Archive for January, 2010
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Demystifying Twitter is easy. Yes, it’s updates and conversations that take place online in under 140 characters. But, better said, Twitter is real-time conversations about what people are thinking, feeling, experiencing and even reviewing, anytime and anywhere. It’s also where people ask their peers for recommendations.
Using Twitter to find potential customers is simple, simple, simple. You only need to do the background work once and you will be automatically notified when new opportunities, that meet your criteria, come up in conversation.
How To Find Potential Customers:
1. Go to Twitter’s search page and click on the “Advanced Search” link
2. Input your search criteria. In this example, I’ve searched for a (1) caterer who is querying twitterers (2) looking, in need of, looking for recommendations, searching, wanting, and looking to find a caterer within (3) 500 miles of NYC. You can also specify twitter user names, dates, etc – so play around with the queries to get the results you’re looking for.
3. Click “Search”. Et voila! The real-time results for your query.
Saving your results
To save in TweetDeck
1. Copy the query code that appears within the search box
2. Open Tweetdeck
3. Click on the Twitter Search Icon (magnifying glass) and paste the search code into the search box
4. Now a new column will be added to Tweetdeck. It will show the latest search results every time you log in!
Update: As per the note below from Jason, TweetDeck does not allow this function yet.
To save in Google Reader
1. Click on “Feed for this query” in your Twitter advanced search results page.
2. Copy the feed address in your web address bar.
3. Go to Google Reader
4. Click on “Add Subscription”
5. Paste copied search feed in the blank field & click “Add”.
6. Now your real-time search results will appear in your reader under “Subscriptions”
To save in Twitter.com
1. Copy the query code that appears within the search box
2. Log in to your Twitter.com account.
3. Insert the search query code you copied into the search bar in Twitter.com and hit Enter.
4. Click on “Save this search” to save it on your profile page. Now you can click on the link any time you’d like to see your real-time search results.
There are many smart businesses already using this technique. Yes, we’ve probably all heard about Comcast’s highly publicized use of Twitter search to solve their customer’s woes. But even small businesses are realizing the benefit of Twitter Search. One of my favorite examples is Sullivan Tire:
Basically, @PatBrough tweeted that he was looking for Tires. Because Sullivan was monitoring search terms on Twitter, they found the tweet. After a very short exchange, @SullivanTire turned someone who didn’t have the Sullivan brand in their consideration set into a potential customer looking for a quote. Amazing what a few seconds and some proactivity can garner!
I hope you learned something. Happy tweeting!
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On January 27, 2010, I’ll be delivering a full day seminar on Strategic Event Marketing Using Social Media for EMI Caribbean in beautiful Trinidad. Don’t miss this event – seats are selling fast!
Smart planners have recognized that the game has changed forever. Event guests are no longer simply attendees, they are active and engaged participants that can either make or break the future of your event. In seconds they can tweet out that the food is terrible or post how great a speaker is. Power is at their fingertips. They expect more now than they ever have. They want their voice to be heard and understood, they want to make connections with other delegates before, during and after the event, and they expect event organizers to be listening.
Over the past year, Social Media has been heralded as an evolution in the way we connect, communicate and learn – it has appeared on the cover of major magazines, been adopted by celebrities and is on the lips of every President, CEO and Senior Executive. Although we’ve seen an upswing of Facebook fan pages, Twitter walls, unconferences, Tweetups, hashtags and good ‘ol fashion conversations online. 2010 will be a New Year of continued evolution. A time where business professionals focus on the strategy behind social media and more importantly the cultural shifts that need to happen for it to survive and thrive within the organizations that plan events.
This intensive workshop will help event professionals understand how to use the tools to build thriving communities through strategic planning. Whether you plan the events, contribute to them or simply attend them, this seminar will give any business professional the power to be successful in social media.
Don’t delay. For details and to register, please see this flyer.
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When my husband and I celebrated our honeymoon, we opted for a month in Europe. One of the towns we visited along the way was a beautiful place called Orvieto. Known to Italians as the “green heart of Italy”, it is lesser known to tourists and is centrally located between Rome and Florence. It’s location, beauty and rich Etruscan history made it a must on our list of places to see.
I recently came across some stunning pictures of a wedding that Artfool (now named Matthew Robbins designs) designed and executed in Orvieto. Having been to this beautiful place, I think they did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this magical Italian town.
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(click on image above to download the free eBook)
For those of us who have been involved in social media for the past few years, we have witnessed a true awakening. 2009 was a year where businesses got serious about tapping into the power of social media for events. We saw an upswing of Facebook fan pages, Twitter walls, unconferences, Tweetups, hashtags and good ‘ol fashion conversations online.
2010 harkens a New Year of continued evolution. A time where business professionals focus on the strategy behind social media and more importantly the cultural shifts that need to happen for it to survive and thrive within the organizations that plan events.
This shift was at the heart of this book. My goal was to facilitate a collaborative eBook with insights from event professionals who have been true practitioners in the art of social media. My challenge to the team was simple: Provide forward-looking insights & guidance on how event planners should evolve their thinking for the future of social media in events.
