Tag

twitter for business

How Twitter Might Be Shooting Itself In the Head

By Social Media, Uncategorized

Twitter APII just finished a very interesting article by Bloomberg’s Mathew Ingram covering two new and troubling moves the folks over at Twitter have made in the last few weeks. You can read it here.

The gist is that they have been cutting more and more original partners out of access to their API, which is the way apps like Instagram, LinkedIn and Tumblr USED to allow you to connect with Twitter friends. Those original partners drove a lot of growth in Twitter as users tweeted out what they were creating or reading with those apps. It made the apps better and more social. Now, it appears Twitter is starting to focus on developing media partnerships and driving revenue off of advertising purchased by those partners. In order to do that, it’s narrowing access to the API so that only these media partners (like NBC, who was the test case for this strategy during the Olympics) will be able to really take advantage of Twitter’s “follower graph,” a fancy word for the user data.

I totally understand that user data is the crux of Twitter’s value, and I totally get their desire to exploit that value. What I don’t get is why they are following the path that so many other VC-driven software companies have followed, which is to abandon the very thing that makes them great in an effort to get big and rich. By removing these API connections, Twitter’s relevance to users who remain loyal to the apps Twitter used to support will be eroded. Maybe Twitter doesn’t care, thinking their big media push will more than compensate for these lost followers. But in my experience, whenever a cool app that adds a real functional value gets hijacked by big media money, its relevance rapidly declines. It gets sucked into the financial and editorial vortex of its benefactors, watered down by quarterly reporting requirements, and quickly abandoned as another shill.

I hope I’m wrong. But when these things get too big and homogenous, users typically run away.

 

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Social Media Success Story: Finding a Job through your Network

By Public Relations, Social Media

Our friend Kim Connolly, @cvillekim on Twitter, vice president of Marketing & Communications with United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area, wrote me an email with the subject line: My Social Media Success Story.

 

This is actually YOUR success story, too. I went to your get-together at Commonwealth Skybar in lieu of the first cancelled Meet the Media Tweetup event. While there, I struck up a conversation with a young man, John Kowalski @theoriginaljage and learned that he had just graduated from VCU with a degree in media and communications and was looking for his first real-world job to get him started on his career. There was something about him I really liked, and I wished that I had an opening for him here. I did tell him he should widen his search to include nonprofits because of the opportunity to be flexible and creative and not relegated to some cubby in a bigger organization.

I invited him to come by the United Way the next week and we talked some more. I sent him some nonprofit marketing job listings and then saw an opening at the United Way in Fredericksburg for a Communications Coordinator that listed all his skill sets. I also saw from their staff list that this position was the only purely marketing position there. I sent him the job posting and told him it would be the perfect starter position. He did apply and I called their president to encourage an interview. Coincidentally, she had his resume open on her desk when I called, and told me he was in her “maybe” pile, but based on my referral, she would include him in her first round of phone interviews. Long story, short – he got the job!

All because of Twitter, and because of your Tweetup, which started the ball rolling.

 

We LOVE success stories like this — thank you Kim and best wishes in your new job, J.J. — we’ll be staying in touch with both of you!

Quick, you Qwikster, Get Your Custom URLs STAT

By Communications, Media, Public Relations

This has happened several times: a client has engaged me to work with Twitter to try to capture a username that is their business name, that someone else is using.

Guess what? This isn’t easy, nor is it always possible. (I have been successful, but there are no guarantees.)

So it’s funny to me when a major brand like Netflix forgets one of the critical items on the business startup checklist: securing the business’s Twitter handle. Thanks to my friend Jamey for passing on this priceless bit.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/BarlowBrewing/status/115788536669683713″]

 

From TechCrunch:

Movie delivery service Netflix has just announced that it is rebranding its DVD-by-mail service as Qwikster and that it will keep calling its streaming service Netflix. . . . Netflix, naively, has neglected to pin down the @Qwikster Twitter account before launch. The account is currently owned by somebody who chooses to best represent themselves as Elmo smoking a joint.

Whoa, boy. This gaffe is going to cost Netflix at the very least, some good weed.

Gentle reminder for businesses large and small — lock in your user names and custom URLs right now, today. Or someone else will.

While you’re at it – sign up for this Friday’s Twitter for Business workshop.

 Update: Netflix Abandons Qwikster

Jaggers Communications Offers Twitter for Business Workshop

By Jaggers Communications News

*MEDIA ALERT*

For more information, contact:

Marijean Jaggers
434.973.0645
mjaggers@jaggerscommunications.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

WHAT: Public relations firm Jaggers Communications and nationally-recognized social media educator Marijean Jaggers offer a Twitter for Business lunch time session. The workshop offers information for businesses to help increase social networks, reach business communications goals and develop the right kind of relationships. This session will cover best practices, Twitter management tools and methods of measuring success.

 WHEN: Friday, Sept. 23, Noon to 1p.m. Fee: $49. Register online: http://twitterforbusinesscville.eventbrite.com/

 WHERE: OpenSpace, (next to ACAC downtown) 455 Second Street SE, Ste. 100, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Parking is available on Second Street or Garrett Street.

 WHO: This session is $49 to attend and is open to the public. Business owners, employees and marketers should attend.

 NOTE: Participants should bring a brown bag lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

 

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About Jaggers Communications

Jaggers Communications is a strategic communications firm that provides organizations in health care, education and science-based business with social media consulting, public relations support and reputation management strategy. The firm was founded in 2011 to serve businesses and nonprofits with a need for strategic communications with effective reach. www.jaggerscommunications.com

 

Twitter for Non-Traditional Business: When Contests and Customer Service Don’t Apply

By Social Media
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/RCiprotti/status/113406455343882240″]

I’m intrigued by my friend Rachel’s suggestion to blog about Twitter. I know her background is primarily serving nonprofits — and that’s where the “non-traditional” viewpoint comes from. It’s true that contests and customer service have far less applicability when the Twitter account is connected to an association, a charity or a service organization.

Twitter, as in blogging or any online presence representative of ANY organization (corporate, for profit, non profit), should share the stories of the organization.

Those stories can be shared in 140 characters (pro tip: limit to 120 for re-sharing ease) or can link to web content (i.e. blog posts). Ideally, the organization is using Twitter to drive followers to content on the organization’s home base — it’s website — where the engagement and interaction can be measured and managed.

If Twitter followers are inclined to follow organizations only because they’re providing special offers, coupons, contests, etc. then this approach is not going to attract that kind of user. With genuine, regular engagement the interaction will be real and meaningful (contest interaction rarely is).

Remember, with nonprofits, the endgame typically involves fundraising and donations that keep the organization acting on its mission. It’s relationship development, and all interaction, no matter the vehicle, should keep that in mind.