The best way to answer them is to start with a discussion of the purpose of marketing in general for a company.

The Purpose of Marketing

All companies need to move people along the path from Mutually Unaware to Top Customer/Raving Fan. There are many steps in the process, and steps can be jumped or repeated, but in general the major ones are:

Mutually Unaware – the person has no idea of the company and its potential solution, and the company has no knowledge of the person and their matching need.
Suspect – the person hears about the company and/or their solution and/or the company finds out about the person.
Prospect – the company and person are mutually aware and the person has expressed a need that matches a product/service the company offers.
Trust-Earning – the company and person have some series of interactions (Bid/RFP response/meetings/calls/emails/free trial offer/etc.) that build the relationship and earn enough trust for consideration of purchase.
First Purchase – the person signs the contract and/or approves the payment for the product/service.
Repeat Purchase/Repeat Interactions – the person renews the contract/subscription, places another order, etc.
Loyalty – the person actively recommends the company to others and is willing to knowingly pay a premium to continue doing business with the company rather than its competitors.

Marketing’s purpose is to move people through these steps, from the bottom left to the top right in the value/relationship diagram. Marketing’s value is that, done right, it is the most scalable, efficient set of methods for doing so. To do this best, though, it must use the right combination of messages and methods for each person based on where that person is in the process and the company‘s culture, strategy, objectives and products or services.

How Does this Relate to Twitter and Facebook?

Most companies are fairly good at moving people along in the process once they’ve become a customer. Where many businesses have problems, though, is in finding potential customers and winning the trust of those people well enough to get that first purchase.

Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites are new – low cost – tools in the marketing arsenal to deal with that pre-sale process.
Absent social media, businesses must rely on unaided word of mouth and interruption methods of marketing like direct mail or television, radio and banner advertisements. They’re left with either little ability to influence their message, reach and frequency, or wasting money, time and effort annoying people with no desire or need for their products or services.

With social media, though, companies have a chance to be proactive yet non-threatening. To be top-of-mind whenever the person has a relevant need or desire, and to begin the relationship-building process so that the first official purchase is a natural next step rather than a significant hurdle.

With Twitter, for example, a company could literally have dozens of low-cost, low-commitment interactions with someone they might have never found or reached via lists or broadcast initiatives – or someone who will forward their communications – making Twitter a source of potential customers, a means for relationship-building, and a more message-controlled word-of-mouth enablement tool. FaceBook and other social media sites have many of the same advantages, and can be used similarly.

So Should I/My Company Use Social Media (or use it more)?

That depends. If you’re looking for a low-cost method of discovering potential customers, having potential customers find you, building relationships with them, and making it easier for people to spread the word about your company, then the answer is likely “yes“. However, there absolutely could be some combination of a company‘s culture, strategy, objectives and products or services that would cause the right answer to be “no”.

• patrickstrother: The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art
• halalpiar: Shantaram by Greg Rogers Brutally spectacular 933-page story & brilliant writing.
• rickrichbourg:Waking the Dead by John Eldredge
• Seorse: 1776 by David McCullough…. Amazing book..
• Citril: The Shack. Some very beautiful moments in it that enforce the depth of love God has for us.
• blfarris: Parenting from the Inside Out – amazing!
• JonDiPietro: Conqueror series (Ghengis Khan) by Conn Iggulden
• rhondakwrites: Best book: Wrestler’s Cruel Study-Steve Dobyns. His poetry isn’t bad either. Gothic classic: Melmoth the Wanderer.
• ppizzi: Marketing Metaphoria by Zaltman – a great read
• JasonAltenburg: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
• swaynette: Groundswell
• MarkMatson: Atlas Shrugged – killer!
• KathyKeatingPR: Secrets of Social Media Marketing-Paul Gillin
• sharilee: In marketing: The Cluetrain Manifesto, best non-work-related: Benjamin Franklin by Isaacson
• bertowud: Daemon by Daniel Suarez
• tim_rueb Marketing Warfare, Basic Economics, First Break All The Rules, Now Discover Your Strengths, Purpose Driven Life
• Nitewraith: Stephen King Goes to the Movies. Five of his Novellas that were made into movies. Light reading.
• SherKro: Deaf Sentence by David Lodge
• susan_s_smith: Inside the Revolution by Joel Rosenberg
• SherKro: Nothing To Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes
• Cogiva: Good to Great by Jim Collins and All I Ever Wrote by Ronnie Barker
• pattidigh: Novels The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers and The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. Memoir The Planet of the Blind by S. Kuusisto
• swaynette: Credit Risk Assessment by Clark Abrahams and Mingyuan Zhang
• Alexandra_A: Good to Great by Jim Collins
• SusanMacD: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• bruceb: Team of Rivals – The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin (long slow read – but good)
• Anonymous: Series of books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, the first one in the series is Brimstone

I love how almost random the mix of books is. It’s a little heavy on marketing focus, but that’s my specialty, so it’s not surprising or problematic. There are easily a dozen great new finds for me in this list.

