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.

Does Your Twitter Bio Measure Up?

I’m always the experimenter. This week was no different, as I found myself modifying my Twitter profile—again.

Did you know that it pays to have a solid Twitter bio? Being too abstract and not enough concrete can cause a prospective follower to not follow after they read something like “I think I’m funny” or “I like PR.” Many times I find myself helping Drew filter through the number of people following AxiomPR to see if we might follow back, and the first thing we look for is a compelling bio. Some Twitterers don’t have bios and therefore take a risk in relying solely on their tweets to carry them. If you can do this effectively, more power to you! Knowing I can’t, I have to allow my bio to do some of the talking.

Your social media profile is forever out there in Web 2.0 world; that is, until you modify it. Search metatags will pick it up and put it up on Google numbers, and broadcast discrepancies. Somehow at one time you were a fireman who loved sliding down a pole, and now a modified profile suggests you’ve become a budding entrepreneur. Who are you really?!

It’s never a good idea to play a guessing game with those people following you on Twitter, but I’ve been guilty of it a couple times now. In creating a Twitter bio, there’s one major thing we will learn about ourselves: if we’re interesting. Social media separates the phony from the tried and true genuine article.

So… what did I come up with? Something that entirely suits me now and far into the future, or at least I think so:

Media relations and kulture consultant. Budding entrepreneur. Determined to make a difference in society. Food junkie.

Let’s examine this:
I’m very much love in with searching out online and print opportunities for clients both at Axiom and part of my freelance consultancy, Quac Kulture. I definitely am on the track to becoming an entrepreneur or at least exuding the passion to be one. I most certainly want to impact the community in which I live; not just take up space. And… I love sitting down at a good restaurant and digesting the best of the best a city serves up. Viola!

When things weren’t so concrete and I tried to rely on my creative spin within my Twitter bio (back when I was trying to be funny), I averaged about one person following me per day, even though I maintained similar tweets. With my new Twitter bio, I’ve seen more followers pop up in my Gmail than when I first started out. I’m finally me.

Is your Twitter bio really you, or are you having an identity crisis?

Clicks, Quantity, and Censorship is not Social Media!

Even in the buzzing social media advocacy groups, there are still some actions and suggestions that need to be shot down. We're all feeling the impact of bad counsel, because within a community, you will have citizens that attempt to mislead the masses.

Clicks. I used to get giddy when I found out how many people frequented our blog daily in terms of ‘views,” but it’s really the “visits” that matter. This goes for clicking blog links on Twitter as well, as we need to investigate if a content link found a visitor reading rather than clicking-through without giving RSS subscription a second thought. Mashable’s Sarah Evans calls it ‘return on engagement,’ and that’s clearly how the success of one positioning themselves on a blog, microblog and social network space should be measured.

Go ahead and throw your arms up in the air with excitement over your latest view count, but let it be known that 0:00 speaks to how you long you’ve actually kept a user’s attention. Sitemeter is for blogs in this regard, so is Tweetburner for yielding your quality of impact on Twitter. While I’m at it, here’s a list of other stellar site measurement tools.

Quantity. The only high return I’ve witnessed on quantity has been within the Twitter community. It’s amazing how much trust a Twitterer will put in you, if you a) @ them with a friendly response to something they’ve just tweeted about, or perhaps, in researching them and their Web presence outside of Twitter, asking them a question or commenting on their interests; b) make it a habit to connect on a daily basis; and c) offer a suggestion or tip to earn their trust in working with or alongside of you.

Here are just a few quantity go-getters who have been quite effective in yielding high return on engagement: @prsarahevans, @briansolis, @ambercadabra, and my friend in the Twin Cities PR community, @arikhanson. I watched @arikhanson’s Twitter populace multiply (strides ahead of mine!) by simply engaging in micro-blogging-inspired spin-offs, such as journchat and Tweet-up.

But what’s up with users pursuing 500+ connections on LinkedIn?! As Peter Shankman noted in prefacing a marketer’s new LinkedIn strategies book, “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?” it seems everyone’s response is to cash in on hundreds more followers they meet on Twitter. I’m guilty of one of these—for the simple fact that I really didn’t know this person when I added them to my pro network. Will I ever meet them? A slim chance if I’m not a quantity go-getter on Twitter. To really offer stronger takeaway both for users and the ‘at a glance’ prospects, LinkedIn might want to think about instituting a hierarchy of influence instead of link levels.

