A number of business owners and brand managers use Twitter as a tool for communicating advertising and marketing messages, but the popular social media and microblogging site is also an equally powerful public relations tool. Twitter is especially effective in helping you manage your online reputation and plan your crisis communications strategy. Where before, one turned to PR firms in times of crisis and controversy, sticking to traditional media is no longer enough today. Why? Because: People are making and engaging in conversations 24/7, real-time, on social media networks. People are sharing information and opinion through the Internet now more than ever. Dissatisfied customers (or employees), competitors, and unscrupulous stealth marketers can spread false information or commit brand identity theft as easily as they can push their own agendas. So here Twitter comes to save the day! In cases of crisis that can potentially significantly damage your business or brand, you can leverage this tool to respond, interact, and manage – Read the full article
According to a scene in the acclaimed movie, The Social Network, “the Internet is written in ink – (and) not in pencil”. But if that’s really the case, how come it’s close to impossible to browse and search old tweets on Twitter? How come our 140-character text updates seem to have expiration dates on them? Note that we say, “close to impossible”: operative word is ‘close’. Because surely, there must be a way, right? There must be a way somehow to archive your tweets (or someone else’s) so that you could read, search, share, and store them all in one place. And there must be a way to access those precious tweets whenever the Fail Whale pays Twitter servers a visit. Worry not. There is a way. Or ways. Here’s Lakeshore Branding’s quick guide to creating your very own Twitter archive. (While you’re at it, be sure to check out our own Twitter archive!) Twitter archive via WordPress Thanks to – Read the full article
Search giant Google and social media giant Twitter both recently released year-end reports that indicate how the world searched – and tweeted – in 2010. Google Zeitgeist 2010 The annual Zeitgeist report, which represents an aggregation of the search terms that people have typed into Google Search over the past year, offers insight on 2010’s fastest-rising global search trends, in categories that include news and events, people, entertainment, sports, consumer electronics, food and drink, health, maps searches, and even humanitarian aid. Here are some of the search terms that you will find in the Google Zeitgeist 2010. For the complete list, visit the Google Zeitgeist 2010 home page. 10 Fastest Rising 1. Chatroulette: A Russian-based chat website that pairs random strangers from around the world for webcam-based conversations. 2. iPad: Apple’s tablet computer, which was released in April 2010 and generated sales of 3 million units in 80 days. 3. Justin Bieber: The 16-year-old Canadian pop singer who released his – Read the full article
Facebook revamps profile pages Facebook rolled out a new look for the profile pages of its users last Sunday, coinciding with the broadcast of a 60 Minutes interview with its notoriously media-shy CEO Mark Zuckerberg. According to the company, the revamped profile pages now organize personal information in a way that highlights “the important people in your life, and all the things you have in common with that person”. Among the most obvious changes is the appearance of a first line at the top of the profile page that gives a short description of who the person is, as indicated by the user on Facebook. Information such as one’s workplace, school, current location, and birth date also appear on the profile page without having to click a separate tab or link. The Facebook profile redesign also shows a new string of photographs of the user, as tagged by Facebook friends and family. The application tabs – Wall, Info, Photo, Notes, – Read the full article
Twitter has become an incredibly popular social media darling, such that every time we talk about it, we can’t help but gush about how the microblogging service/social networking tool/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread might positively impact our business. (We know; we’ve been guilty of this gushing, too. Look at our Twitter articles.) But what about the other end of the spectrum? The other side of Twitter’s double-edged sword? Or is it even possible that this acclaimed social media tool for business is indeed a double-edged sword? What if Twitter isn’t going to be – shucks! – good for your brand or business? Let’s look at the ways that this can happen. Ladies and gentlemen, your top six reasons NOT to use Twitter. Your targets don’t tweet. Just because everyone else is using Twitter doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Wait: is everyone really using Twitter? Maybe you’re in the industrial vibrators and compaction tables business. Or maybe you’re into diesel calibration or something. In – Read the full article
Forgive us? We’re feeling kind of guilty that we’ve written a number of Twitter articles that provide a lot of tips on how to use the popular social media site – without providing an equal number of examples. So let us make it up to you with these great examples of how today’s biggest brands and businesses are using Twitter. Starbucks (@Starbucks): The Seattle-based coffee giant offers “freshly brewed tweets” to a loyal following of over 1 million Twitter users. Check the brand’s profile out, and you’ll be surprised by the number of @replies/mentions they tweet in a day. That’s what engagement is all about. All too often, companies misuse Twitter by spamming their followers with relentless sales talk and ads – without caring to respond to mentions or direct messages. Sure, while Starbucks does post the occasional promo or new offer, the brand’s use of Twitter is mainly to connect intimately with fans and customers. It listens, and as – Read the full article
These days it’s not just enterprises, global brands, and small businesses leveraging the power of social media – non-profit organizations are getting involved, too. Social media has indeed sparked new ways of giving: take Twitter, for example. The massively popular microblogging site has been used time and again to raise funds and support charities and other worthy causes. Not only is Twitter an innovative avenue for fundraising; it’s also a pretty effective one, too, provided you follow these great tips. Engage with people who can help The key to fundraising on Twitter is connecting with people who can help and keeping them upbeat throughout your whole fundraising campaign. You may be able to get a random group of people to read your tweets, but if they’re all twelve-, thirteen-year-olds who’d rather buy the new Justin Bieber CD than make a donation, you might not be able to hit your targets. So start by using the Find People or Twitter Search – Read the full article
Twitter has finally caught up with Facebook – at least in terms of popularity. In terms of usage, however, Facebook – with over 400 million active users – is still leading over the massively popular social networking / microblogging site. These are among the most important findings from a new report released by Edison Research and Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Series. Conducted last February and entitled “Twitter Usage in America: 2010”, the research study presents three years of tracking data from a nationally representative group of 1,753 Americans ages 12 and above. Results show that 87 percent of Americans – compared to 5 percent in 2008 – are now aware of the microblogging platform, which is virtually equal to the percentage of the population – 88 percent – who are aware of Facebook, the world’s most popular social networking site. However, Twitter still trails Facebook in terms of usage, as only 7 percent of Americans actively use Twitter, compared to – Read the full article