How about you?

Do you have a great book to add to the list? If so, please add it in a comment to this post.

If you like some or all of the recommendations, pick up the books – and follow the people who recommended them. They’re great, generous people, and hopefully you’d learn as much from them as I am.

So the next time a client, friend or significant other asks why you bother with Twitter, feel free to point them this direction.

Notes for Twitter newbies:

1. Twitter, like blogs, puts the most recent things at the top, so you’ll want to read this post from the bottom up.
2. The name before the colon is the Twitter handle of the person who said the comment
3. If you see “RT” that means “Retweet” – a quote, essentially, usually indicating strong agreement.
4. In Twitter people put an “@” symbol before another user’s handle in the middle of a post. That makes the name clickable in Twitter, just like a hyperlink on a regular web page.
5. A “hash tag” – a word with a # sign in front of it means that it’s part of a larger conversation – a way to make it easy for people to all related posts. Go to Twitter Search and enter “#oscars” in the search box for a good example – it’ll let you see not only my comments, but all comments from all Twitter users on the topic.

Here’s the conversation. Each bullet was a different posting:

• sereneredhd: RT@jamesdickey’s RT@noelleee: Tina Fey/Steve Martin should host the #oscars together next. It could make for a hilarious show! AGREE!
• noelleee: @jamesdickey @sweetcherrypop haha glad you guys agree! i’m crossing my fingers. #oscars
• jldavid: RT @Shih_Wei RT @jamesdickey I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz & everyone who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality
• shih_wei: RT @jamesdickey I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality. — LOL
• jamesdickey: RT @noelleee: I think Tina Fey and Steve Martin should host the #oscars together next time ^_^ It could make for a hilarious show!
• frankarr: RT @jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reali …
• jeaniemarshall: @jamesdickey RT Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh. (I just re-watched beginning
• kevinlcc: RT @jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality…:)
• jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality…:)
• scottmckain: RT @jamesdickey: Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh. (I SO agree!)
• jamesdickey: Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh.
• miles_smit: @jamesdickey I’ll be even more impressed with Penn’s acting if he ever plays an understated non-git convincingly. #oscars #tcot #hhrs
• jamesdickey: Best Picture goes to #Slumdog Millionaire #Oscars
• jaredweseman: RT @jamesdickey: RT @stefholt: #OSCARS “Commie, Homo Loving, Sons of guns.” WOW! Sean Penn can get away with it I guess
• jamesdickey: RT @stefholt: #OSCARS “Commie, Homo Loving, Sons of guns.” WOW! Sean Penn can get away with it I guess
• imusicmash: RT @jamesdickey Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Sir Ben Kingsley, & Anthony Hopkins presenting Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars
• WillieTenorio: #Oscars viewing is better with @Jamesdickey comments!
• jamesdickey: Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Ben Kingsley, &Sir Anthony Hopkins presenting the Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars (corr,)
• jamesdickey: Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Anthony Hopkins presenting the Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Kate Winslett wins for Best Actress. Good thing her Dad can whistle. #Oscars
• photomanfirst: @jamesdickey Sophia is still hot! #Oscars
• Teddy_Salad: RT @jamesdickey: Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman presenting for Best Actress. Some serious talent there. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman presenting for Best Actress. Some serious talent there. #Oscars
• amc10albion: @jamesdickey not sure about a sweep, but I agree with Boyle’s sentiment that the Oscars look amazing this year – a very classy production!
• jamesdickey: So, will this be the #Oscars switch-up – everything else but not the big prize to #Slumdog? or a #Sweep?
• DowntownWoman: Retweeting @jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: @abales Wow. What stories he must have had. I can only imagine. Sad it was so short, but glad you didn’t miss out completely. #Oscars
• LindsayGriffith: I agree!! Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars (via @jamesdickey)
• Teddy_Salad: RT @jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Charleton Heston, Paul Newman, Sydney Pollack – big losses in one year. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: The montage of people lost over the last year is always something. Had forgotten about Michael Crichton and Roy Scheider. Sad. @Oscars
• jamesdickey: RT endeavor_global: Wow, the #oscars are truly global! India, Spain, Japan, Germany – love it!
• jamesdickey: Best Foreign Language Film – Departures (from Japan) #Oscars
• FearlessFactor: RT @jamesdickey: Best Original song – Slumdog Millionaire – Another 1 toward a possible sweep #Oscars It’s a sweep. luv the production v …
• jamesdickey: Best Original song – Slumdog Millionaire – Another one toward a possible sweep #Oscars
• ggfilm: @jamesdickey or an airplane that just injested a flock of Geese. #oscars #waronbirds
• jamesdickey: “A movie without music is like an aeroplane without fuel” – Jackman #oscars
• PixelHeadsNet: @jamesdickey Agreed! I feel the same way! I think it was a great speech by Jerry Lewis #Oscars
• KenaRoth: @jamesdickey I agree! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Nice award for Jerry Lewis. Liked his acceptance speech also. #Oscars
• willgray79: @jamesdickey Yes, a point, but you’ve got to remember that most people were saying it was a shoo-in well before his death. #oscars
• Lilykily: RT:jamesdickey Does anyone know the translation of what Penelope Cruz said in Spanish? #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Does anyone know the translation of what Penelope Cruz said in Spanish? #Oscars
• RPM: @jamesdickey The Oscars are on? (I kid) #Oscars
• aarondelay: @jamesdickey its either slumdog or maybe Reader. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: I’m pulling for Slumdog Millionaire but feeling more indifferent than usual about the #Oscars as a whole this year. You?

