Archive for August, 2008

I’d love to write one of Chris Brogan’s seamless “workflow” vision-of-the-future posts on this but I’m too fascinated and jumbled by the variety of stuff pouring in through Twitter tonight, so you’re gonna get this Laura-style musing on the evolution of news:

Twitter on CNN
CNN’s Rick Sanchez (@ricksanchezcnn) started using Twitter this week to engage viewers and conversation around his live nightly newscasts. While conducting guest participants, reports and headlines, he also refers to his Twitter stream and displays @reply tweets directed to him. It’s fun. I wonder how puzzled viewers are. I’ll write about this again. Now, onto the stories he covered…
UPDATE: (courtesy of Mark Mayhew on Twitter) Rick Sanchez began using Twitter on his newscasts about 3 weeks ago.

Gustav
You can actually watch as remarks about Gustav pour through Twitter. People are mobilizing action on social media networks to stay on top of the situation as it unfolds. It’s a live network of energy and compassion and people asking “how can I help?” Ideas are being shared and Twitter’s “telegraphs” repeating these signals are spreading them swiftly.

• NPR’s Andy Carvin set up a site (on Ning) for collaboration and resources
• @gustavalerts “Government Alerts about Hurricane Gustav” is feeding information via Twitter
• Christopher Carfi just linked to this mobile resource guide because, let’s face it, people who need resources in this storm will not be sitting at their computers.
• Others have posted storm preparedness links

RNC Police Raids
Word about the arrests leading up to the RNC (NYT link) is also spreading fast via Twitter, including links to coverage by independent and citizen journalists. I was troubled by CNN’s line “the authorities see a danger in underestimating” the threat of protesters. Since when is it ok to arrest before the law is broken?

USAToday Weather Guys
We talk - a LOT - about the weather on Twitter, so I pointed out how smart the USA Today Weather Guys are to engage here. They also “got it right” by including their Twitter content on their blog, making it easy to confirm the legitimacy.

Obviously this red-hot moment is a very smart time to be providing useful weather content on Twitter, so, best of luck guys. Hope you rock it.

MTV
In other news, @MTV looks like just another brandjacking. Tonight they misposted the Michael Moore wants Gustav to kill people Fox News link except they mistakenly wrote “Obama.” (Later deleted and reposted as “Michael Moore.”)

Taking this forward
I imagine what Ray Nagin’s Twitter stream would read like right now, or Harry Connick Jr.’s, or Michael Moore’s? Aren’t you curious where their heads are at? What Sara Palin was thinking about and focusing on as her whirlwind journey kicked up… Imagine.

Oh and PS:
Henry Rollins is on Twitter. This is not relevant. This is not news. It’s just cool. And surely some of you didn’t know yet. And it’s really him.

UPDATE: The New York Times ran this story about the MadMen kerfluffle, hinting that AMC’s agency Deep Focus might be behind at least part of the apparent FanFic.

@ParamountPics, what do you say? My friend @twalk just suggested that Tropic Thunder’s Les Grossman should be Twittering. He has a point.

Whether it’s FanFic, like AMC’s recently controversial MadMen crew, or official content, like the CSI episode last November, Twitter is a fertile and potentially valuable place to flesh out character development and engage with fans of your property.

CSI’s “Twitter” episode (below) was pretty interesting and got a lot of buzz on Twitter, but totally missed its opportunity to carry engagement forward. The Actual account for @kiraEDGE (the murdered character from the show) didn’t even include the Tweets that were featured in the show itself. Accounts (likely FanFic) for her two love interests @TorchX and @DrummerBoy19 are likewise content-free and abandoned. Even @CSI is inactive or a mere squatter. WTH?

AMC’s period ad-agency hit MadMen had a recent microdrama on Twitter and in the blogosphere. (See VentureBeat reports on the DMCA Takedown.) Fortunately, AMC’s agency Deep Focus talked them off the ledge, as Silicon Alley Insider reports, and the accounts are definitely generating interest in MadMen. PRWeek’s somewhat confusing report (*Twitter issued the DMCA takedown notice? Really?) states that AMC is spinning it as a miscommunication. I dunno though, I’d guess a lot of companies are not preparing for this opportunity. (By the way, check out Ben Kessler’s list of all the MadMen Twitterers.)

I recently asked my followers for their “dream Twitterers” and turned up an interesting mix of celebrities, fictional characters and intellectuals. Speaking of the potential future @LesGrossman, Chris Thilk put together this list of Movie characters who should Twitter.

People, if you have an audience for *any* reason, you can engage them on Twitter in ways that simply are not possible anywhere else. And, you can create significant business value from that IF you do it right and genuinely contribute to the community.

UPDATE: *Though PRWeek wrote: “Twitter, presumably on the orders of AMC, issued a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown (SIC).” Twitter was good enough to confirm, they do not issue DMCA takedowns.

