Twitter Real-Time Search

Have you tried using Twitter Search?

This is a remarkable tool that allows you to conduct keyword-specific search queries that yield real-time tweets containing your search terms.

Searching tweets in real-time is a great opportunity to strike up a conversation about your industry.  Many people are looking for conversations to join that are somehow connected to their brands.  Twitter Search opens the door to just such a possibility. 

The other day, I joined a new gym so I thought I would preview what people were saying about “gym membership”.  As you can see below, there’s something for everyone.

If you’re not sure how to get started connecting with potential customers, try searching the same keywords you’re optimizing your website for using Twitter Search.

Have you had success with this approach?  Please leave a comment explaining what worked.

Twitter vs. Blog

Recently, I came across many news and online articles which stated that bloggers are engaging more in Twitter rather than blogs.   More and more bloggers are turning to Twitter to express their messages and opinions rather than blogging on other social media networks.  They stated that using Twitter is a faster means of communication and expresses their message directly to their audience/followers.

Bloggers usually have a tendency to express their opinions in more than 140 characters.  Twitter has a maximum of 140 characters which allows you to summarize your expressions about what you’re doing, express your feelings, emotions, and up to the minute activity.  Your followers are instantly informed about your post.

It’s hard for me to believe that bloggers would steer away from blogging and tweet instead.  Bloggers are full of opinions and ideas which involves a lengthy passage.  Bloggers abhor being limited to the amount of writing they do, but Twitter is a great tool to invite followers to pursue your blog.

What are your thoughts?

Are you connecting?

The video below is without a doubt one of the most amazing things anyone has ever pulled off.  The inspirational value alone is priceless.  If you research the making of this video you’ll see some of the ideas the creators implemented to make it happen.

More companies need to think like this.  It is not about selling, it really is about people.  If you can win someone’s attention through a connection that is real then your brand will be stronger for it.  Brands are strengthened one fan at a time.  Are you still just trying to make sales, or are you connecting?

Rules for Using Social Media for Business

1. There are no rules.

2.  See rule one.

Social media is the dawn of a new day in
communications. Control is
virtually absent and a new way of communicating has formed: connecting with
strangers based on mutual similarities and common interest.

Many voices are making what I believe to be a futile attempt
to impose rules on the wild frontier that is social media. Rules don’t exist here. There is no right or wrong. There are only things that work and
things that don’t work. Those who
make their own rules will find the things that work.

On the other hand, there is evidence that good manners and
common sense should predicate participation. Certainly social media is not going to help a spammer make
it big—because nothing will.
That’s just common sense.
In fact, just this morning, I unfollowed someone on Twitter who was
posting repeatedly (10 posts in one minute). I have no tolerance for it so I don’t accept it into my
community. That’s the great thing
about social media. Nobody can
infringe on your personal space unless you let him or her do so.

My issue is the imposition of rules on companies who are
innovating fresh new uses for the social media tools that we all have access
to. If you disagree with a certain
practice, by all means don’t adopt it in your own social media practices. I happen to disagree with the assertions
that you have to respond to every tweet on Twitter or acknowledge every friend
request if you just want to accept it and get in touch later. There is also a lot of negative talk
about “ghostwriting”, which is a hot topic right now. There is a stigma about using a ghostwriter for Twitter
because doing so is not transparent or authentic. I would make a case that there are opportunities where having
a hired hand to keep the updates flowing makes perfect sense. I have seen several examples of
companies that are doing it right.
The key is, don’t be someone you’re not. Be authentic.
Be transparent. And if you
have someone making updates to your social media accounts for you, be sure to
let people know that.

The value in social media and following people who interest
us is really in the information that they share. If the CEO of my favorite brand had someone else making half
of his or her posts and I liked what I was hearing, I would still want the
updates.

Social media relationships are being forged across the globe
with people whom we know little about, but really enjoy hearing from them and
vice versa. We’ve begun to
recognize people and even look forward to hearing their updates. While it is very difficult to establish
connections like this in public, connecting through social media makes it much
easier. Everyone is accessible
now. People who were strangers to
us yesterday become our friends and customers today and our ability to help
increases because the barriers to connection are much lower than they are
without the help of social media sites.
We provide help, value and camaraderie within the communities we are a
part of. As we give to these
communities, we mobilize the law of reciprocity. You become a trusted resource—then and only then opportunity
becomes available. This is why you
need to be connected via social media for business purposes. The rules are up to you. As in real life friendships, the
following will help you improve your social media connections: share often, be
interested rather than interesting and be yourself.

Facebook Invite to a Pillow Fight

I took my four-year-old daughter along to a pillow-fight that I thought would be fun to photograph.  She was very excited, as you could imagine.  Unfortunately we missed the actual fight, but captured much of the aftermath.  Feel free to check out the photos from this pillow fight.