What do you think? Was I way off base? Do you wish things had turned out differently? Did you care?

Crowd Photo by Sreejith K

How many people is too many to follow?

I’ve had several people ask me lately how I can possibly follow thousands of people. It’s hard to explain, but I think I’ve found an analogy that helps people understand why I lean towards wanting more.

The Television Comparison

When there were only three television networks, there were plenty of shows to occupy more time than anyone could possibly allocate to watching television, but no one opposed PBS arguing that there were already too many shows. Then independent stations propped up, and by the 70s many metropolitan areas had six or seven stations.
Fast forward to today. Thanks to fiber optics and/or satellite, and the options include literally hundreds of channels.
Yet few people would argue that cable companies should offer fewer channels or that the channels should show fewer shows.

Twitter as Television

Think of Twitter as your television, and each person on Twitter as a show. If you follow 72 people, you basically have 3 channels, with one show each channel each hour. If you follow 144, it’s 6 channels. At 288 it’s 6 channels with half-hour shows, and so on. Following 12,000 on Twitter, then, is basically the equivalent of 240 channels running half-hour shows.

How Do You Manage So Much Information?

• You have your favorite shows – the ones you record automatically. Those are the people you have Twitter set to send you SMS alerts on.
• You have your favorite channels – the ones you tend to favor as you’re flipping through. Those are the people, subjects or hash tags you search for frequently, or those you have grouped in TweetDeck or some other Twitter client.
• You have specials – unique shows that catch your attention and really stand out. These are the people sending you @ replies or retweeting you or commenting on one of your posts.
• You have diversions – programs you didn’t plan to watch and weren’t an obvious fit for you but they educate or entertain you in some new, surprising way. These are the tweets you just happen to catch from the people you follow that make you sit up and take notice. They may prompt a moment’s reflection, or they may start a conversation that leads to a deep relationship. Either way they make your day, and in aggregate, your life, better.

Just as I’m not sure which channels I’d ask my TV provider to remove, I’d have a tough time agreeing to remove a significant portion of the people I follow. You never know what show you’ll come across that has just the right message for you at just the right time. Fortunately, I don’t think that’s a choice I have to make.

And if they offer me another 100 channels tomorrow, I won’t turn them down, either, because I don’t know which one might have my new favorite show, and that possibility of discovery is exciting.

Am I Wrong?

Does the analogy make sense?
Does it change your thoughts any on how many is too many to follow?
Where do you disagree or take issue with the characterization, or my implementation of Twitter?
I’d really like to hear your thoughts, and I’m sure others would also.

The Contributor

This is the person who brings new value to Twitter every day. They write insightful blog posts and share them, find quotes and share them, find deals and share them. Basically, they share, and they have good enough judgment and sources and know their followers well enough that what they share adds value to the community.

Follow these to learn and grow.

The Entertainer

By that I don’t specifically mean celebrities, I mean people who are fun and/or funny. There are a couple of celebrities on Twitter who fit the bill, but primarily I’m thinking of the average person who always seems to find some fun, pithy or clever way to respond to something that brings a smile to their followers’ faces.

