5 Ways to Gain Followers on Twitter

There is a right way and a wrong way to get started on Twitter. A lot of people out there picked the wrong way. I'm sure a few of these have been posted elsewhere online, but they are worth repeating. Here are 5 tips for the new twitterer:

5. Fill out your profile, especially your bio. Odds are you aren't Oprah and can't be identified by your name alone. A picture and a bio are necessary.

4. Have at least one @ reply on your Twitter page. This shows that you are on Twitter to have a conversation, not just push your website.

3. Don't immediately follow 2000 people. Your Twitter page should take off like a plane, not a rocket. Post a few tweets and then follow a few people who would find value in them. PRsarahevans has a good list of the top 50 people to follow. (I'm pretty sure we came in at #51...maybe)

2. Do not auto-follow and do not auto-reply. If you are going to thank someone for following you, do it through an @ reply. It will come off as a lot more sincere. The auto-reply is generic and used by many to link to their website. Please don't auto-reply. It comes off as SPAM and isn't necessary.

1. Content is king. Twitter is heaven for two types of people: narcissists and people interested in sharing. Most people share blog posts, insights, breaking news, and anything that the Twitter community might find useful. Even if you aren't on Twitter to engage in conversation, people will still follow you if you have valuable content.


What advice do you have for new Twitter users?

The New Print News: Customer Service Complaints

Any PR agency coming to grips with the fact that, well, the pitch isn’t biting in print might have better luck by fabricating a really nice story that features a customer and his/her own worst enemy: customer service.

A strategic ploy now very much a reality at print news outlets, reporters are reporting out the “crux of the matter,” what every customer wants to hear – and readers are responding in the embedded comments box. Who wouldn't want to hear and continue a thread on bad hotel service, because I too didn't get hot water when I wanted a hot shower. What's worst-- no one was at the front desk to remedy this situation. Ahhh... putty in a reporter's hand.

I remember the days when family-centered stories were all the rage, but as circulation numbers dwindle, so does a reporter’s time and energy in seeking out rich content that does not appeal to the masses. Customer service forever and always will.

If you don't agree, check this out. I wouldn't want to be this hotel brand...

Yammer Launches Groups, Twitter....still working on it

Yammer, the Twitter like service for companies, launched a group feature earlier this week. They added the group feature citing that it was one of the most requested features. I enjoy the feature on Yammer, but this makes me wonder about Twitter...



When will Twitter finally launch a group feature? I know they are working on it, but it has been a slow process so far. It was only recently that 'fail whales' started becoming a rare occurrence.

Twitter has a few obstacles to deal with:
- Hasn't monetized
- No groups
- Managing rapid growth
- Lack of features, etc.

It is my current prediction that Twitter will be monetized and have significantly more features within six months to a year. Time will tell if I'm right.

Viral Video of the Week

The video of the week comes from CNN on election night. They used hologram-like technology to beam Jessica Yellin into the studio. It was completely pointless and reminded me of Star Wars, but it was exciting to see a news network embrace new technology.

I guess I shouldn't say it was completely pointless. The video has racked up over 2 million views on YouTube and was discussed on several tech blogs.

Do You Have A Goal For Your Personal Brand?

I have been thinking a lot lately about online identity and personal brand. Many people work very hard to create their online brand identity starting at the bottom and building upwards with hard work, persistence, and transparency. Some reach a place of not only familiarity, but of credibility on a certain subject. When I think about what it is I would build my reputation on, I often come back to one interesting question: What is the ultimate goal?


U2 is the arguably still the biggest rock band in the world. Their front man, Bono, has been given charming charisma and a winning personality and he could be easily satisfied with just making music and touching people through songs (which is not necessarily bad). His personal brand has reached a height that gives him a platform and the attention of the world's listening ears. I believe that Bono, not settling into his position for what it is, uses his personal brand for a higher purpose. Instead of sitting back and basking in rock-star glory, he acts differently. Bono often comments about the absurdity that a rock-star can get an audience with the world's political leaders and multi-million dollar corporation CEOs , but he also realizes the importance of taking his opportunity no matter how it comes. He reaches out using his personal brand and position and now has literally affected millions of people all over the world as a champion of poverty, AIDS awareness, and international advocacy.

The quest for online notoriety often times seems selfish to me. If I were to build my name up to a point of credibility, would it just be for me or could I do it for something more than myself? The position of fame for fame's sake is an easy place to stop, but we must all ask ourselves why we work so hard and what the goal of all our efforts could be. At the end of the day, what will we make of our personal brand?