Tag Archives: Jack Dorsey

Today’s Twitter Lesson: How Microblogging Builds Community

Social Media is all about People: Connecting, Engaging, Listening and Helping One Another. Twitter technology can do all that!

ONE: 32 million Twitter users according to WSJ article Ten Ways Twitter will Permanently Change Business. [As of Dec 2009 68 million Tweeters]

TWO: Twitter creator Jack Dorsey has told us Twitter WILL one day [probably sooner rather than later] be as ubiquitous as email.

THREE: The only question, then, is HOW to use this amazing and “simple” technology to ReShape and ReVive Business in America [and all over the Globe]?

The BEST ANSWER is by Reading, Listening, Talking, Thinking, and DOING!

(A) Try search.twitter.com — put in “twitter for business” and VOILA! real-time URL’s to check out

(B) Study the Tweet Streams of progressive companies like @wholefoods, @jetblue, @homedepot, @SouthwestAir and “team” members at places like Dell, e.g. @ChrisBatDell

Twitter will help marketers get measureable results

Because Twitter updates in real time, you can reach an audience on the spot. It’s a great platform for asking for assistance, getting opinions, and answering questions. Much less expensive than a focus group — and so much more personal.

Twitter builds communities, and this will be especially fruitful for retailers — both local and global — as companies have the opportunity to tell customers about attractive sales and new products.

Use Twitter to engage with customers and create advocates. It really is all about People Helping People.

Blogging

Blogging is New World Pathway

May 13, 2009 Shari Weiss 5 Comments

“Write your own blog post everyday, but spend twice as much time reading other people’s blogs — and comment”

We had Sleepy Blogger, aka Robyn Tippins, come to PR class at San Francisco State, Tuesday, May 12, on the second last day of our exciting adventure into the World of All Things Social Media.

In addition to being a very popular and influential blogger and mother of four children, Robyn is Community Manager for Yahoo Developer Network. I read about her in a chapter of What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging by Ted Demopoulos.

Since she lives in the Bay Area AND a student group planned to tell the class about blogging, Sara Peterson (student in the group) and I Tweeted and Emailed. It worked for Jack Dorsey — and it worked for Robyn Tippins.

WOW, did it work!

The students loved her “down home” story — at 21, Robyn started a cloth diaper business from her home in Georgia, and the rest is history for another post. But what impressed Sara and so many of the students is how Robyn decided to make things happen, and she made them happen!

Here are some of the comments students wrote after her presentation:

“It was cool to learn how Robyn created a business on the Internet at such a young age, and now she works for Yahoo.” — Stephanie Mereau

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“Once you get out there, people start to refer to you and this is how you become influential.” — Mita Mahida

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“No job is Too Small!” — Alice Ng

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“It’s important for your blog to create a niche so that the right people can read the right blogs and leave the right comments for the benefit of the overall conversation.” — Stephen Giusti

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“Word of mouth has a lot to do with success in the blogging world as it is for business in general.” — Rafael Silla

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“Paid advertising on your blog can hurt you rather than help you because of all the clutter and distraction.” — Ann Marie Pawlicki

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“Research is essential — it makes you credible and relevant.” — Marie Belhomme

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“Key words and meta tags make it easier to find your blog.” — Gabriela Acevedo

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“Spend more time visiting other blog than writing your own.” — Theresa Rix

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“Moderate comments: know what your strategy will be.” — Brian McGuinn

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“Get your ideas out there and personalize some of your posts to keep yourself real.” — Orly Macabi

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“All in all: One of those classes that makes it all worthwhile.” — Shari Weiss

What works for your blog?

Next post: Personal Branding using Social Media

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Guest Post, Twitter

The Original TWEETER — Jack Dorsey — comes to SFSU

May 1, 2009 Shari Weiss 16 Comments

Hawks can TWEET, can't they? — Hawks can TWEET, can

Jack Dorsey is a REGULAR GUY whose idea is revolutionizing the way the world communicates

**GUEST POST** Cody Ramlan is a San Francisco State senior whose taken several courses with me and has, like me, caught the Social Media Fever. Agreeing to guest “host,” he told me that he now intends to take his future into his own hands through the many resources available on the Internet.

Twitter is only as valuable as you make it

Jack Dorsey created Twitter in 2006 and remains dedicated to continually refining it, but he took some time from his busy schedule Thursday, April 30, to talk to Shari Weiss’ PR class at San Francisco State.

“Twitter sparks interaction”

“The Future of Advertising is all about discovery.”

The class spent well over an hour asking questions and gaining inside knowledge from the currently most talked about entrepreneur on the planet.

My favorite fact was that it only took $10,000 of marketing expenses to create the word-of-mouth that has made Twitter today’s Sensation. This is a testament to the culture Jack encourages in his company — making a product that sells itself.

Where the idea of Twitter first started in Jack’s mind:

Twitter’s 40 employees do this by listening to users and building a platform that supports what people want. However, Jack emphasized that it is important to know when to say NO in order to make a successful product because some requests may be too specific to benefit enough of an audience.

Is Twitter merely a fad? Jack’s response was that it is only as valuable as you make it. He believes that it was created with the flexibility to become a utility of life and that one day people will take it for granted like email.

Since Twitter doesn’t currently turn a profit, we wondered about the business model for the future. Many ideas are being considered including “verifications” involving companies and celebrities. No matter how they will monetize, Jack made it clear that his goal was to never force advertising on users.

Friendfeed an aggregator, and Twitter is not. It’s more of a communication tool:

In fact, he said that the future of advertising is all about discovery and introductions. “If you start with that and lead to a conversation, you will have the respect and attention of your audience, which is a much more productive form of relaying a message,” he said.

How Twitter has grown . . . since Jack was 16:

Twitter’s vision includes evolution through listening to users, and after hearing Jack’s discussion with us, I have no doubt that his company will be around for a long time to come.

by Cody Ramlan

Videos embedded by Shari — once I found out how to do it.

Next post: Is Facebook a WASTE OF TIME?

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