Trafcom News

Are you on Twitter yet?

I know that many readers of Trafcom News are already on Twitter, but after writing a version of this article for my client newsletter, I decided to share it more widely on the blog. Feel free to skip this post if you're a major Twitterati.

When I first heard about Twitter two years ago, I instantly judged it to be an utter waste of time. Now, I've changed my tune. What is Twitter? This free micro-blogging platform is a powerful marketing and community-building tool, which can help you strengthen your brand and nourish your online relationships.

Twitter lets you share your status ("What are you doing?") in 140 characters or less. However, few successful Twitter users limit themselves to messages (called tweets) describing the ham and Swiss sandwich they're consuming for lunch. Rather, they use this quick medium to share important news and links, broadcast their presence at a conference, make wry observations (OK, not everyone does this well!), and gently promote their services.

Here's why Twitter won me over 18 months ago, and why I continue to use it today:

• Twitter drives traffic to my blog, podcast and Web sites.
• Twitter helps me meet people around the world who share my passion for communicating.
• My Twitter community helps me ferret out information.
• Business referrals come my way via Twitter.
• Twitter often functions as my virtual water cooler – a place to meet friends during a busy day.

Overall, Twitter has helped me to increase the audience for my own online presence while introducing me to some very interesting people and ideas.

Each Twitter user has her own way of using it. I don't forward Twitter messages to my phone, for example, because this would drive me batty. However, I have installed the Twitterific app on my iPhone, which provides me with an endless supply of reading material when I'm standing in line at the bank, on a train, or having an episode of insomnia at midnight!

Here are my tips for getting the most out of your Twitter experience.

• Sign up at http://twitter.com and add your photo and bio info, with a link to your Web site or blog. Use your own name - or a variation of it -  as your Twitter name. Post a few tweets before you follow anyone. (Why would they follow you back if they don't know what you have to say?)
• Find people to follow. Start with your real-life colleagues who are Twitter users, then check out the people they are following. You can also visit Twitterpacks to find people in your field.
• Be judicious in the people you choose to follow back. (Unlike friends on Facebook, these are followers; consider this distinction.) What's their value to you? You'll quickly discover that multi-level marketers and quasi-spammers will start to track you. Obviously you don't want to give them the honour of a follow-back.
• Add value to your Twitter stream by posting links to sites and articles you find interesting, linking to your colleagues and their content, and promoting your organization's events.
• Learn to use the @reply, direct message (DM) and re-tweet (RT) features to keep the conversations moving forward.

For instructions in all of this, check out The Newbie's Guide to Twitter.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DonnaPapacosta.

Oh, my aching eyes

Eye remember the daze wen noose papers employed copy editors an proofreaders. You could pik up a major daily and knot have two contend with a hole palate of stiles of spelling and usage, running the gambit from hear to they’re. Editors could reign in they’re teems, and the pubic could reed the news in piece.

OK, you get my point. Honestly, as a parent, I worry about what our kids are seeing in the press – the ones who are reading mainstream media at all. Formerly glorious newspapers are riddled with errors not unlike the ones in the above paragraph. Do you notice this too, or am I just cranky these days?

Upcoming events for communicators

Hey, Toronto! It’s time to come out of hibernation. Sure, your vehicle is coated with a thick deposit of road salt, the windows of your home are frozen shut, and your boots will never dry out. At least we have events coming up where you’ll find smart people and hot topics.  Here is a very incomplete list of places to go:

Podcamp Toronto, February 21-22, 2009
This is the place to get all your podcasting questions answered while you mingle with audio and video geeks, social media mavens and other fun people. Really. Details on the wiki.

Alliance of Independent Practitioners panel (International Association of Business Communicators, Toronto chapter), February 18, 2009
This panel discussion is called “Why organizations hire freelancers” and is designed to help independent communicators get that proverbial foot in the door. Details on the IABC Toronto Web site.

Third Tuesday Toronto, February 17, 2009
As my friend Joe Thornley says: “How does a social media startup not just survive, but continue to grow in the current economic conditions? Carol Leaman, the CEO of AideRSS, the company behind PostRank, will tell us how when she appears at Third Tuesday Toronto on February 17.” Should be a very interesting presentation. Details on the Meetup page.