Follow these to remember we should all enjoy life.

The Supporter

I hope all of you follow and are followed by several of these people. They’re the ones who take the time to remind others of the bright side of life. They console, show empathy and provide comfort and encouragement. These are the people that can literally turn around the worst possible day, or make a pretty good day much brighter.

Follow these to help get through the tough times and inspire you to help others do the same.

The Connector

These are not just super-networkers with lots of followers and people they follow. These are the people who spot opportunities and take proactive steps. “Oh, you’re in Chicago and need a ____, I met _____ a few weeks ago through ______ and that’s exactly what he does. Here’s his email address.” These people turn six degrees of separation into two degrees of separation, and make life better for both sides of the new connection.

Follow these to benefit from the connections and contribute to more connections as well.

The Relation

These are the people who are engaged both online and off. They’re active and involved in family, work, church, networking and professional groups, the people with whom you can build multi-faceted relationships. You can find many of them are on Twitter, and through the mix of Twitter and real life you’ll be able to get to know them in a way you might otherwise never have. You’re certainly likely to see more sides of them.

Follow these to learn more about the many sides of some other people and to form even deeper relationships.

Examples??

I’ve intentionally not added my own examples of each Must-Follow type of Twitterer. I’d like you to do that in your comments. Which of your followers or those you follow jump to your mind when you read the descriptions above? What must-follow profiles did I miss? Do you see yourself in one (or more) of these profiles? I hope so, and if so, please add a note about that in your comment so I can make sure I follow you.

The Twitter Stream

The commentary from our “focus group” of 20 watching the game (with a few pointers added in by responding Twittter users). The best way to read this is from the bottom up (it’s in reverse chronological order):

# @stephanie2967 Good point, but makes it all the more striking that it had better response than the scarecrow ad. 8:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to stephanie2967

# @KRAPPS I can completely see that. Didn’t respond that way myself because I have a screen, not a plasma/lcd. 8:39 PM Feb 1st from web

# RT @melissa919 we thought “Pepsuber” was a stealth Coke commercial. LOL! 8:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Only good thing about “Pepsuber” was seeing Richard Dean Anderson’s disgust. #superbowlads #superads09 8:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# @KRAPPS Ok, but for you, why? Is it the exclusionary nature? Making those who didn’t buy Vizio feel bad? 8:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# So NBC convinced Pepsi to use a bad SNL skit for one of their ads? “Pepsuber” universally panned here. You? #superbowlads #superads09 8:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# The GE “capturing the wind” ad got much stronger positive reaction from our group than the scarecrow ad. #superbowlads #superads09 8:34 PM Feb 1st from web

# @KRAPPS Awesome! Please expand. I’d love to hear your thoughts. 8:32 PM Feb 1st from web

# @AMcDermott Too bad. I hate to hear about nice people like @mchammer associated with anything tarnished. 8:28 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to AMcDermott

# So now we have a Hulu ad. “Sold out” is meaning less and less. #superbowlads #superads09 8:27 PM Feb 1st from web

# Great catch during tight coverage. Good for the Cards. Need more still, though. #superbowl 8:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# GE ad target has to be industrial executives. No positive reaction here. What did you think? #superbowlads #superads09 8:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# So GE is buying Superbowl time from NBC? Isn’t that known as a shell game? #superbowlads #superads09 8:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Taco Bell ad – “buy from us and you can move entirely too quickly”? #superbowlads #superads09 8:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very clear positioning by Vizio in well-done ad. #superbowlads #superads09 8:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# @melanieyunk No kidding. Should be outsourced cloud computing’s dream application! 8:22 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to melanieyunk

# @ElderCareRN Do you mean Hyundai will lose lots on it or consumers would? I didn’t say it was a good deal, just good, clear positioning. 8:21 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to ElderCareRN

# Kudos to @mchammer for Cash4Gold ad-funny/Good response here-wonder how much gold they have to buy/sell to recoup. #superbowlads #superads09 8:20 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke play-off on Mean Joe Green got strong positive reaction here. #superbowlads #superads09 8:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# Hyundai Assurance ad VERY smart-strong value proposition, perfect for current economy/climate. #superbowlads #superads09 8:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# Reaction here: Andrew Dice Clay & Joan Rivers on The Apprentice – Must Watch TV. My response-”The Apprentice is still on?” #superbowlads 8:13 PM Feb 1st from web

# @melanieyunk That’s a (sort of) good sign for them – lots of response. Horrible wasted opportunity, though. 8:13 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to melanieyunk (Jack in the Box site was down!!!)

