Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Tuesday, May 12, 2009. This morning I’m thinking about people’s reactions to Twitter. Last week I used LinkedIn to promote an upcoming event in our area and was surprised at some of the negative responses I received. On Thursday, May 14th, I will be speaking to the Association of Women in Communications about effective use of Twitter for business. I received several sarcastic and dismissive responses; messages filled with criticism of Twitter and denigrating its value.

Twitter, a micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read text based updates of 140 characters or less, seems to elicit passionate responses from people. It is alternately praised to the skies as the fastest growing and most powerful tool in social media or as a fad and the most over-hyped topic of conversation. My experience is been positive and I recommend Twitter as an effective tool for business.

I joined Twitter in December of 2007. I have been in business for myself and using the Internet to market and communicate since the early 1990’s. When I joined Twitter I had been involved in social networking and social bookmarking, fascinated by its potential for business use and interested in trying something new and different. However, I didn’t understand Twitter at all, found it really confusing and left almost the same day. It made me feel silly.

Several months later I returned to Twitter and began to follow people who were passionate about it. I read everything I could find including an advance copy of Twitter Revolution by Deborah Micek and Warren Whitlock. I experimented with tweeting and started developing relationships and having conversations with other Twitter users. It took several weeks for me to feel comfortable in the Twitterverse and several months to feel like I had a handle on how to use Twitter effectively.

So my voice is one in the chorus singing Twitter’s praises. I use Twitter for business as a tool for:

• Building my online presence
• Networking
• Communication
• Fundraising
• Customer service
• New business development
• Research
• Reputation management
• Monitoring industry trends

I also use Twitter for fun and have met people from all over the world who are morphing from Twittermates to close friends in real life. I have introduced it to clients, colleagues, friends and family; I have watched with amusement and pleasure as many of them have discovered the power and the magic for themselves. Just this morning I discovered one client’s tweet listed on Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop.com (a site that aggregates all the top stories from sites across the Internet). This client is someone who only started using Twitter about six weeks ago. Now she is gaining major attention for her brand through her use of Twitter.

Are you using Twitter? What’s your take on it?

Thanks to Randa Clay Design for the Twitter image. Visit her site for free downloads of Twitter graphics.

The Association of Women In Communication’s May luncheon will be held Thursday, May 14th, from 11:30-1PM at The Waterford at Levis Commons. Contact Melanie Allen today to RSVP.

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

I started this day like I start most, at my desk with a strong cup of coffee beside me, reading the most recent blog posts relating to social media marketing and PR. Mark Aaron Murnahan writes about the dilemma that social media poses for business: weighing the cost of participating versus the risk associated with not embracing social media marketing. Murnahan concludes that leaving it up to your competition will be the greater cost: missed opportunities. He makes his case well and it’s a good post for anyone in business contemplating involvement in social media.

The buzz about social media marketing is certainly growing louder these days.

In our area, we just held our second Toledo Tweetup, a networking event for users of the popular microblogging site, Twitter. The Tweetup gives you a chance to meet face-to-face with the people you communicate with on Twitter. Organized by Damian Rintelmann of Hart Associates, the event drew Twitterers from many different industries. I enjoyed the networking and got a sense of the real talent available locally. Important to know, as I start to put together project teams for new business I am working on. I may need help from some of the people I have just met.

Several of us are also working on presentations for the upcoming inaugural Social Media Breakfast Toledo, which is scheduled for April 3rd from 7:30-9:30 AM. The Social Media Breakfast series originated in Boston in 2007 and has spread to more than a dozen cities in the US. Social Media Breakfast Toledo offers participants a chance to network and to share information about the rapidly evolving idea of social media. Toledo’s first event will be held at the Elks Lodge 53 on Holland-Sylvania Rd. Michael Temple, of Temple Development Company will serve as moderator. Panelists, Dave Rigotti, of Freezing Hot, Damian Rintelmann, Victoria Kamm, of BizTube 24/7, and I will answer questions from attendees.

Patrick Giammarco, of PWG Marketing, is responsible for doing the legwork to bring the event to Toledo. and put together the planning committee. Each of the committee members has particular expertise in, and passion for, social media. Most of us are using social media marketing with our clients and in our own businesses. Members of the Social Media Breakfast Toledo’s planning committee include:

• Patrick Giammarco, PWG Marketing
• Mike Driehorst, Public Relations Consultant
• Kevin Cesarz, CZ Speak Social Media
• Janeile Cudjoe, McGowen Properties
• Julie Cantu, 360° Graphics
• Tim Langhorst, Lauerer Markin Group/Thread
• Steve Robison, West Printing Company
• Michael Temple, Temple Development Company
• Damian Rintelmann, Hart Inc.
• Allen Mireles, Allen Mireles Marketing PR
• Victoria Kamm, BizTube 24/7 and IdentityCred

What are you doing with social media now? Do you have any questions? Why not join us on the 3rd? Register online here. Hope to see you next week at the inaugural Social Media Breakfast Toledo!