UPDATE 2: Spooky and recursive: @bud_melman, one of the MadMen FanFic Twitterers just dm’d me a link to www.wearesterlingcooper.com. What fun. The FanFic crew have their own website now, for you to follow along. True confession? When I first saw that Sterling Cooper advertising was on Twitter I added them to a list of agencies to invite to our upcoming “What your clients should know about Twitter” webinar. (Did I seriously just admit to that?) Um, yeah. You did.

UPDATE 3: @bud_melman is an OC, (original character) meaning, he’s not even *in* the show. He’s a salute to the salute to the show, or a fictional fiction of the… you get the idea.

Last night my friend Dennis (re-)tweeted that Facebook passed 100 million users. (Congratulations, Facebook.)

I already knew this (it had been on Twitter a few hours) but his “does anyone care that much” got me thinking.

I’m not a fan of Facebook. But certain contacts and friends in my network are much happier there, and that’s where I go when I want to see them.

Life in college was very much like this. I’d drop by certain buildings and know that I was more likely to see the folks I knew who worked or studied or otherwise did their thing there. I might not go very often, but when I wanted to connect with those folks, I went specific places to do so.

So while Facebook isn’t my favorite application or my core community, it’s more than worth it for the great “visiting” that goes on. You simply don’t have to be wall-to-wall on a social network to still have value from it.

This closely aligns with the “favorite/different bars in a city” metaphor that I use a lot when I talk about an interoperable future across many microsharing platforms, but more on that later.

NEW PERMANENT PAGE: Twitter for Business

We’ve moved this list onto its own permanent page on Pistachio Consulting.com.

Please also see our linkblog sharing articles about the business uses of microsharing, Twitter and more. Please subscribe to the linkblog by RSS here.

9.10.2008 UPDATE: Lots of mainstream media attention to Twitter for Business in the past week:

• Brave New World of Digital Intimacy, New York Times Magazine
• CEO Guide to Microblogging, BusinessWeek (6-part Special Report)
• Four Ways Companies Use Microblogging, CIO Magazine
• Five Marketing Tips for Tackling Twitter, Steve Mulder
• How Twitter Can Help at Work - Shifting Careers - Small Business - New York Times Blog

UPDATE: We missed Tara Hunt’s Tweeting for Companies 101 and Dawn Foster’s guide for brands and corporate identities.

Both Valeria Maltoni and Chris Brogan just posted about smart ways to use Twitter for business. (*I’d love to say it’s clever blogger outreach strategy, but it’s just great timing.)

• Chris’ post is the kind of thing your company’s Twitterers should post on the wall as they get the hang of it: full of practical ideas, examples and humorous guidance on the hows and whys of doing it right. Stick around for the comments too, which are always worth a look at his site.
• Valeria writes about three business reasons to Twitter: 1) potential channel presence, 2) try new ideas for feedback and 3) establishing a business voice and personality.

Twitter (twttr) was a kind of collaboration tool for the original business team. Speculation about its business utility isn’t new, but the buzz is certainly picking up.

Should your company Twitter? Start learning what you need to know about Twitter for your business with these quick reads:

• Why Twitter Matters by Stephen Baker, Businessweek May 15, 2008
• See how USAToday wrote about (and uses) Twitter
• New York Times and ABC News both covered Comcast’s Twitter use
• Ellen Petry Leanse’s 8 Twitter tips for business series of posts is a solid guide 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8
• UI on this Business Matters supplement is a tricky if your browser lags, but the content is solid
• @RogerBauer kept this slide deck very simple and directly addressed myths and obstacles.

There are also lots of great, practical tips online. Here are a few to start:

• Chris Brogan explains a practical, simple business use case: Listening for opportunities
• Jeremiah Owyang outlines a trajectory for the “Evolution of brands on Twitter”
• John Jantsch put together a free beginners’ guide to using Twitter for business
• Ann Handley talks about “7 ways marketers can use Twitter”
• Joel Postman “rules” for corporate presence on Twitter post highlights the importance of 1) legitimacy 2) real names 3) ability to respond meaningfully 4) protect consumers 5) list accounts on your website 6) be human 7) let regular employees participate
• Valeria Maltoni asks “Is it time for corporations to get a Twitter presence
• Shara Karasic at Work.com offers her Guide to Twitter for business

10.06.08 UPDATE: Anita Campbell at Inc.com on Why Business Bloggers are Twittering and Rich Brooks on How to Use Twitter for Business (both found in @JordanLevy’s flowgram). Also, @LeeOdden has some really interesting posts and did a “how do you use Twitter” poll in Spring 2008. Lee, want to partner up and re-run that poll with a bigger sample size?

