Tips for running a successful Tweetup

Last night I attended Cumbria’s most successful Tweetup to date – and my first. Around 25 people – Twitter novices to experts – were there to meet and share. Afterall, Twitter is all about getting people together. There were three ingredients organiser @KayHebbourn mixed together to produce this fantastic result. To start with, she put people at the heart of it.

1. Location, Location: When we first discussed the event, ideas for the venue were analysed at length. Kay chose The Mill at Ulverston, Twitter event friendly and with the perfect meeting room. They also provided a prize for the draw.  Kay also put charity fundraising on the agenda. Which leads me on to tip two.

2. Compeition and Charity Combination – Run a prize draw and raise funds for a charity. It encourages sponsorship (people already wanting to provide prizes for next Tweetup). It adds excitement and gives energy to the evening. The other prize was a bottle of organic wine provided by @Thegamechanger Archie Workman.

Kay also chose @CancerCareLocal as the charity and a specific fundraiser – who was there in person! This gave everyone a chance to support a worthy cause and get up close and personal to something that all too often is done in the background. As many of the Tweetup attendees were small business owners, this gave us a ‘group’ fundraising feeling.

3. Promote, promote, promote: Cumbria’s top media Tweetup supporter CN’s @nickincumbria Nick Turner was there, made a nice speech and is now writing it up for the NW Evening Mail. Kay used a variety of online platforms, most notably TwTvite, a top tool for getting your Tweetup organised, publicised and found. With the help of attendees tweeting about it, a Google search returned 114 links!

But, that’s not all, the post event Twit chat was also extremely strong.

Check out @mashable’s How To Organise a Successful Tweetup or simply put the string in a search engine. But, having been a supporter, an attendee, and seeing the results (connections, idea sharing, tips) I can’t wait for the next one. It was such a bonus to meet the people I Tweet with face-to-face and get new faces to follow.

Thanks @kayhebbourn.

 

LinkedIn marketers debate ‘Twitter, A Waste of Time?’

The LinkedIn Marketers on Twitter group was presented with the question ‘Twitter, Waste of Time?’ by Col. Laird John B. Cutty Kt, and they have responded in the hundreds. The replies are themselves a valuable source of research into one of the hottest social media platforms to hit the Internet. Here are some key views – and feel free to comment with your feedback!

Here is a random sample of excerpts from the over 200 (and I received at least three email notifications of more comments on this topic while writing this) posts:

‘If you are very focused, have clear goals and strategies then it can be a powerful way to communicate, reach strangers, influence and network’. Richard Derwent Cook, consultant.

‘It is a great tool that is not being used well. It is a tool that joined with others makes a very good and cheap marketing solution’. Fernando Bergamaschi, photographer.

‘Twitter can be very relevant for a small business, especially if you are short on “traditional” marketing dollars’. Brian Murphy, marketing exec.

‘I cannot say that Twitter is “Valuable” in my business. I apply two metrics; (a) the amount of new business provided and (b) the amount of useful information provided…Linked In has been far more useful’. Paul W. Reidl, lawyer.

‘It depends on a variety of factors- type of business, location and target’. Bhaskar Sarma, green energy practitioner.

‘As a fortune teller, I began tweeting topics that my clients were asking about while maintaining their anonymity. That drove more purchases by potential clients whose questions were similar’. Alexandra Chauran, Fortune Teller.

‘…but in 4 months, the amount of direct revenue attributable directly to Twitter has surprised all the sceptics in my business’. Anthony L, hotel manager, @fallowfieldsuk (His post included a list of 10 ways they use Twitter).

‘Twitter can be of great value for your business. Provided that your target-audience is on Twitter’. Rob V, RUI analyst

There were also many who agreed with Frank Feather, that it was a waste of time.

From my experience:

1. You get out of Twitter, what you put into it.

2. Twitter is most successful when integrated into your marketing strategy.

3. You need to apply basic marketing – target the message to a target audience.

For me Twitter pays in dividends, providing a living, breathing network of expert advice, that I could not (due to time and resources) find on my own. I also think if it is to be used to its full potential, it needs to be managed by something like TweetDeck or Hootsuite, so you keep on top of it. And, in TweetDeck, don’t forget to use the favourites link to keep the really important ones.