# @tkpleslie LOL! I can hear all of my kids using “fake paws” for years to come. Thanks. You’re right about missing the Twitter opportunity. 8:10 PM Feb 1st from web

# Jack In The Box ad inexplicable. If not to you, please explain it to me. Obviously a teaser. Killed Jack off? #superbowlads #superads09 8:09 PM Feb 1st from web

# Cargill ad very clear, but target market (corporate purchasing managers) must be tiny. Waste or brilliant? #superbowlads #superads09 8:08 PM Feb 1st from web

# @tkpleslie Leslie – nice to see you. Agree that Open Happiness tag line has lots of modern possibilities and tie-ins – depends on execution. 8:05 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke insect ad response evenly split between “very creative” and “someone’s on drugs”. What did you think? #superbowlads #superads09 8:02 PM Feb 1st from web

# @UkuleleJammin I really appreciate that. Thank you-just my opinions, though. Final decision is always in the sales results. #superbowlads 8:01 PM Feb 1st from web

# CareerBuilder ad got very strong positive reaction and had clear value message. Kudos. #superbowlads 7:59 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very good Transformers 2 trailer. So far almost 100% on the movie trailers. #superbowlads 7:58 PM Feb 1st from web

# Good stand by the Cards defense. #superbowl 7:57 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Reverse_Vampyr To give people credit it’s a tough line to manage. You can’t be completely innocuous but you have to be careful about msgs. 7:57 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Reverse_Vampyr

# That personal foul will definitely not help things for the Cards. #superbowl 7:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @willyouatme A couple of the commercials before the half were aired in 3D and millions of 3D glasses were distributed free in preparation.:) 7:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @illuminatedeye @taDtaP Agreed, but at least it’s a product-oriented stated value. Doesn’t have to be unique, just uniquely positioned. 7:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# Are the Cards still wearing their 3D glasses? #superbowl 7:49 PM Feb 1st from web

# @taDtaP Actually I gave high marks to the Bud Light one that talked about drinkability – an actual product differentiation. #superbowlads 7:44 PM Feb 1st from web

# “Race to Witch Mountain” trailer looks good. Is this the 70s flashback #superbowl or what? #superbowlads 7:43 PM Feb 1st from web

# Budweiser Clydesdale Immigrant ad ok on emotion. One audience reaction though “are any of their ads going to be about beer?” #superbowlads 7:42 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Cowhoof Right. The fine print actually said be in the first 100k to submit complete form after each time the commercial airs. 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Ramona_W I think so. 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Ramona_W

# @Ramona_Werst My mistake – 6am-2pm 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Ramona_Werst

# Bridgestone Titan moon ad message: buy bridgestone tires and they’ll be stolen? #superbowlads 7:39 PM Feb 1st from web

# Denny’s Free Grand Slam Tuesday 6-2am commercial awesome. Great offer, funny presentment. “Serious breakfast” #superbowlads 7:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke avatar ad did not feel memorable at all. #superbowlads 7:37 PM Feb 1st from web

# Universal form requires name/address/email&has tell-a-friend option-probably very effective lead gen program, but bait/switch? #superbowlads 7:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# Universal Free Ticket ad/campaign very smart, but wonder how many will feel misled. Have to be in first 100k after ad airs #superbowlads 7:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# @archizoo I agree. I think the positive reactions were limited to those who knew the words of the songs-mostly nostalgia. #superbowl 7:27 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to archizoo

# Chase ad: we have cool ATMs and you may be able to sucker people out of money. (like we do regularly?) #superbowlads 7:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# Pretty impressive/memorable/clear value proposition Toyota Tundra Mojave ad. #superbowlads 7:21 PM Feb 1st from web

# Positive audience reaction here for the Springsteen set. Younger crowd not crazy about it though. #superbowl 7:20 PM Feb 1st from web

# @brianrooney You must know VERY different roadies than I have. Safety and timeliness were not their top priorities. 7:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# No wardrobe malfunctions. So far so good. #superbowl 7:11 PM Feb 1st from web

# Elway a funny Heroes surprise, but so is the number of NBC commercials that are running. Commercials “sold out”-sort of. #superbowlads 7:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# Sprint/Nextel Roadie commercial ok. Surprised they didn’t run something new. Not sure I want to be like a roadie. #superbowlads 7:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# @digiphile We had 3d glasses. One small piece really stood out, not much more did. 7:04 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to digiphile

# @TeacherLori True, and the “code brown” status crass too. Could go either way. 7:04 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to TeacherLori

