Life's Greatest Moments Know No Bounds on Twitter

Last year, we watched Twitter feeds with the RT of the first guy proposing on Twitter, and then the second guy, and then the third. (Then there apparently was somebody who proposed using Nintendo DS. I dunno-- ask this guy). But never before have we seen something like this: an unborn child on Twitter.

'Its' name is KermitKeliher and 'it' is the evolving fetus of the proud parents of Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Keliher, and Mr. Keliher is quick to point out, “We can’t call it ‘It’ for nine months, can we?” So alas, a famous Frog moniker was brought to life again.

Though it's not terribly interactive, I e-mailed Mr. Keliher (let’s keep it formal for the sake of the occasion:) to ask him a couple questions about Kermit and stepping into fatherhood. Here’s what he had to say:

DA: When is the baby due?
MK: Due August 7, 2009

DA: What made you decide to put a fetus on Twitter?
MK: Why? Why not?! I thought it'd be a fun way to break the news to a certain group of my friends, and I did it the day before an SMBMSP event, so my timing was right on.

DA: (I definitely agree with that point. Timing is everything in the world of buzz building).
If it's a boy, will you name the baby Kermit-- to offer real-life personification for the micro buzz?
MK: If it's a boy, family tradition dictates he be named Thomas, after my father. If it's a girl, we have yet to decide, but I promise it will not be Kermit.

DA: Do you think Twitter is the next best thing for Baby Books? Perhaps Baby Book 3.0?
MK: Twitter is only "the new baby book" if you have zero respect for your child. At least go with Flickr, for god's sake!

DA: (You prove a good point. It kind of reminds me of that funeral procession tweeted last year; an example of 'zero respect' for the dead). Are you going to TwitPic the ultrasound updates? (I'm hoping so :)
MK: I've never really been into the whole TwitPic thing, but I do have the first ultrasound photo on Flickr. I used it in Kermit's introductory blog post and it's Kermit's Twitter profile pic. We have another ultrasound coming up soon, and I'm sure I'll share that, too.

When Mr. Keliher isn't at home prepping to be a daddy, he works at this company and maintains a strong following through his PR blog and Twitter account. Mr. Keliher's got quite the sense of humor and you can find him among the #SMBMSP crowd.

Let's all congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Keliher in welcoming this new arrival into their lives and on Twitter! And that brings up my next thought... what other "blessings" have you seen unfold on Twitter?

Hello, My Name is Drew, and Who Are You?

Once a social media community has gotten rolling a bit, it can be tough to keep track of who all is actually following you on Twitter, who reads what you are writing on your blog, and what kinds of people make up your community. It's like a party - you may be having a conversation with a few people on one side of the room while a few new people come in the back door unnoticed. While it can be tough to keep up, it is so important! Google Analytics can only tell you so much.

I want to take this opportunity to reintroduce myself and ask you a few questions. My name is Drew and I work at Axiom Marketing Communications in Minneapolis. We work with a variety of clients on marketing, event promotion, brand management, and social media tactics as well as writing this daily social media blog. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing broomball during winter, discovering and listening to new music, and digging into LOST. I still have a lot to learn about social media and marketing, but reading and writing blogs as well as engaging in the online community have taught me a lot.

Now about you. Here are a few questions you could answer (any or all):

- What's your name, where are you from, where do you work?
- Favorite hobbies, current projects?
- Favorite blogs or books that you would recommend to others?
- How can we improve Daily Axioms for you? What would you like to see us write about more? Less?

The community at Daily Axioms is so important to us and we truly want to engage and get to know each one of you. Think of it like a party where we can all get to know each other a little more.

Water Off A Duck's Back

I have found Twitter to be a great tool for staying on top of news as it happens, connecting with people from my city, and learning more about social media. I share Twitter in the hopes that they might also benefit from using it. So when some people respond towards Twitter evangelists like this (and this), I initially get frustrated.

Then I think about ducks.

Some people are simply misinformed, ill-informed, or just ignorant about social media and how it will continue to change the world of business, marketing, and relationships. They react in a negative way. I would rather spend my energy teaching people who are willing and interested in Twitter than those who are opposed or simply not ready to hear about it. If you know and have experienced the real benefits of using Twitter, than why let the haters and naysayers cause you to react in an equally negative way? Don't comment on the naysayers' articles, don't argue with the social media critics, and don't waste your energy arguing about social media when it probably won't change those people. It's a waste of time to fight those who are unwilling; instead, put your energy towards those who are curious and willing to learn.

Twitter: What Are You “Endorsing”?

With the news that we're all entrepreneurs and that we’re all brand evangelists, isn’t your Twitter feed really answering the question, “What are you endorsing?” rather than "What's got your attention?"

Mashable writers Mark Drapeau and Lon S. Cohen have duked it out over the months, as Twitter has become a source of “growth” in start-ups and big-name companies—over whether or not brands belong on Twitter. It’s clear from how everyone talks on Twitter nowadays that brands do have their place (I agree with Cohen), but need a C-suite level voice behind them to be credible rather than spam-worthy (one of Drapeau's points). Both of them are right to varying degrees.

I’m happy to report that I’m a brand – you are too. And Twitter really seems to blur the lines, as brands on Twitter talk just like normal human beings… because they are human beings. There are, however, some exceptions. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Twitter is just one big massive community raising a commotion in hopes that others take a look at what they’re endorsing. The more followers the better, as Verizon Wireless 'dead zone' commercials teach us that brand evangelism maintains a network of individuals who will back you up when bullied, and solicit feedback as needed. So Twitter isn’t a dead zone; it’s a heavenly space where you're likely to find guardian angels following your every move.

Early on, Twitter fought for credibility due to ‘eat’ tweets. Even though these types of filler tweets are still part of Twitter, look closely and you’ll see that lately, everyone has become a brand and they’re following other brands.

“I feel like Tyson chicken tonight!” What about you?

Immersive Marketing for Watchman

An unknown group of people has hit the streets, spray painting walls and surfaces with taglines from the comic strip and soon-to-be movie Watchman (opening tonight in theaters). It is unknown whether these rogue marketers were hired by the movie studio or are just big fans of the graphic novel, but one thing is clear - it is an effective strategy for promoting the movie.

Immersive marketing is marketing that doesn't simply shove a product in front of us with advertising, but rather invites us to be part of a story that becomes something we talk about and spread to others. By creating an experience that is unique and stimulating, this type of approach reaches to people in an unobtrusive way and invites them to interact naturally (LOST has done this very well). People want to share experiences and stories (and pictures of Watchman graffiti on social networks), so developing strategies around immersive marketing is a smart way to go.