This is the first of a series of “index” posts on the business use of Twitter. Coming up, look for my own advice for businesses that want to Twitter, guides to brands that Twitter (and how to add yours), convincing your workplace about the value of Twitter, poor business uses of Twitter and more. Please stay tuned and consider subscribing to our feed. UPDATE: I added links to the names I had missed. In addition, posts about the *internal* business use of microsharing tools will be coming soon.

*We’re about to relaunch as the first social media agency to specialize in microsharing. We’re helping companies, brands, other agencies and high profile individuals make smart business use of these tools. We’ll do briefings, consulting, strategy, training and full microsharing programs that create value, engage customers, learn more about their market, etc. Stay tuned for more details in the next two weeks.

I like the widget that Qik and NewsGator (client) put together for DNC coverage.

Widgets are a really interesting delivery model for microsharing from events, because the the content can be simultaneously sent out 1) to/via the application (Twitter, Qik, etc.) 2) at your site via the widget and 3) at the sites and social media pages of fans and followers who add the widget to their sites too.

This and some business conversations this week got me thinking about my framework for how microsharing can make events more powerful:

Networking
Microsharing enables many different networking functions. It works as a mixer/icebreaker, an idea-sharing forum, and an ad-hoc way for people in attendance to make plans, meet and coordinate introductions. Games and challenges throughout the program could keep attendees engaged and interacting beyond their circles of familiarity. Beyond the event, microsharing works to preserve and nurture ties established at the event for collaboration, inspiration and support long after everyone is back to their regular routines.

Backchannel
Responses, reactions and questions from both the onsite audience and the larger world that is tuning into the event’s feeds can capture and even help develop some of the stronger ideas generated.

Extending reach
Getting messages out to offsite audiences and permitting some return path and backchannel from literally anywhere in the world means that organizers can extend the experience to many who could not attend, and in return that engagement and input can come in from audiences not otherwise coming to the table.

Sponsor tool
I loved the scavenger hunt that HP ran at BlogHer. If energy and ideas from your event are pinging around in the kind of lightweight, temporal, virtual community that microsharing enables, there will also be opportunity for your sponsors to play in that space, and earn attention by contributing something of value.

“Street teams”
Designated people on the ground at the event can generate coverage, encourage others to do so, and ensure critical mass of quality content. They also function as in-situ ambassadors to explain and assist attendees less familiar with the technologies.

High-profile individuals
Reaching out to those who have a strong following or personal brand and getting them to engage with the tools and use them to convey the event’s ideas to their audience is valuable. Whatever their sphere of influence, their use of microsharing at your event helps amplify their voice as well.

What do you think? How do you use microsharing at events? How might conference and event planners incorporate the benefits of Twitter and related tools into their official programs? What have you seen work well? Fall short? If you run events (anything from small reunions to giant conferences) what would you like to know more about or try?

I like the widget that Qik and NewsGator (client) put together for DNC coverage.

Widgets are a really interesting delivery model for microsharing from events, because the the content can be simultaneously sent out 1) to/via the application (Twitter, Qik, etc.) 2) at your site via the widget and 3) at the sites and social media pages of fans and followers who add the widget to their sites too.

This and some business conversations this week got me thinking about my framework for how microsharing can make events more powerful:

Networking
Microsharing enables many different networking functions. It works as a mixer/icebreaker, an idea-sharing forum, and an ad-hoc way for people in attendance to make plans, meet and coordinate introductions. Games and challenges throughout the program could keep attendees engaged and interacting beyond their circles of familiarity. Beyond the event, microsharing works to preserve and nurture ties established at the event for collaboration, inspiration and support long after everyone is back to their regular routines.

Backchannel
Responses, reactions and questions from both the onsite audience and the larger world that is tuning into the event’s feeds can capture and even help develop some of the stronger ideas generated.

Extending reach
Getting messages out to offsite audiences and permitting some return path and backchannel from literally anywhere in the world means that organizers can extend the experience to many who could not attend, and in return that engagement and input can come in from audiences not otherwise coming to the table.

Sponsor tool
I loved the scavenger hunt that HP ran at BlogHer. If energy and ideas from your event are pinging around in the kind of lightweight, temporal, virtual community that microsharing enables, there will also be opportunity for your sponsors to play in that space, and earn attention by contributing something of value.

“Street teams”
Designated people on the ground at the event can generate coverage, encourage others to do so, and ensure critical mass of quality content. They also function as in-situ ambassadors to explain and assist attendees less familiar with the technologies.

High-profile individuals
Reaching out to those who have a strong following or personal brand and getting them to engage with the tools and use them to convey the event’s ideas to their audience is valuable. Whatever their sphere of influence, their use of microsharing at your event helps amplify their voice as well.

What do you think? How do you use microsharing at events? How might conference and event planners incorporate the benefits of Twitter and related tools into their official programs? What have you seen work well? Fall short? If you run events (anything from small reunions to giant conferences) what would you like to know more about or try?