Censorship. I watched the comment stream over a recent Mashable post regarding an assumed flub in Skittles’ new social media venture, and then I saw it scrolling down: “Skittles should use search operators.” How is filtering comments social media when everyone is, by social media law, entitled to their own opinion? Let’s remember citizen journalism a.k.a. social media isn’t a far cry from real world politics.

Companies representing a brand via social Web space needn’t worry about the nay-sayers because fans will do their protective part by firing back, and soon after, silencing the antagonist. Naysayers still do have their place, and wall posts like the occasional "$%#! Apple” on Apple’s Facebook Group tell us that. Bad move not to take it down? I think not, because hiding behind a controversy or bad ad move (hoping someone like a PR spin-doctor will pick up the pieces) is no longer a reality. So keep that wall or feed adorned with the bad and let the brand evangelists communicate the good.

At the core, social media is a hands-off, all natural type of territory – so don’t get carried away with click-throughs, popularity, or climate control. It just won’t work.

10 Reasons Not To Join Twitter

Yes, I am on Twitter (you can follow me here), but it might not be for everyone. Lots of people have been writing about their reasons to join Twitter, so I thought I would give you a few reasons not to join. Maybe more than reasons not to join, this list are expectations and goals you might want to change before joining.

10 Reasons Not To Join Twitter:

1.) If you don’t know why you are doing it. Don't get me wrong -I think that you can develop skills and better reasons for tweeting as you use it longer, but you should have some idea about why you are joining in the first place. Just because someone told you that you should or because it is really popular right now doesn't mean you should. While there is no substitute for actual experience with Twitter, reading Twitter articles, tip lists, and blog topics can help you to develop a better idea of how you want to use it before you jump in. By developing a game plan ahead of time, you can also hit the ground running and make the most of your Twitter time.

2.) To talk about yourself most of the time. You have some really great ideas in your head and valuable things to share, but Twitter is about how you can help others. You will gain more permission as time goes on to talk about yourself. The quickest way to not improve your Twitter network is to join Twitter, instantly follow 1000 people, and then insesently talk about yourself. Help others.

3.) To become an internet celebrity. I'm not sure I can point to anyone specifically who is doing this, but I have my guesses. Twitter is no doubt a good way to build personal brand, but if you are solely trying to use Twitter for your own good, please take a dose of humility.

4.) To get instant results. Social media is not a short-term project. It doesn't happen right away. It takes time, effort, hard work, and patience. Many join Twitter thinking its a silver bullet for the marketing project and that things will happen right away for them. Patience is possibly one of the most crucial traits you can possess when dealing with social media.

5.) To talk about what you had for lunch. Please do not perpetuate the false image that Twitter is just a bunch of people talking about worthless drivel. Provide actual content. Tweet a helpful article you read (because someone else will find it helpful too.) Learn to use the "@" to reply to people. Learn the value of ReTweeting.

6.) Because you think everyone else on Twitter will want to be your best friend. Not everyone on Twitter will care what you are saying. And that's okay. You need to find the group of people that does and become close to them. The Long Tail actually works in your favor because you no longer have to be everything to everyone. Find the tribe you can lead and engage them. Quality over quantity.

7.) To talk about your political beliefs or complain all the time. Maybe its just a pet peeve of mine, but when someone builds up a network of friends on Twitter and then stands on a soapbox to spout their political beliefs, I get turned off. Your personality does need to come through, but Twitter may not be the best place to whine about your problems or talk about things you really don't know that much about.

8.) To spam people. Definition of spam: "Unsolicited mail/e-mail [Twitter messages] sent out in mass quantities. Usually not even addressed by name to the person who receives it." Also this includes get-rich schemes, pyramid scams, and other untargeted pitches. Spammers, you (mostly) know who you are. Stop it.

9.) To program a massive que of messages that get tweeted every few minutes and then proceed to never actually talk to anyone. This kind of fits with the spam. Auto messages can help you get info published efficiently, but when the ratio of robot vs person messages is out of wack, people can tell. When I see someone Tweeting every few minutes (night and day and weekends), I get a little annoyed. Twitter is about real people connecting with real people, not just constantly pushing messages out.

10.) To just lurk. Sometimes I even find myself guilty of just reading other people's Tweets and not actually contributing anything. If you join Twitter plan on talking with people. Plan on learning how to follow people. Plan on answering questions. Get involved in the community.