# SoBe ad did a good job of making the name memorable&evoking a positive reaction from our crowd. If those were only goals, ok. #superbowlads 7:02 PM Feb 1st from web

# Monsters v. Aliens looks good also. I’d have to say so far the movie trailers are winning the ad competition. #superbowlads 7:01 PM Feb 1st from web

# @superkev07 Right, but the commercials (think Go Daddy and today, Doritos and Teleflora) are now frequently inappropriate for kids. 6:55 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to superkev07

# @mikeslone It did. Our audience got a little too excited here and I got carried away with them. 6:54 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to mikeslone

# Nevermind, the Papa Johns deal was only on a kickoff return, not a 100-yard interception return. Nice job, Steelers. #superbowl 6:53 PM Feb 1st from web

# Papa John’s just spent a whole lot of money unless this flag is on Pittsburgh. @superbowl 6:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# @EstieC Better way to put it. Still not that great a message, IMO. 6:51 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to EstieC

# @Skiorsurf Yeah, ever since Janet Jackson we stopped letting our little kids watch the #superbowl 6:50 PM Feb 1st from web

# So cheetos are good for feeding pigeons? #superbowlads 6:48 PM Feb 1st from web

# Twestival Unstoppable: Live Earth Joins Twitter Fundraiser http://tinyurl.com/btm9fe 6:46 PM Feb 1st from twitterfeed

# Warner dodges a bullet on that one. #superbowl 6:45 PM Feb 1st from web

# @ajinnashville So true, AJ – that was a good combo side- and reinforcing-point for them. 6:44 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to ajinnashville

# Really creepy talking flower. Very clear “don’t sent flowers in a box” message, though. Teleflora. What do you think? #superbowlads 6:43 PM Feb 1st from web

# Don’t really get animation Bud Light commercial. Be mean & fool women? Clear “drinkability” value proposition, though. Ok. #superbowlads 6:41 PM Feb 1st from web

# Good stuff by Adams. #superbowl 6:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Too bad cards forced to punt. Interesting to see if they’ll be able to return the favor. #superbowl 6:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very smart of NBC to promote presence of all ads on hulu.com-wonder if they sold that as perk to advertisers as part of deal? #superbowlads 6:37 PM Feb 1st from web

# Memorable, funny, strong reaction, good value proposition and social reinforcement (>1000 people/day) E-trade – Great!!! #superbowlads 6:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# Hyundai ad breaks rule of not showing competitors’ brands/logos/names. Seems effective, though. #superbowlads 6:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# Based on well-informed input I’m switching the hashtag I’m using to #superbowlads instead of #superads09 Hate to lose the 2 chars, though 6:32 PM Feb 1st from web

# Long-winded way to get there, but clear value prop for Cars.com. What did you think? #superads09 6:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very mixed reaction in our audience to the G ad. #superads09 6:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# Great to see the cards come alive. Looks like we have a game now. Fantastic catch! #superbowl 6:21 PM Feb 1st from web

# Clydesdale love affair ad got strong response from the females in our audience, and a “what’s that got to do w/beer” from a male #superads09 6:15 PM Feb 1st from web

# Star Trek trailer looks really promising. #superads09 6:14 PM Feb 1st from web

# Clydesdales can out-fetch dalmations. Um, ok. #superads09 6:12 PM Feb 1st from web

# men can take anything except other diet colas – funny & clear Pepsi Max commercial. #superads09 6:10 PM Feb 1st from web

# Doritos makes your dreams come true-stripping women, stealing money, beating police. Run out of them & you’re dead meat. ??? #superads09 6:09 PM Feb 1st from web

# I hope that was one well-paid female monkey. At least a value prop – more protection than Mobil 1 for Castrol. Ok. #superads09 6:04 PM Feb 1st from web

# Angry eyes on Mrs. Potato Head and the message-Bridgestone tires help you stop when you need to. Well done. #superads09 6:03 PM Feb 1st from web

# @treesearcher Seemed like a one-note joke that might be ok as a small part of a 4-minute monologue on his show, not selling something. 6:01 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to treesearcher

# Don’t get me wrong. I’m pulling for the Cards and will only be disappointed if it isn’t a real game. 131-13 yards-not good so far #superbowl 6:00 PM Feb 1st from web

# What an amazing play by the Steelers. Nice work. #superbowl 5:57 PM Feb 1st from web

# Did I mention someone should tell the Cardinals the game has started? Except for that deflected pass, not much there yet. #superbowl 5:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @robynmcintyre Absolutely – frequently a good way to fairly safely judge medium/message effectiveness. Not 100% in non-direct mktg, but good 5:54 PM Feb 1st from web

