogs… you’ll find other people who have tweeted with that word…. this can be a great way to make initial connections with people who have similar interests.
• Look at who follows who – Once on twitter you’ll see on the right hand side who else that person follows.
• Look at who the people you know are talking to (or @ing).  This is a great way to expand your circle as you will probably have things in common with them as well.

HAVE FUN

Twitter is supposed to be a fun, social place, so don’t take it too seriously.  That being said, everything you say on twitter will be out there, on the net, potentially forever, so keep that in mind.

Have any other thoughts/tips/experiences on getting started with twitter???  Share them here!!!