ION Digital

Reading Twitterville, it’s easy to get the feeling that I’m back in my home state of Texas, surrounded by friendly neighbors, family and loved ones.  Sort of a small town feel, where people leave their doors unlocked and even strangers welcome you warmly.

Some readers may challenge this description—isn’t Twitter a wild west environment, a raging river of commentary, observations and random chitchat?

But by framing it this way—as a “place” we can relate to—author Shel Israel set the stage for what turns out to be an engaging page-turner. (more…)

Q: Why did you write this book? What possessed you?

A: In April 2008, James Buck posted a single-word tweet “arrested.” He was being taken to an Egyptian jail. Because of that post he would be released and sent home in about a day. It blew me away and I posted someone should write a book about the incident. Someone tweeted back, “how about you?” That started a process that became Twitterville. So the credit goes to either James Buck or the Egyptian police, depending on how you look at it.

Q: What was different about writing Twitterville vs  Naked Conversations (ex: completely unchartered territory back then, easier/harder to write?) (more…)

photo by Sean Dreilinger

Pretend you’re a speaker approaching the stage at a big conference. As you walk up to the stage, you notice two big screens–one for your Powerpoint presentation, the other for Twitter.

Guess what? You’ve got company. Your audience will be joining you on stage, tweeting about your presentation.

Public speaking is nerve wracking enough. Now speakers will get to deal with Twitter and a new era of “participatory” presentations. Right now the “Twitter factor”  in speeches is microscopic, mainly confined to a scattering of techie conferences. But it’s coming.

As usual, it’s starting with the tech savvy types who are itching to join what they see as a public “conversation.”   The more voices, the merrier (see a recent post in the Pistachio blog). Corporate speakers cringe; they see a public brawl coming. (more…)

Twitter is a great tool for companies seeking to connect with key audiences, build their brands and much more.Once you  get the swing of Twitter (last blog) , you’re ready to get fully immersed and start growing. The goal is to attract followers, and eventually build your own community.

Twitter communities are generally loosely organized at best; that’s the beauty of it but it’s also the challenge. Connecting with so many different people is like herding cats.

My approach is this: rather than thinking about hundreds (or in some people’s case, thousands) of followers, I’ll choose two or three representative followers to focus on at a time; that’s my “audience.” This is based on techniques I use in public speaking. Rather than scanning a big audience, I’ll find 2 or 3 audience members  in the front row and focus eye contact on them, providing me a chance to focus my energy and thoughts. When I’m answering a question or corresponding with someone on Twitter, they have my full attention.

I’m trying to build a  community one contact at a time–slow, yes, but steady and (I’m hoping) enduring. I’m really focused on quality of community vs pure quantity, so Guy Kawasaki (100k plus followers) has nothing to worry about with me.

Below are a few tips to get you started. (more…)

Twitter is all the rage now; I wish I had a nickel for every time a client mentioned it. Succeeding in it is another matter, though,  and at first it can be hellishly confusing.

When I first started, and was following dozens of people, I felt like I was in a busy sports bar during the Super Bowl. I remember thinking: I don’t know these people. I don’t know what they’re talking about. I must be in the wrong place.

It helps to know the rules and a little about the culture before you jump in. It’s not rocket science but it does take a little study and work.

1) Plan: First, think about why you’re even on Twitter.

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