Why Being a Twit is a Good Thing in the Web 2.0 World

By: Kevin Aschenbrenner, Vice President, Public Relations, and Editor-in-Chief of the Jaffe Legal News Service

Twitter. Tweet. Tweeple.  These may sound like character names from the next Pixar animated blockbuster, but they actually refer to a new, powerful social networking phenomenon.

Twitter (www.twitter.com) has rapidly moved from an online curiosity to a Web 2.0 strategy must-have.  Think of it as a microblog or a Facebook/LinkedIn page stripped down to just the “What are you doing?” status line.  Each post to Twitter – or “tweet” – is just 140 characters.  Short? Yes. Powerful? You bet.

In addition to challenging users to be concise, Twitter links users in an ongoing, ever-changing, rapid-fire conversation where information rapidly goes viral and being helpful and supportive is crucial to building a solid reputation.  This is not a one-way Web 1.0 world.  Twitter is fully 2.0, interactive and very, very social.

Keys to Twitter Success

The main thing to know about Twitter is that it is a community first, marketing tool second.  This means there are rules for conduct, and breaking any of them is a surefire way to see your reputation plummet.  Using Twitter effectively means following these rules.  Here are some tips:

  • Lead by following.  The best way to get to know Twitter and how to use it is to follow others.  This is also how to build your own network of followers, since most people reciprocate when you follow them.  Some good social media gurus to follow include @skydiver, @sarahmorgan, @overthinker, @chrisbrogan, and @guykawasaki.  There are plenty of Jaffe folks on Twitter, too, including @jayjaffe, @kevinaschenbren, @jasonmilch, @vivianhood, and @monicaesmith.  Finally, think about following these legal marketers on Twitter: @3rddeadline (Russell Thomas, Director of PR & Comms. at Womble Carlyle), @Laurie2 (Laurie J. Bloom, Director of Marketing & Communications at Rivkin Radler), or @glambert (Greg Lambert, Law Librarian at Jackson Spalding).
  • Have a conversation.  Twitter is not an advertising space.  It’s not a new arena to trumpet why you’re the best and brightest.  It’s one big conversation.  Twitter has been described as an online cocktail party, and that’s pretty apt.  And, as with a cocktail party, nobody is going to want to hang around people who talk endlessly about themselves.  To be successful with Twitter, you must engage in conversations.  Yes, you can work in what you do, why you’re good at it, etc…but it must be in the context of a conversation.  Reply to others’ tweets, add helpful information when people ask for it, and just be helpful in general.  One way to generate more followers for yourself is to reply to or re-tweet comments from people you view as influencers on Twitter.  Users following those influencers may start to follow you.
  • Supply content.  Twitter is a microblog and, as such, content is king.  To be successful on Twitter you must add to the collective knowledge.  This means not only sharing links to your own blog posts and tweeting comments that showcase your expertise, but also pointing out other sources of information.  You might post a link to an article you found helpful or funny, or something blogged by one of the people you follow.  Mix in your own blog posts and articles, too. (Since you have limited characters on Twitter, consider using TinyURL.com or another site that shortens URLs.) Re-tweeting (re-posting) something tweeted by another person is another good way to share content. 
  • Be helpful.  Community service is important on Twitter.  The most successful users are those who help others.  This can be as simple as re-tweeting someone else’s request for help, or mentoring someone who’s new to Twitter.  If you appear to be on Twitter just to serve your own selfish ends, then you won’t get very far.  You must participate in a way that builds the community.
  • Have a sense of humor.  Making people laugh goes a long way on Twitter.  Be fun and funny and you’ll quickly pick up followers as people re-tweet what you say.

These are just a few of the ways to use Twitter effectively.  Since it’s one big community, how people use Twitter is evolving everyday.  This is why following others is the most important tip for using Twitter.  If you don’t understand the rules and notice when they change, you’ll quickly become a Twitter pariah.  And that won’t do your 2.0 rep any good.
So, consider adding Twitter to your Web 2.0 arsenal.  Just remember to follow the rules, and soon you’ll be one of the Tweeple everyone is tweeting about.

Kevin Aschenbrenner (@kevinaschenbren) is a Vice President in the Public Relations group at Jaffe Associates, and Editor-in-Chief of the Jaffe Legal News Service (www.jlns.com).  He can be reached at kaschenbrenner@jaffepr.com or 250-294-8431. 

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