Sharisax Is Out There
Join me on a journey down the Social Media Revolutionary Road
What should U TWEET: Twitter 101 Lesson 4
What’s so cool about Twitter is that there are NO rules: it’s like the “Wild West” where anything goes — as long as you use 140 characters or less.
Q: Why devote an entire post to this subject?
A: The 19th century poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “We are always looking for someone to tell us what to do” . . . and many typical Twitter users [see previous post] “forget” to Tweet.
So here are my thoughts:
1 – Jack Dorsey, Twitter creator, told my class that his mom likes to hear his day-to-day activities whether he’s meeting friends at a restaurant or getting off a plane in Iraq.
2 – Remember there are NO rules.
3 – That being said, you might want to consider WHY you are on Twitter: Do you really want the “world” to know you had a pizza for lunch? [Actually, I'm in NYC right now and called one of my brothers, whom I hadn't told about my trip. He knew I was in New York because I'd put the word out on Twitter.]
4 – Personally, as someone who teaches public relations — and, thus, reputation management — I like to think about what my “Profile,” i.e. my Twitter Stream, looks like to someone who is deciding whether to follow me or NOT
5 – Therefore, in most cases I write personal comments using the DM [Direct Message] function — or simply send an email — so that my Tweets are more “thoughtfully” targeted to all my followers.
What makes a Tweet more respectful of your followers? Here are some of my suggestions:
(A) Passing along a cool blog entry or website I’ve come across, e.g., Adam Singer’s “What if?
(B) Retweeting [RT] an informative link that I’ve read from someone I follow on Twitter — see the previous post to find out about Tweetdeck which makes Retweeting so easy.
(C) Answering someone’s question, e.g.,
Quipsandtips asked: I’m in a lull, waiting for mag assignments & book contracts. How do you know when it’s time to revamp goals or change action plan?
I answered: @quipsandtips how do you know when it’s time to make new plans? When you ask that question
(D) “Reading” a book and sharing a short insight from it, e.g.,
Reading Putting Public Back in PR by Brian Solis & Deidre Breakenridge #PPBinPR : PR 2.0 creating new toolkit 2 reinvent market conversation
(E) Sharing an insight that you got “all on your own” and were dying to tell someone, e.g.,
People are NOT numbers. When businesses fully understand this, their strategies and tools will adjust.
Just remember, there aren’t any rules Unless You Make Your Own, so TWEEPLE – please tell us your rules and share your favorite Tweets. The conversation is what Social Media is all about.
What to Tweet About – Part TWO
Subscribe to the RSS feed or Email and have all new posts delivered straight to you.
May 26, 20099:18 am
Awesome information! I’ll be sure to take this into account the next time I tweet.
-Franklin
May 26, 20091:40 pm
Franklin, when you do TWEET a great personal insight, please DM it to me @sharisax
Jun 22, 20093:29 am
No rules is very significant. check out this ted talk.
http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html
Jul 3, 20093:41 am
There are 2 things. However, I wouldn’t call them “rules” rather things I go by when I am on Twitter. They are: be myself and follow people I value.
Jul 9, 20098:28 am
Here’s Chris Brogan’s latest post on His Rules for Tweeting: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-i-tweet-a-faq/
Aug 13, 20092:43 am
I’ve figured out (or its at least my opinion) that one of the keys with “What to tweet” has to do with active engagement in receiving.
It sounds simple and I should know this because I preach about it in every other situation and yet I have been VERY unskillful so far in accessing that sensibility in my tweets.
I’m sending sending sending. “Look at this! How about this! Check me out! Here look at this! Isn’t it great?!” And that’s what I see out there from others as well.
You had a couple of posts today that requested thoughtful opinions from people. The queries were on resumes, which I haven’t done in ages so I had nothing of value to submit about the subject but I WANTED to comment. It engaged me. That’s meaningful.
I’m getting there. I need to translate my purposes on Twitter to that meaningful engagement of receiving. -Tony
Aug 13, 20098:33 am
Tony, you know what I’ve found?
The “getting there,” i.e. the experimentation, is what is REALLY EXCITING because it uses every creative muscle in our being. Keep on keeping on!
Feb 3, 201010:40 pm
I dont want someone knowing my every move. There are a lot of crazy people out there and to post your every move can make you a target of crime
Feb 4, 20101:34 am
LaMesha, the KEY is to be very, very careful about EVERYTHING you post online. People need to understand that anything they put on the Internet whether in email, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. can possibly be seen by Everyone in the world.
Jun 21, 20102:42 pm
The only reason I haven’t ever used Twitter is because I don’t understand why anyone should ever be interested in little bits of random information that don’t really concern them, but this post kind of made me see how it can be useful!
Jun 21, 20108:01 pm
Shari, I totally agree with you that we should pay extra attention on what we post online. From my own experience the information we put on Internet stays there for years and sometimes it is impossible to delete it. I wouldn’t post any personal information online unless I 100% sure that it is necessary.
Jun 21, 20108:53 pm
I’m happy that I’m not alone in the thoughts of ‘lamesha’. With twitter it’s too close for comfort to tweet about my every move. I’m aware that I’m in total controll of who sees what with the settings and privacy-yet still it’s not that safe. However it seems fun but I’m so private that I don’t think I want ‘everyone’ who knows me my actions/moves/daily thoughts. it takes away “missing” friends family, and the anticipation of true conversation. I guess there are benifits and i’m open to change so towards the end of my six weeks I’ll either stand my ground or adapt to change:)
Jun 21, 20109:24 pm
Twitter is such a convenient way to post a thought or status publicly or directly. It’s like email and facebook in one. Great post!
Jun 21, 20109:58 pm
Shari i must say that all the information that you posted above was helpful , but since I’m new to twitter I’m still on the edge.
Sometimes you only want certain people to know things. but on twitter anyone can follow you and know your personal business. In a way it sort of seems dangerous because there are a lot of crazy and insane people out there.
Jun 22, 201010:03 am
So what’s the benefit of twitter over the traditional internet messageboard? You can also ask questions and share your insights with others on a messageboard, albeit with more privacy. Your posts can usually be viewed by anyone, and you are more likely to get a response to your comments as messageboards tend to address specific topics. I’m all for new trends and technology, but for the twitter suggestions mentioned in your post, I think I’ll stick with the old fashioned internet messageboard
Jun 22, 201010:28 am
Eric, I have found that it is best to reserve judgments until you have given something a chance . . . especially if you are trying something recommended by a person you trust.
I suspect more value will be proven to you as the semester progresses. Our minds can only take in so much at any one time.
Jun 23, 201011:45 am
When I read this I connected with the whole pizza part IMMEDIATELY! That was my first thought when you told the class to sign up for twitter.
« Life on Twitter made easier than Life on Mars — Try Tweetdeck Next Post
Twitter for Business: Beyond Twitter 101 »
Becoming involved in the Social Media community is the most exciting life change in memory.
Discovering how each and every one of us has an opportunity to MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES and share our knowledge and insights with interested readers is tremendously empowering.
As I write this blog, read comments here, and do the same with the blogs of others -- I know that we all can benefit in a host of ways. Let's DO IT!
HOW TO DO SOCIAL MEDIA BY THE BOOK
2:47 am
I just LOVE twitter!
thanks for the post!
Barbra
http://intelligentwomenreadromance.wordpress.com/