Experts:
Jessica Levin, CMP – President & Chief Connector, Seven Degrees Communications
Paul Salinger – VP Marketing, Oracle
Michael McCurry, CMP - Strategic Account Manager, Experient
Jeff Hurt – Director of Education & Engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting
Samuel J. Smith – Blogger & Technology Consultant, Interactive Meeting Technology Blog
Ryan Hanson – Creative Producer, Designer & Conversation Starter, BeEvents
Foreword by Lara McCulloch-Carter
I’m delighted with results. Although each expert has brought their own perspectives, threaded throughout the book is the theme of change. I hope that as you read through you get inspired.
We welcome your feedback & encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions on our respective blogs or via Twitter (hashtag #eventprofs).
Here’s to a year of positive change!
(click on the image at the top of the page to download the free eBook – no sign up is required!)
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Upcoming
ISES Minneapolis-St. Paul
Getting Smart about Social Media – Building a Strategic Plan . September 16, 2010 . Location tba
The Special Event Show 2011
January 25-28, 2011 . Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ
Event Solutions / Catersource 2011
February 28 & March 1, 2011 . Las Vegas, NV
American Rental Association – Events & Tents: The Rental Show
February 26, 2011 . Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Past
Events Asia 2010
Social Media Strategy (full day) and Social Media in Events (1 hr) . April 28, 2010 . Boracay EcoVillage Resort & Convention Center
Leveraging Social Media in Events to Driver Better Engagement and Results . April 29, 2010 . Boracay EcoVillage Resort & Convention Center
Event Solutions – Catersource Conference & Tradeshow
State of the Industry: Where we are now and where we’re headed . Wednesday, March 8, 2010 – 10:30am to 12:00pm . Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Business development: How to turn customers into evangelists . Wednesday, March 8, 2010 - 3:00pm to 4:15pm. Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Socialize with a purpose: Building a Social Media Strategy For Success . Thursday, March 9, 2010 – 9am to 10:15am. Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Event Management Institute Caribbean
Developing a Social Media Strategy (full day workshop) . January 27, 2010 . Trinidad, West Indies
The Special Event Show
Building Business in 140 Characters: Harnessing the Power of Twitter . January 12-15, 2010 . New Orleans, LA
ISES Toronto
Creating your personal brand using Social Media . October 15, 2009 . Toronto, ON
Eventology Conference & Expo
Social Media for Event Planners . September 24-26, 2009 . Trinidad, West Indies
Hitting it out of the park: Getting customers for life . September 24-26, 2009 . Trinidad, West Indies
Meet the Masters . September 24-26, 2009 . Trinidad, West Indies
ISES EventWorld
Social Media 101 . August 6-8, 2009 . San Francisco, CA
Canadian Special Events & Meeting Expo
The NEW Way to Win Friends & Influence People (using Social Media) . March 2009 . Toronto, ON
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foursquare has been touted as the IT application for 2010. I started playing around with it – more so to stay on top this high-buzz tool than any desire to add another social media site to my arsenal. But it appears that I’ve been hooked. Let me tell you why…
Foursquare is a location-based social networking site – although many have tried to describe it by comparing it to other sites, it defies classification. You see, the idea behind foursquare is that you “check-in” to places (i.e. bars, restaurants, clubs, cafes, etc). In doing so, you can send notifications to your friends and followers with where you are and they can in turn suggest interesting places to see and things to do nearby. It’s a great way to discover new places as well as network with like-minded people in your area. And the benefits for when you’re traveling to unfamiliar cities go without saying. As you “check-in” to various places you win points and unlock badges. You even have the opportunity to earn the designation of Mayor if you frequent a spot more than anyone else. Aha, and here’s the bonus: signing up is as easy as signing in to your Twitter or Facebook account!
What this means for businesses:
Alright, so everything I told you so far sound a dash quirky and a pinch fun. How do businesses use this tool?
Here’s what Tasti D-Lite did…
Here’s a great joint venture between foursquare and Pepsi
Look at this creative @Intel promotion at the CES show
1. Promotions – “Foursquare says you’ve been here 10x. That’s a free drink for you!“. Or how about: ”Foursquare has deemed you the mayor. Enjoy this free order of french fries.”. And how great would it be that as someone “checks in” to their favorite bar they’re notified that there’s a ‘special offer’ just around the corner from where they are. The possibilities for location-relevant promotions are bountiful. Visit the foursquare businesses site to register your business for a venue special. Check out these very cool grass-roots ideas to drive traffic to your venue…
2. Recognize & Reward – How’s this for fantabulous? For those types of businesses who don’t ask for customer information upon payment (which is most), foursquare will tell you how many times someone has checked in to your establishment as well as who has checked in the most. Imagine what this could mean for customer recognition!
Get more information:
- Join the foursquare group on LinkedIn
- Follow foursquare on Twitter
- Join the foursquare fan page on Facebook
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