So You Wanna Be a Trendsetter on Twitter: 7 Heavenly Ways to Do It

Today’s gander at the most popular trending topics led me to consider how people become trendsetters on Twitter. Here’s a list of Axiom’s 7 heavenly ways to own perpetuator bliss with some link luv too.

1) Coin a new term or phrase before someone beats you to it, such as #snowmageddon. Translation: Really big snowstorms encroaching on cities big and small, and everyone talks about it.

2) Create your own microblogging application to track trends and get people talking about how ubercool the API is.

3) Tweet out an event’s hashtag with info from the event-- that has at least 50 or more like-minded tweeters there. This year’s #bmasocial crowned @evaekeiser as the trendsetter!

4) Create a themed day of the week with a feel good component. Everyone knows #followfriday all too well, but what about hashtagging #musicmonday? (I’d like to know who started this one).

5) Create a themed day of the week with a funny, malicious component, such as #unfollowfriday

6) Broadcast an event that runs during less popular times of tweeting, so it will be a hot topic by default. (In doing research, Axiom discovered that 1:30-5 p.m. is a crowded time to be on Twitter and there is more likelihood for fail whales in feed flows.

7) Tweet every detail over the course of a 3-hour period that involves a tragedy, hostage situation, or being stuck in an elevator.

Twegg Update #3

So far we've had 147 entries come in-- in the form of tweets and $5 or more donations for MLFNOW! If you don't hear your Twitter ID in this video, check out Twegg update #2. And if you don't hear it at all and you know you've entered, please comment and I'll get it in! If you have no idea what this is, read all about it.

Twegg Video Update #2

So far we have put 126 eggs into our phone booth! Help Axiom and MLF reach 2,009 eggs by Easter's end by entering Twegg Drop>>>>

Can social media be done while 'on the clock'?

It's one thing to convince the 'powers that be' that social networks are worth a gander for brands, but it's another to reason for social media time while you're working. A recent conversation with a PR friend led me to consider how our own agency is embracing social media and if we're actually being paid for the hours we put into it.

My short but rather long answer: everyone is open to social media, but has yet to rationalize long hours spent on Twitter and writing blog posts. I don't blame anyone for being turned off by what could be considered a very unconventional approach to reaching reporters and building relationships. I, too, oftentimes find Twitter as nothing more than a coffee shop where people are shouting "Smell my coffee!" and the aromatic tweets draw one or two or a couple-thousand to the community table. Unfortunately, not everyone will get the same welcome reception-- especially if you're not popular enough. To become popular, it means hours and hours and hours of @-kissing and finding unique and original content all the day long.

Luckily, you can rest assured that social media is not about popularity. It's not about who says something bigger or better. What it boils down to is relationships, so if you're frustrated that Joe Schmo with 7,000 followers isn't responding to your @ reply referring to his recent social media blog post, don't worry. Focus on building the relationships that matter to you and your agency/organization/corporation, and I bet you soon enough your skeptical colleagues will take a second long, hard look in considering what they're missing out on-- while on the clock.

What's your organization saying about your time dedicated to social media?

Twegg Video Update #1

So far we've gotten 85 entries in the form of hard-boiled egg donations and tweets about the contest. Our goal is 2,009 eggs by Easter's end so please keep your entries coming... bringing you one step closer to possibly winning a Kindle 2!