Do you have any opinions, examples or tips you want to share? Please comment.

 

5 Plain Language website design assessment tips

In Plain Language Websites, co-authored with Cheryl Stephens, we included a list of tips for assessing your website design against basic usability guidelines. In all the excitement of setting up a new website, or becoming so familiar with your existing one, it is easy to overlook basic design aspects that can hamper usability. So here is a quick checklist to help you carry out a design health check on your website.

From Plain Language Websites:

1. All non-text items – graphics, images, symbols – have a text equivalent inserted using the alternate text feature.

2. Content that is in colour is also visible if the user turns off the colour feature.

3. All links are functioning as expected.

4. Site is easily accessible from all pages.

5. Row and column headings used on forms and tables are visible.

These are just 5 of the 9 tips listed (page 56) in the book, now available via Amazon or LuLu.com.

Why not join the Plain Language group on LinkedIn?

 

Can talking for free generate income?

Many people are shy about talking in public and (understandably) feel fear when presented with a microphone and a room full of people. But, gaining the skills to present confidently can provide access to potential clients you might not otherwise have access to. But, where do you start?
Some of the key business organisations offer opportunities to speak and learn to speak in front of potential customers – the Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, adult education programmes and networking groups. There are also some great coaches out there who will help you one-on-one.
An executive friend of mine went to professional acting lessons to help her with presentation, public speaking and confidence. She said it made the world of difference.

My three presentations on social media for business at the Ulverston Business Alliance meetings, supported by the Chamber of Commerce, have given me an introduction to fellow consultants in the region, numerous opportunities for marketing, some key partnerships – like with Best of Barrow and Furness’ Helen Penny – and generated revenue. Despite the work putting the presentations together and the time, the payback has been beyond my expectations. Also, I now have the basis of workshops I can add to my service portfolio, which have been market -tested. The feedback has been invaluable.

So, if public speaking isn’t in your skill comfort zone or repertoire – put it on your 2010 ‘to do’ list, because the answer to the question is ‘Yes, talking for free can generate income’.

 

Give your online presence a New Year’s workout

It’s a new year, a new decade and it’s time to get your web presence in shape for the year ahead.

Whether you are motivated by getting new clients, providing a service to existing ones or leading by example, there are some key things you can do to maximize your online impact. The first is some IT feng shui – getting rid of clutter! Then a small to-do list. You’ll feel great when it’s done.

Clutter is a known distractive and in the practice of feng shui it’s considered a negative – taking away positive energy. I am not talking about the magazines, papers and files littering your work station (but, do get them in drawers, file cabinets or book shelves); I am talking about computer file clutter. Where do you start?

Get a big cup of tea or coffee and start with your email. Delete, re-organise, back up, file all emails. Set yourself a target of how many emails really need to be sitting in the ‘in’ box! And, don’t forget to delete emails in your Sent folder. Clear out your temporary Internet files, desktop icons and update your operating system and security programmes.

Now, your websites. Smart companies update the look of their website at least once every three years. When was the last time you had a re-design done? Content needs to be updated regularly – daily if possible, weekly if not. The public want new information – and they can get it elsewhere, so it’s important for you to be the one they come to first. It is worth investing in a designer and web content developer to give your site an overhaul. Don’t forget a fresh shot of Search Engine Optimisation to get you to the top of the pile!

Your designer, SEO and web content developers should all work together to get the best results.
If you have a social media presence, sit back and ask – am I putting into it what I want and getting out of it what I need? The platforms are free, but they require people behind them to track results, update and integrate with your product, event, marketing and developments. You wouldn’t buy a car without an engine! And with the right energy driving your social media strategy, you are bound to get results.

If you are one Twitter, Tweetdeck is a must. It helps you organise and prioritise the information you get – making the ROI so much better. Set a clear goal for your Twitter activities. Are you promoting, researching, connecting, learning, networking? You choose. It is definitely a ‘you get out what you put in’ medium, and the number of people who only ever post once with ‘I don’t know why I am doing this’ and then disappear confirm Tweeting without a goal is not going to work.

Econsultancy’s guest blogger Kevin Gibbons, SEOptimize, has a top five to do list to get you started.
The team at techmarketing.com give Twitter a thorough going over.

Just think of it as a gym membership for your web presence! You’ll be in shape in no time.