UPDATE 2: @lukewalker and many others just started tweeting that CNN has “semi-confirmed” the choice as Joe Biden. UPDATE 3: MSNBC and others agreeing. Twitter search starting to blow up a little, but not as expected since it’s so late back east? Good job CNN. Looks like actual journalism got the well-earned scoop on this one.

UPDATE: First thing anything like “news” on Twitter is that @ksbw (NBC Local) is reporting that a leaked image of a bumper sticker suggests Evan Bayh will be veep. Hoax? Red Herring?

I’m creatively testing the whole Twitter-as-news-service thing today, as we wait for the Vice President selection to be announced. I also “texted Obama” to be notified “when he decides” because I’d like to know which will come first.

Will it leak on Twitter? If it does will the first Twitter reports be correct?

To watch along in real time, you can open two Twitter search tabs along with me:

Twitter search for Vice President
Twitter search for VP

Keeping these tabs open, I can see when new results have posted to Twitter, and refresh to view them.

So, game on, and may the best folks win…

PlusOneMe set up this VP names Twitter tracker but it does not seem to be loading.

Twittering with excitement? Hardly. - The Boston Globe

You might think I’d hate this article because I love Twitter. You’d be wrong. This is now my favorite of a very real genre of articles and posts. The “Twitter, WTH?” post. (C’mon, admit to yours if you wrote one. I did.) So I thought I’d share the note I just sent to the writer, Alex Beam.

Dear Alex,

I LOVED your article because it was funny, well researched, and a PERFECT capture of how the vast majority of people feel when they first examine Twitter. I enjoy articles like it because it is so very true that Twitter. Looks. Asinine.

But it’s not.

What can I possibly say to explain why I think Twitter is game-changing? I’ve said a few things already, here, here and here…

It’s just not about the updates. The updates, examined in a vacuum, are kinda stupid.

Then again, so are most of the brief human interactions you have with people in the course of your day, whether passing in the hallway at work, greeting your neighbor or the mailman, touching base with friends and family.

Dan Bricklin put it this way: “I care that your cat just rolled over if you are my best friend and your cat just had surgery.”

The value of Twitter’s content is in context, conversations, relationships, shared information, collaboration and… (oy) so much more. New ways of looking at and using it happen every day. The value of Twitter as a network is in the lightweight, mobile, versatile access (check it when and how YOU want to instead of dealing with a big old inbox filling up) to support, research and human connection with your friends and acquaintances. It’s a nice social bookmark for maintaining loose ties with people you’ve met, or friends of your friends. It’s also a sometimes silly cauldron of spontaniety, serendipity and surprisingly compelling opportunities.

Thanks for the Saturday morning laugh. I remember and appreciate feeling that way about Twitter.

Warmly,
Laura Fitton

PS: While we’re sharing, here’s my “poop on Twitter” post, too. I learned.

1. @brightidea (CEO Matthew Greeley) Tweets about collaborative web browsing application Browsepal.com

2. In a Jive UI/UX Summit talk, @kirsteng speaks about enterprise collaboration and wishes that she could interact with others while browsing maps to determine best routes, etc.

3. I Tweet, maybe that could be done with BrowsePal? (i spell “use” wrong. sorry.)

4. One week later Browsepal implements shared map browsing, joins Twitter and tweets to me that it can be done now.

HOT!

5. I love that they have done this, so I tell Kirsten and I also spread the word using my Twitter account.

Are YOU effectively capturing and implementing your audience’s best ideas? Are you reaching fans who will to brag about your capabilities? Are you making it easy for them to do so?

Below is the comment I wrote on the @adamlashinsky and @padmasree post “Another view on Twitter”

Not only do ideas get stronger when shared, but working relationships, mutual support, motivation, collaboration, etc. also explode.

One reason “microsharing” is so powerful is that it oddly mimics the dynamics of how natural human relationships form. Oblique interactions, gradual knowing, discovery of common interests and other social objects build trust and connect minds together in surprisingly powerful ways.

And by the way, I’m not too worried about what the “intended” uses of Twitter were, because I see dozens and dozens of “unintended” uses becoming deceptively powerful and helpful in people’s everyday lives.

What consistently creates professional and personal value for people on Twitter are some of the very oldest principles of success. Things like building your professional network, harnessing the power loose ties, surrounding yourself with successful people, finding mentors and collaborators, conferring on best solutions/practices, interacting socially as well as professionally (Twitter as golf course), etc.

Building personal caring and affinity between co-workers is an important part of creating a productive business culture. Microsharing has the potential to boost that and unlock some pretty compelling business value through a number of use cases (the most compelling of which we may not even know yet).

These slides are from my recent keynote on the topic at Jive software’s enterprise UI/UX Summit in Aspen: http://www.slideshare.net/pistachio/uiux-aspen-jive (see thumbnails in the post just prior to this…)