Halton-Peel Communications Association seminar, February 10, 2009
This evening features  John Watkis speaking on: “How to attract more clients with public speaking.” John is always a delight, and this seminar will be animated and valuable, I’m sure. The HPCA Web site is experiencing problems, but you can get details by contacting Marnie AT communicationartistry  DOT ca. Location is the Burlington Arts Centre, but you must RSVP through Marnie.

Free Webinar: Using new media to make the most of your event

I’m excited to be presenting this Webinar again: How to use new media tools to make the most of your event. I put this online seminar together to answer some of the questions I was hearing about conference podcasting, event promotion/marketing and so on. It’s designed for people who organize not only big conferences, but all-employee meetings, sales meetings and customer events too.
 
In this 45-minute Webinar on Friday, February 20, 2009, at 2 p.m. Eastern time, we'll talk about:

• How to attract more attendees
• How to maximize the value of presentations, speeches and interviews at your meeting
• How to create audio and video content at your event so as to market your next event
• Using social networks to build a community around your event
• Gaining maximum communications value with minimal hassle

If you’re interested in this free Webinar, please send an email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com and I will forward the registration instructions.

Thriving as an independent

Are you an independent, or thinking of becoming one? In my latest podcast, just 17 minutes long, I share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last 20 years as a sole proprietor. Whether you’re a writer, PR practitioner, graphic designer or just about any kind of freelancer, you may pick up some tips here.

Please click to the Trafcom News Podcast, then listen and let me know what you think!

My favourite iPhone apps

I can’t believe how much I enjoy my iPhone. When I had a plain dumb phone (as opposed to a phone that’s smarter than I am), the only time I was happy to have it in my possession was when my life flashed before my eyes and my front bumper came to rest upon a guardrail on the Don Valley Parkway. I reached for my mobile phone to call for help. Of course, a dozen other people probably reported the collision, too, so my call wasn’t likely necessary. Still, I felt I was doing something as I waited for the tow truck.

Now, the iPhone. I do sometimes use it as a telephone, but it’s so much more. If I forget to tote a book or magazine with me, it’s an endless source of entertainment while waiting in line, sitting on a train or ostensibly watching television. (Often the iPhone is more fun than the show. This was particularly true during the U.S. presidential debates, when I tracked my Twitter friends’ witticisms.)

Almost every day, I use my iPhone to keep up with my Twitter stream, find a restaurant, check the weather, watch a YouTube video, or even update my grocery list.

Here’s a list of my top apps, all of which are free or very inexpensive. Please comment and tell me about YOUR favourites:

Business
Twitterific: A clean and simple way to follow Twitter.
MobileFiles: Lets you access all your documents, audio files, etc. on your iDisk; a fabulous tool when you’re out of town without your Mac.
NY Times: An insomniac's delight, this elegant app lets you read the New York Times without squinting. It even links to the “most emailed” stories and to various sections of the paper.
Facebook: A way to read Facebook so that the type is actually legible.
Wikiamo: Wikipedia in an iPhone-friendly format.
SpeakEasy: Allows you to easily record audio snippets via your iPhone. I use it to make notes without having to type.
Google: The mobile version of the ubiquitous Google.
MProfs: An easy-to-read mobile version of Marketing Profs, so you can consume some marketing goodness every day. There’s also an MProfs Q&A app. Clever folks over there.
AppSniper: alerts you when iPhone apps go on sale.

Personal
Shazam: Hold it up to the TV and you can identify that haunting song on House.
This one amazes me.
Urbanspoon: A cute way to find restaurants in many major cities.
Gratitude: A handy way to keep track of all the things you’re grateful for; it even lets you add a photo.
Clock: Has made my kitchen timer and alarm clock redundant;  this is a standard app built into the iPhone.
Stanza: Books and magazines at your fingertips.
Birthdays: A list of upcoming contacts’ birthdays, gleaned from your Mac’s Contacts file.
GroceryZen no more slips of paper listing milk, eggs, coffee.

The best podcasts? Plus top three tips for multimedia success in 2009

Check out my Trafcom News Podcast show number 80, in which you'll discover suggestions for finding podcasts to add to your playlist, as well as three tips for successful multimedia projects in the coming year.