Twitter - Social Media Rockstar

Social Media is all the rage now. Sites are sprouting everywhere. Its like the old days of blogging, except the growth rate is on steroids! Like it or not, social media is here to stay, and if you want to make bank on the internet, then you need to become a member of the hottest social media sites and to understand - or at least begin to.

The new kid on the block and gaining rockstar status is Twitter. I signed up some time ago, only because I was told I HAD to. Had no idea why. In fact, when I first logged on to read the "tweets", I honestly did not see the point of it. I mean, what do I care if John had bacon and eggs for breakfast or that Jane was just putting on her sneakers to go for a jog?

A while ago I got a niggling feeling that I should pay attention to social media in general and especially to Twitter.

First, I attended a webinar with Brent Leary and posted on it here Social Media - There's a Whole Lotta Tweetin' Goin' On
Then I attended Frank Kern's Mass Control in San Diego, which was an awesome seminar oninternet marketing. Several speakers included information on social media - all of them agreed that the big kahuna of this genre is Twitter.

WHY? And why is Google trying to buy it?

Both those "WHY'S" can be answered in one short answer: Real Time Leverage.

Arguably the largest search engine is Google, but the information that Google digs up when you go searching for a term is archived, that is, it is historical and therefore stale dated. Twitter on the other hand is a search engine that delivers real time data: real data, on real stuff at real time. Marry Google's keyword search ability with Twitter's real time entries and you have a marketing tool that will turn your head into a whirlwind spin.

Twitter is also one of the strongest leverage mechanisms available. Members "tweet" or leave messages for their followers - in fact it is often referred to as a mini-blog, or a written sound bite.

Twitter’s “re-tweet” function is brilliant. Whole groups of followers (they are called tribes in social media) re-tweet a tweet to their group of followers, and those to theirs. If you tweeted something to your followers – even if you have only 10 – and they liked what you tweeted, they then re-tweet to each of their 10 followers, who then re-tweet to their 10. Your message has just gone out to at least 1000 of your tribe. But it doesn’t stop there. A 140 character message can circle the globe several times over between the time you pour your coffee and take your first sip.

Took tons of notes at Mass Control (now, just to be able to read my own writing) at the seminar. Here are just a few nuggets on Twitter

1. Open your Twitter account.
2. Before posting, hang around a bit, get a feel for the culture.
3. Search out the categories you are interested in - that would be your "tribe"
or tribes.
5. Follow people who are active at the time you follow them.
6. Join the conversation before officially following them
7. Best tweeting times: 1 pm to 3 pm and 8 to 11 pm on weekdays. Weekends rule but again the heaviest time is 6 to 8 pm Sunday.
8. Be a valued tweeter (bacon for breakfast is not exactly valued information unless your tribe is in the breakfast business.
9. Feed followers from other social media sites - once your networks are linked together your audience will grow exponentially.

I spoke with Ed Dale of 30 Day Challenge and from the sounds of it there will be a lot more on social media in this year’s challenge.

I follow several blogs. Recently I have noticed that several are carrying a new advertisement: Twitter Rockstar. Checked it out and signed up.

Happy Blogging ... err... that would be, Happy Tweeting!

Follow Valentina on Twitter - oh so cheesy!

Quick Links:
Twitter
Whole Lotta Tweetin' Goin' On
Frank Kern's Mass Control
Rockstar Twitter