# Pretty funny Conan Obrien Bud Light commercial, but the message I’m remembering is affiliate w/Bud, be embarrased. #superads09 5:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Jason_Smuvrd 19 of them are already linked from my site at http://jamesrdickey.com I’ll have many more there by tonight. #superads09 5:49 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Jason_Smuvrd

# @MommyJenna Haven’t seen 3. You’re right, then, not surprising at all. 5:47 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to MommyJenna

# @BrandiPowers Yes. He’s really good in The Transporter. Hear 2 and 3 not good, but the original is both original and good, as is he. 5:46 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to BrandiPowers

# Pepsi Forever Young commercial okay. Doritos free chips promotion effective and hilarious. #superads09 5:45 PM Feb 1st from web

# Jason Stratham a nice surprise in the Audi ad. Supercharging a different way to go w/economy/fuel costs today. #superads09 5:44 PM Feb 1st from web

# Bud light worth more (a nd more important to peers/superiors) than bonuses and marketing. Nice, funny, value-prop ad. #superads09 5:40 PM Feb 1st from web

# The game has started. Someone needs to tell the Cardinals defense that. #superbowl 5:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# @robynmcintyre Sure did. Ouch! Still wonder if the price (based on total audience) will be worth the result. #superads09 5:36 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to robynmcintyre

# Mea culpa! I year you-millions of women watching. Don’t need to hear from you all. Still like to see actual $ impact for Avon.#superads09 5:34 PM Feb 1st from web

# Nice Hyndai ad, but unmemorable. #superads09 5:31 PM Feb 1st from web

# @travelbugs True-but the rate you pay is premised on the entire audience, not a portion – why most ads are mass-market products. #superads09 5:26 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to travelbugs

# Surprised-shocked-to see Avon advertising on the #superbowl. Um, speak to your target? #superads09 5:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# I was skeptical about the idea of a GI Joe movie, but the trailer looks promising. #superads09 5:22 PM Feb 1st from web

# Free 7-day ticket offer pretty bold from Universal. Wonder how many site visits that will drive? #superads09 5:13 PM Feb 1st from web

# Surprised Kay Jewelers didn’t come up with something new. Love Jane Seymour, though. #superads09 5:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# Liked the Sprint ad. Nice value proposition and tie-in to the game. #superads09 5:05 PM Feb 1st from web

# Not emotionally invested, but rooting for the Cardinals today in the #superbowl also rooting for SoBe in #superads09 4:00 PM Feb 1st from web

# Given how much we pay attention to ads today is it possible the $3 million is actually a good deal? #superads09 1:39 PM Feb 1st from txt

What Is A Hashtag?

A Hashtag is simply any word, phrase or abbreviation preceded by a pound sign (#). It’s a way to show you’re talking about a specific topic without using up too many of Twitter’s precious 140 characters.

When Should You Use a Hashtag?

1. Events. If you follow any reasonably large number of people on Twitter, it is highly likely you have seen #inaug09 in a tweet today. Not suprising, since that is the hashtag being used by most to indicate posts related to today’s U.S. Presidential Inauguration events. Tweets about many other events, such as #BlogWell or the Consumer Electronics Show (#ces) are often tagged with their relevant hashtags also.
2. Groups. Top Conservatives on Twitter (TopConservativesOnTwitter.org) is an active Twitter group with a sizable membership. Members and others who post tweets related to conservative U.S. political topics often use the #TCOT hashtag to make it easy for others to join the discussion.
3. Crowd Sourcing. Want to start a discussion and make it easy for others to join? Post a survey/suggestion/question with a hashtag. I did this a few weeks ago around a discussion of the best advertising campaigns (#BestAd). I’ve also just started one on the best SuperBowl ads using (#SbAd).

So I Have A Hashtag, Now What?

Using a hashtag by itself doesn’t do much except tell people you’re trying to speak on a specific topic. The value comes in seeing all the posts with that tag. You do that by going to http://search.twitter.com and entering the hashtag in the search box. Start now. Search for #inaug09 You’ll see the 20 most recent tweets posted using that hashtag.

The variety is amazing, but look at enough and trends will emerge also. It’s like a huge, self-organized, unmoderated focus group, and it can be fascinating and informative.

Start Your Own Hashtag

Creating your own is easy. Think up a topic you believe will catch on with your followers. Thin of a short hashtag (need to save those characters) that will make sense and possibly also catch on. Search to make sure someone else isn’t already using that hashtag for a very different topic. Repeat until you find one that works. Then post your tweet with your tag and set your search and watch the results.