140 character (or less) PROS and CONS for Using Twitter for Business

When it comes to getting connected in business, few things will get you there faster than Twitter.  The site is growing at an unimaginable rate–in fact any statistic published about the service is obsolete as it is typed!  If you haven’t been paying attention, it is safe to say it is time to start.  Twitter is easy to get started with–and it is quickly habit-forming once you do have a moment to put it to use.  That’s part of the appeal it has for many as a business application.  Twitter has the potential to connect you to people you want to do business with.  It can also connect you to people who want to do business with you.  Many people are talking about what using Twitter for business really means.  Here are some pros and cons to consider.

To qualify this further:  Please consider the CONs in this list to be added responsibilities rather than negative aspects.

CYENTIST’s PROS and CONS (in 140 characters or less) on Using Twitter for Business

PROs

• Easy to set up and get started
• Allows you to connect with current customers and attract potential new customers
• Helps you monitor keywords that are associated with your brand, products or services
• Instantly identify opportunities to provide customer service
• Instantly improve internal communications
• Become a resource to your market
• Share timely information that can make a difference to your followers
• You can follow anyone
• Anyone can follow you–or not.  It is an opt-in system.
• More followers = more reach for your updates
• Many 3rd party tools can improve ease of use
• Everyone in the company can participate and create more awareness for your brand
• Improve the overall image of your company by being accessible to those who need you
• Continues to grow and become more viable as a business tool
• Comment below to add your own!

CONs

• Must maintain participation or risk amateur appearance
• Takes time to complete Twitter’s learning curve
• Takes time to participate
• Productivity in “higher value” tasks may suffer 
• System has failures (fail whale)
• Another item on your staff’s plate
• ROI difficult to discern (exceptions exist)
• Business case for using Twitter can get lost in committee
• Some businesses can benefit more than others
• Comment below to add your own!

This list is intentionally short.  Please help increase the value of this list for people at companies who may be considering Twitter by including your comments below.

Also, please follow us @CYENTIST, @seanpdillon, @dankostka

Cyentist Facebook Fan Page

We monitor the news on social media and our Twitter accounts are going crazy about Twitter itself–and Facebook.  Apparently people are hate Facebook because of the changes they made to, well, everything.  Meanwhile,  our competitors chit-chatted about it amongst each other while we were out meeting with potential clients explaining in real terms what Facebook means to them.  We don’t always comment on the news because it changes so fast, but certainly there is a lot of talk about the new, new, new, etc. Facebook.

It really isn’t so bad.  Actually, it would be advantageous to get a feel for how it works because it is going to continue to evolve.  So, rather than resist, Cyentist is on the record for embracing Facebook in all its freshness.  In fact, this week, we created the official Cyentist Facebook Page!  I just added our first video to the page, and I have to say, the video player is quite impressive!  Check it out:

Help us out and become a fan of the Cyentist Facebook Fan Page! Thanks!

That’s nice.

Social media marketing is tactfully joining conversations centered on your brand, products and services.  What is your brand all about?

No matter your answer, your market says, “That’s nice.  Now, let’s hear something besides your usual marketing pitch.   Let’s talk to someone who has encountered your brand first-hand.”

For some brands, this can be exciting.  There has never been a better way to quickly communicate the positives associated with a brand than there is by using social media. Conversations with our existing networks of friends, family and acquaintances can quickly answer questions such as:

•    What is it?
•    How does it work?
•    How do you use it?
•    Where can I get it?
•    How was your experience?
•    Would you use it/buy it/try it again?

Having access to a vast array of ready opinions on just about anything has its benefits–especially for those who are being positively discussed in an open forum.

For others, though this type of candid dialogue can be a nightmare.  Those brands that are hesitant to relinquish control are ultimately losing it anyway, much like squeezing a handful of sand in order to make sure you don’t drop any.  It seems the same powerful conversations that elevate brands to the very top of the market can pull others to the very bottom with little effort.

The issue is not whether there are positive or negative conversations happening online about your brand, because chances are you already have both.  The issue arises when brands are oblivious to these conversations and the long-term effects of not participating in them while they’re current.

If someone is asking what your brand, product or service is all about, what are you doing about it?

Crowds

I saw this in the news this morning!  I thought New York had some crowded Subway stations, but there seems to be a new definition of crowded.  Check this out:

In New York, there aren’t a whole lot of conversations on the Subway–hopefully in this kind of proximity, people in Japan are making friends!  Talk about social…

Be Human

When participating in social networking via an agency or directly, you want to ensure that your identity is that of a human, not a company.  People want to connect with other people, usually as personally as possible.  Now, of course you want your interactions to be professional, especially since you do represent a company.  You just want to be sure when joining social media sites and establishing an online identity that you make it personal.  Be you; but list your company where appropriate.  Link to your company where appropriate, but don’t be “that girl” or “that guy” conducting shameless self-promotion in spite of the fact you know it’s wrong.