Don't Hate Me Because I Tweet

A Change In Culture: Getting Used To And Appreciating The Use Of Mobile Technology

I had to laugh at a Tweet Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan co-author of Trust Agents) had a week or so ago. He is a man who has made a very successful career sharing his thoughts about business development and customer service - and how technology and the internet enables us to do that. He Tweets alot, and has over 115,000 followers. He tweeted that he was in a coffee shop, working on his mobile, when an older gentlemen looked at him and said something like "is there no limit anymore!" obviously frustrated with him punching away on his mobile.

But little did this gentleman know that Chris was actually working.

Sure he may have been "just" giving a shout out to a friend, or letting us know how CES was going. But this is all work as he is creating his loyal tribe of followers.

I often wonder what people are thinking when I am walking and typing away on my mobile - do they think I am crazy? Do they think I am just sending notes to my friends? Or do they realize that I am actually working - and working very hard?

Some interesting numbers:

• There are 4,100,000 million active mobile phones in the world (ranking: China, India, US, Russia, Brazil)
• 2.3 billion text messages are sent each day
• Standard Life in the UK changed out worker laptops to Blackberrys
• There are, on average, 357 texts in one month versus 204 phone calls

Mobiles are a vital piece to all businesses and non-profits today. Organizations that are embracing the technology are benefiting from it. Those organizations that are hesitant due to a misunderstanding or fear of the additional costs are loosing ground quickly.

When I got my first Blackberry I had no clue what I was going to use it for, I already had a cell phone that I barely used from my employer. I just knew that I needed a smart phone because I was missing out on a community of conversations and connections. It was one of the smartest purchases I have made. I am more upto speed on the web and new technology than I have ever been - which is very important to my business. And my smartphone has positively affected my stream of business, allowing me to grow my network and connect with clients and peers.

So the next time you see young kids "playing" on their mobiles or adults in coffee shops "texting", stop for a moment and consider they may be doing something very very productive, appreciate the culture change mobiles are creating - it is very interesting, positive, and it sure can be fun!

SBK (Shannon) contact me: sbk@mondaymarketingtools.com

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use

http://www.blackberry.com/newsletters/connection/business/i709/standard_life.shtml

Why I Give a Tweet

The most common comment I get about my profession is “Why would I care about things like Twitter”.

So here I ask myself the same question: “Why give a Tweet? ”

Here's why I Tweet:


I found the Marketing Community

The number one reason I Tweet is because I live in Calgary, Alberta – and we do not have a very strong Marketing Community – what I mean by that is I have found it hard to connect with other Marketing professionals. We do not have very many options for courses, seminars or conferences – although this is improving. So I Tweet to meet other Marketing Professionals in Calgary and other areas that I can learn from and relate to – it’s kinda like finding your long lost family. I also get great event postings and course postings, and that is valuable to me.

I don’t want to be left behind

Look, I am in my thirties and felt like I was loosing ground on being “in the loop” and “cool” because I did not have a smart phone and had no Tweeps to speak of. This was a bit terrifying to me. I look at our current older generation and feel they are missing out on some pretty cool things if they have not fully embraced technology. I can say that my smart phone and all of the other cool technologies I use make my life interesting, fun, and efficient – but most of all they have allowed me to feel like I am in the loop – and that is valuable to me.

I am building my network

I think that following valuable** people and them following me is like meeting someone and exchanging business cards. We exchange cards, check out our websites – and now we have another contact to refer work to, ask for quotes, buy products and services from etc. But this is even better than just having someone’s card to pull out and maybe call, I follow their business (or life) on Twitter and see what they need, do they all of sudden need a new computer? Graphic design? A good restaurant? Maybe I can offer my services or refer a friend? That is valuable to me.
** valuable people to me are people that I want to connect with – either to learn from their postings, or to see what my customers are doing to ensure I understand them.

I think Twitter is fun. If you try Twitter and hate it – it is not going to work. It should be a fun and entertaining activity that you get something out of.

SBK (Shannon)

contact me: sbkelsick@gmail.com