How have you used hashtags?
Did I miss a valuable way to use them?
Which ones have been particularly helpful for you?
Which ones have you tried to start that didn’t get traction?
What concerns do you have about the use or nature of hashtags?
Please share your thoughts.

1. Replies – Frequently you’ll receive a reply hours or days after you sent whatever message prompted that reply. It’s easy to completely forget what you said. The easiest way to check is to click on “in reply to” on their reply. Twitter will then display what prompted their response.
2. Retweets versus Replies – Some users who mean well will accidentally start a Retweet with their acknowledgment of the source. Their message ends up looking like this: “@jamesdickey RT Great news about X”. The problem with that is that if, as I do, most people have their Twitter settings set so that they are not copied on @replies, almost no one saw the message you were trying to spread! So, instead, make sure that anything you want seen by anyone other than @jamesdickey starts instead with any character other than an “@”.
3. Direct Messages – If you use the Direct Message interface on the Web, you can actually keep typing long past the time when the little counter says 0. You can confidently go until it says -115 according to the best information I’ve received (more in rare cases, but not worth using usually). So in a DM you have almost twice the capacity, especially because Twitter won’t even count the handle of the person you’re sending the message against your capacity!

Those are the tips that come to my mind immediately. What have you learned recently that you wish you knew earlier? Please share and help others – and quite probably, me as well.

1. We can have no connection at all.
2. One (or both) of us can follow the other.
3. One (or both) of us can block the other.

Key here is that Twitter is about listening. If I choose to follow you, then I am choosing to be able to see and hear what you are saying. I’m choosing to listen to you. If, on the other hand, it turns out that I think you have nothing of value to say, or you’re a spammer, or we simply have nothing in common, the easy – and I think appropriate – response is to simply not follow you.

I don’t need to block you, I just won’t be listening. You can send 50 tweets, every one about your great, totally irrelevant product, and I won’t be inconvenienced in the slightest, because I haven’t set Twitter up so that I hear any of them. And here’s the key: I don’t hear them whether or not you’re following me. It’s no inconvenience to me at all if you’ve chosen to follow me – to be able to listen to what I have to say.

So When Should I Block Someone?

If you don’t need to block someone when you don’t want to listen to them, you only need to block someone:

1. When you don’t want them to be able to listen to you,
2. When you don’t want them to be able to associate themselves with you, or
3. When they are blatantly abusing Twitter.

Twitter makes you confirm before blocking someone.

How often, really, do you have a problem if someone is listening to your very public tweets? Especially since, even if you block them, they can still simply go to “twitter.com/yourusername” and see all of your tweets? I can’t think of any case where reason 1 would drive me to block someone. If you can, please tell me about it in a comment on this post.

My Twitter account must be completely appropriate for work, and I want to set a good example, so I can’t have anyone perusing my followers list and finding “Not Safe for Work” materials. The only way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to review all profiles of those following me and block those that are inappropriate. I’m especially cautious about this, so if your profile picture, tweets, bio or handle include any variation of the suggestive use of “tease”, “party” or a dozen other things I’ve seen but won’t repeat here, you’ll at the very least get a very cautious look and most likely a block. Revealing photos always get an immediate block.

That leaves the last reason for blocking someone – when they are abusing Twitter. This is a dicey one, I realize, and subject to interpretation/judgement. The reason to use block in this case is that Twitter reacts automatically when a user account has been blocked by enough people in a short enough period of time.

They haven’t been open about what those thresholds may be, but if enough people block your account you won’t show in the public timeline any more. If enough more block you any further users will see the famous “nothing to see here” owl. This is why the “block” function should be used very sparingly.

If you block anyone who simply disagrees with you, who you think tweets too often, or isn’t interesting, you may unwittingly put them over the threshold and cause Twitter to jump to the wrong conclusion. But this is also a valuable self-policing tool. Like any tool it could be abused, but it provides a way for the community to “vote people out”.

So the third reason to block someone is if you feel they have no legitimate value at all to anyone and should actually not be allowed on Twitter. Twitter accounts following 1,900 people with 11 tweets, every one of which links to their old-fashioned landing/sales/email address capture page fall squarely in this group in my opinion. If accounts like that are allowed to succeed, there will be many more, and soon Twitter would be overwhelmed with spammers shouting at each other. We could adapt/deal with that, but why let it get to that? Stop it, and them, before it spirals out of control.

Knowing the above, what other user profiles should actually be blocked? Conversely, are you now more willing to let some profiles that are marginal continue listening to/following you? I’d love your comments.