Some folks claim Twitter performs all sorts of magic marketing spells. But we all know Twitter was really created to share on the Internet AWESOME stuff like this that makes me some people spit Sprite onto the keyboard: Read More…

I’m excited that you “nailed that interview,” I just hope your soon-to-be boss isn’t following you on Twitter, watching you talk about it like this. It’s not that you’ve said anything patently offensive – and you aren’t alone – it’s just that any and all snarky/job-related comments are now out there for the Whole Wide Web (and HR recruiters) to see.

Folks, you’ve heard me say it a hundred times: there is no privacy on the Internet. All of your social sayings are Google-able. Sooner or later, your co-workers/bosses/peers are gonna see this stuff. And then we’ll all blog about it. And we’re not laughing with you.

So, stop kicking yourselves in the rear and think before you Tweet. You’ll be glad you did.

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• Bing and Google to Include Twitter Updates in Search Results (geeksugar.com)

I was being asked a bunch of questions about Twitter today (Hi, B!) and found myself saying that the best way to get to know the ins and outs of social media is by testing it out on your own account, on your own time.

And then I thought to myself, “Hey, that makes a lot of sense, Margie. Good one.”

You know, because then when you say something patently offensive or stupid, you’ve done it under your own name and not your employer’s. Even though that can still get you fired.

Like most things, practice makes knowledgeable. So, when you are at the conference table and someone asks you how hashtags work, you’ll know because you’ve used them. When someone, like your boss, says they are confused about what happens when p*rn creepos follow you, or why it matters if one RTs, @s or DMs, you’ll explain it to them with authority – not because you read it on Mashable – because you’ve already done it well (or messed it up).

If you have never been caught up in the World Wide Web, why would your employer trust you with their online reputation?

If you want folks or co-workers to look to you for Geek Guidance you’ve gotta create, play with, and maintain a personal Twitter account; you’ll need to have personally blogged for an extended period of time; you must continuously play around on Facebook and constantly seek to find a purpose for LinkedIn. You’ll need to know how Google rules the world works and “what makes a RSS feed different than an alert.” It takes a lot of work;  a lot of reading; a lot of trial and error.

Agree? Or am I just being snobby?

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Ever since Team Newman won a free overnight adventure to from BWI to NYC thanks to a Southwest Airlines Twitter contest, I’ve had this urge to just make up a contest of my own. You know, to see if anyone would actually play. So, this morning, I sounded the contest alarm — and people took me up on the chance to win an ugly t-shirt. Word.

I mean, I didn’t take down the Internet or anything, but so far I’ve had about a dozen folks Tweet, DM or email me pictures of Nashville – just because I asked them to.

Some observations:

1. Only one person used the hashtag, which made finding the pictures difficult
2. Even though they read about the contest on Twitter, most folks emailed me their photos
3. People are playing my game – like, really!
4. Twitter contests are empowering

I’m still receiving pics, so I’m gonna let folks have the rest of the evening to get theirs in. But be sure to check Picalicious tomorrow to see our winning photo!

Reader J points out that I’ve neglected to post links to my last three Chic Geek columns here on FlackRabbit. Oops! In my defense, I was sort of going through a few major life changes, which caused me to forget and stuff. And then WordPress hated me for a bit. Sorry! BUT I never missed a Her Nashville deadline in all that moving and stressing out and whatnot. If it makes you feel better — at least my editor was happy (Hi Ashley)!

So, for the non-Nashvegas readers, here’s what you’ve been missing: Read More…

Now that CNN and Oprah have made it a household name, Twitter is as popular a term among the corporate set as “ROI,” “low hanging fruit” and “silo.” Bless them, it seems now everyone wants to do it just for sake of saying they are; kinda like staying at work til 7 p.m.

But here’s the thing: if a company can’t tell me their goal – their REASON for wanting to Twitter, blog, start a Flickr pool, etc – then I don’t want them to do it.  And you, PR pro, shouldn’t want them to either.

See, the social media skeptics and/or any business person worth their salt want you to be able to tell them how much bang they’ll get for their social networking buck. “What’s my return?” they’ll ask. Five times. You should always answer, “It depends on what your goal is and how engaged you are.” That’s not an answer they particularly enjoy hearing, but it’s the truth. And they didn’t hire a yes-man, so speak up.

Frequent readers of this blog will remember my soap box about the importance of being Smart, Active, Succinct and Sincere when dealing with the social Web.  As I’ve preached said before: successful use of social communication tools isn???t hard unless you are lazy and/or unengaged.  And then, my friends, it’s FREAKIN’ IMPOSSIBLE.

With 20 million plus Twitter-ers out there, you’ve gotta stand out to have any real traction. That’s where most tend to fail. You see, if you don’t stay active, you don’t stay long. In fact, Nielsen recently found a whopping 60 percent of Twitter-ers quit after the first month – I would wager that’s because folks like instant gratification. Once they sign up and don’t see some huge rush of followers, and don’t bother to follow other folks, they quit.

Remember that no Twitter account or Facebook fan/group/cause page, LinkedIn Group, blog or website will yield a return on your man-hour investment if you never use or update it. You???ve gotta engage. In real time. If you want a lot of followers, you???ve got to Tweet. You???ve got to follow strangers and let strangers follow you. You???ve got to respond to an @ message; reply to a relevant DM. If you don???t want to actively engage you should have started a blog, not a Twitter account. Bottom line: you can’t just sit there and let the Web surf over you.

But back to that goal. Do you have one? If you are a PR pro and your client has asked you for a Twitter account – have you asked them to tell you what they want out of it? “Because everyone else is doing it” simply doesn’t make sense when it comes to Twitter. There’s just too much clutter, too many folks out there doing it well. Mediocrity simply won’t yield returns.

So, if neither you or your client have the end-result in mind, hold off until you do. At the end of the day, your client or boss will hold you accountable for the success or failure of the company’s social media efforts – even if it was their idea.

Don’t set yourself up for an I-told-ya-so. If at first you can’t define a Twitter goal, try, try again – or just move on to the next tool in your communications box.

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• Who’s Abandoning Twitter? (gawker.com)

Hey ladies*, you know know what the begining of the month means: that’s right, it’s time for a newest issue of Her Nashville! (yay!)

Watching “American Idol” with a gaggle of opinionated, hilarious and snarky folk, you’ve laughed out loud, been slightly offended and learned something new. Someone just threw a sheep at you, forcing you to retaliate with a good strong poke. Clad in your favorite un-matching PJ’s, you aren’t at a rowdy bar; you’re on Facebook, interacting with a real-time stream of status updates while Simon serves up another thoughtfully crafted verbal bashing. Read More…