If you are involved in the Twitterverse, you may have either taken part in or come across hashtags(#). These are used as a way to search tweets and sort them in chronological order by specific keywords. They have also been used as a way to thread conversations on Twitter, allowing for a new micro-blogging style of communication affectionately know as the Tweetchat.
The Tweetchat has sprouted many online scheduled events, ranging from discussions on small business information to household cures! One topic that I’ve noticed with increasing interest is wine. Personally, I have taken part in many of these chats, and briefly took center stage when I created #socialwine, a once weekly wine chat geared at educating the online community about wine and those involved in it.
I think these Tweetchats are a fantastic way of delivering a message, as long as the message maintains a level of purity. By this, I mean that the discussion isn’t rigged, and that those leading the chat are genuine, not simply advertising spokespeople put online together to push a message to the audience. Some of the “tweeters” can deliver marketing messages about a product, if they are combined with some authentic voices, presenting real choices, open discussion and honest opinions.
I have seen Twitter used to market new products and have also been part of wine review events online. Both are examples of good use of Twitter which seamlessly connects people and allows virtually anyone to view and participate in the conversation. In both cases, the winemakers provided wine for selected individuals to review at the scheduled Tweetchat. The wine sent out for review was packaged with some tasting notes to provide guidance to the reviewers. This helped direct the wine tasters without dictating what they would say. In this manner, there is moderate influence, but not outright control. Allowing the wine blogger to speak freely is important to the credibility of the process.
Thinking about starting your own Tweetchat? Here are a few things to consider!
If you are not an authority be sure to find one to help represent your topic; having an authority builds credibility and can help generate buzz.
Choose a day and time that will improve the likelihood your audience will attend. For example, a business chat may have better attendance during the business day, but a topic directed at consumers should be in the evening. And don’t forget your time zones!
Use tools such as Facebook, Eventbrite or email marketing tools to invite guests to take part in your Tweetchat.
Make early decisions on whether or not to moderate your Tweetchat. There is the possibility of many people tweeting at the same time, so providing a time limit on questions and answers can help you manage high traffic chats.
Have some other suggestions on ways to make your Tweetchat a success? Please add to the list!
Local Firm’s Design Wins Award for Best Social Networking App
Kennewick, WA USA – A website and application designed by local marketing company Ikon Marketing Group has won the award for “Best Social Networking App” at the Best of Tech Awards, awarded by the Northeast Ohio Software Association. The award recognizes outstanding software designed for social networking or social media.
The website, BizSugar, was developed for Anita Campbell Associates, Ltd., a company based in Medina, Ohio. BizSugar is a social media site where each month over 35,000 business professionals share business news, tips, blog posts and other information.
Ikon Marketing Group has teamed with BizSugar to keep this site informative, helpful and user-friendly. According to owner Anita Campbell, Ikon has “rescued BizSugar from technical mediocrity.”
Ikon Marketing Group is located in Kennewick, Washington. They offer many services such as graphic design, marketing communication development, social media planning & management, strategic marketing planning, and search engine & web optimization.
Contact:
Rae Weil & Craig Sutton
Owners
509.628.2836
Kennewick, WA 99336
from Craig Sutton and Rae Weil
Dont let this be your customer!
You’ve seen the kind of website that disrespects the users – it doesn’t have the right type of graphics, is hard to decipher, and fraught with misspellings or half finished thoughts. You know what I’m talking about. It looks like it was designed in 1997 by someone’s high school aged cousin. The text doesn’t line up with the photos and the background is too busy. This is because the owner is paying $10 (or less!) a month for some “plug in your graphics here” website that promises to land them on the first page in Google!
The colors are hideous (but hey, they are the owner’s favorite colors!) and have nothing to do with the product, it features a picture of the owner’s dog Sparky (ok, Sparky may be cute…), and the site tries to tell you EVERYTHING about the company on page one, never mind focusing on the product. (The owner hates that extra white space – he could write something there or put in a piece of clip art!) Overall, the webpage is too busy, too hectic and doesn’t deliver the message.
Respect your customer. Include colors and graphics that represent your company and your products honestly and clearly. Think of what he will be seeing when visiting the site. Are the pictures relevant to his visit and what he expected to find when he clicked on your link or typed in your URL? Do your graphics make sense? Is the page clean looking and visually appealing?
Then, there are the websites that aren’t awful to look at, but provide no real detail or direction about the story they should be telling.
That’s right, I said story!
Every website should tell a story in which the user gets to write the ending. The website should have good usability design that allows the visitor to easily navigate around the pages and find the information he wants. It should be designed with clear directions about what information can be found. The information should be presented clearly and concisely with just the necessary details provided. Background stories can be included on additional pages. And, when the visitor finds that information, the website should help make the sale by having a distinct call to action. A well produced site functions as a sales tool and will easily provide a way for the consumer to make decisions about your products or services. Clear navigation allows the site visitor to make good use of his time. After all, he landed on your page for a reason – you may have something he wants!
It’s the job of your website developer to design a site for you using color psychology, well written content, and design usability to grab and hold your audience’s attention long enough for them to make a decision. Your website is often the first introduction many of your clients have to your company, or possibly the only interaction they will have. Your website’s appearance and credibility are significantly important to you company’s reputation.
Respect your customers. When they visit your website, give them an experience that delivers.
That $10/month website just isn’t going to cut the mustard…
Craig was given the opportunity to write an article on Social Media for the local Journal of Business. Rather than focusing on using tools, he chose to focus on communication and building community. We would love any feedback on the article.
