1. The event hashtag has been established by an attendee.
The event communication needs to be managed by the staff. The planners need to decide how they want their members to communicate (realizing that Twitter is not the only option) and make this very public information. If attendees are left to create their own channels, this is not a good sign! That being said, there is some value to jumping in on a conversation already created as an event planner and helping to encourage conversation. The double bad sign? When an attendee has created a way for folks to communicate and no one from the planning staff has even noticed!

2. The event Twitter stream is filled with self promotion.
If you are going to list "Follow Us on Twitter" as a part of your marketing, you should ensure that there is good content for your attendees on that list. Link to speakers, sponsors, and planners. Share related articles. Do something to connect the attendees. Do something more than just marketing the event over and over. Give people a way to connect!

3. Attendee lists are impossible to find as are Twitter handles of the speakers, sponsors and promoters.
While some events keep this information private, there are ways to integrate attendee-specific information on your event website. The savvy conference attendee is doing their homework before the event - trying to connect with other people who will be there in advance. By not listing contact information, or at least a list of names, you are making their job much more difficult.

We'll be tweeting about the expo and running lots of contests and I'd love to put together some gift bags for attendees to help highlight the community. If you have anything you'd like to include in the gift bags or prizes you'd like me to raffle off, please let me know. I think we're looking at 3500+ attendees and I'd like to highlight our community in any way possible. Please let me know if you have any ideas!

Register using code BBNYTWEET10 before 9/27/10 to receive 15% off registration! Also, please let me know your Twitter handle so we can connect before the event!

http://www.bizbashnewyorkexpo.com/index.cfm

This week, there's no better person to start with than Jenise Fryatt. Jenise has been an #eventprofs friend, guest blogger on my site and facilitator of relationships for the past year or so. It's been so great getting to know her a bit and seeing the impact she has had on the community. I've had the opportunity to write several guest blogs for her over the course of the last year and it has been nothing short of amazing. Enjoy!!

Connect with Jenise

http://www.twitter.com/JeniseFryatt
http://www.icon-presentations.com/blog/
Vote for her Sound n Sight blog in the #Eventprofs blog awards!
http://www.ready2spark.com/2010/08/eventprofs-blog-awards-nominees-announced.html

On a recent Twitter chat, I had a brief conversation with someone who agreed with the former opinion. What he described was a person scheduling tweets that were comments about their day or opinions on topics. I had to agree, this sounded disingenuous. After all, tweets that share your experiences or opinions are assumed to be conversation starters. But if you aren't there when someone responds, it's kind of like leaving the lights on when no one's home. A fake out.

However, I fully admit to and advocate scheduling tweets that provide links to information. Not just for my own benefit as a time-management tool, but for the benefit of my followers. Scheduling tweets:

• keeps me from monopolizing the Twitter stream with back-to-back tweets
• allows me to establish a strong presence throughout the day by sharing one piece of information at a time
• allows me to gather the information and schedule it all at one sitting, freeing me up for other things including having conversations on social media
• allows me to reach different followers who are on at different times of the day
• helps ensure that I don't schedule more than one informational tweet per hour (the optimum ratio for getting retweeted, according to Dan Zarrella)

I use HootSuite to schedule my tweets. It also has other nifty little timesavers like a URL shortener and analytics so I can see which tweets got the most clicks. It also allows me to monitor lots of Twitter streams at once and I can use it to post status updates on and monitor other social media sites like Facebook and Linkedn.

Without an application like HootSuite, allowing me to manage my social media activities, I'm not sure I would even be on Twitter anymore. When you have so much information coming in, it's paramount that you avoid overload. And that goes for what you put out as well.

So that's where I stand on scheduling tweets. For posting links to information I think it's not only a great time-management tool, but it's also more considerate to your followers than flooding the Twitter stream with lots of tweets all at once.

For tweets that share your experiences or opinions, scheduling is not appropriate. It will only make you look like a poser - not a good reputation to establish.

Do you think scheduling tweets is a good or a bad idea? Why?

________________________

Jenise Fryatt is Co-Owner and Marketing Director of Icon Presentations , audio visual for events located in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. Her blog, Sound 'n Sight , offers information on the events industry with an audio visual and social media bent. She is married with two teenagers (one now attends college in Canada) and has a background that includes print & broadcast journalism, PR, theater production and acting. 

Connect with Jenise!

Icon Presentations
Icon Presentations Blog

 The Topic:

 The Challenge:

The Solutions Suggested by our #eventprofs Community

ericlukazewski:	@lizkingevents The best approach is deciding what you want out of it, and streamlining it into a manageable amount. #eventprofs
ericlukazewski:	It's overwhelming at first, but like anything, becomes a 'part' of your day as you learn more efficient processes. #eventprofs
CharityChoice:	@ericlukazewski apropos to the new topic. Trying to stick to a self imposed schedule to make the most of all SM activities #eventprofs
michaelnewhouse:	Social Media-dedicated strategy includes time management #eventprofs
PinkDeb:	SM time management is BIG and also realizing it is a process. people want instant results and in the beginning - not instant #eventprofs
samueljsmith:	@PinkDeb Great point about time management - it is much more of an evolution than revolution. #eventprofs
ASegar:	@lizkingevents My post today on giving up trying to measure ROI in social media might reduce yr tension http://bit.ly/apnKII #eventprofs
justinlocke:	there's a steep beginning learning curve but SM should be fun. you're just dealing with people, at the core that's not new #eventprofs
theexpogroup:	You should drink from SM firehose 1st so you can decide what works best for you & adjust the spigot. #eventprofs
ericlukazewski:	@lizkingevents I'm not sure you can 'teach' someone everything SM has to offer. Sometimes you need blind faith to jump in #eventprofs
lyksumlikrish:	@justinlocke You have to be willing to put a little time into it, especially at the beginning, to learn how to approach Twitter #eventprofs
brandtkrueger:	@ericlukazewski Sell yourself, not your product. Constantly hocking product gets old for everyone involved #eventprofs
ericlukazewski:	@ASegar Great points Adrian. Obsession often leads to burnout. I've been down that unfortunate road. #eventprofs
D_Elms:	Realistically u cannot start w strategy but at some pt, need to start evolving 1 so can c if on track or not. #eventprofs

Tips and Tricks to Get You Started

Mizcity:	@michaelnewhouse great point.I have a list of sites that I check every morning &have an email alert 4 my name & twitter handle. #eventprofs
lyksumlikrish:	@Mizcity I chk all my RSS feeds on my homepage including fave blogs, google alerts, searches on my brand sev times a day #eventprofs
justinlocke:	RT @ericlukazewski: what are some of the best practices you all use for managing your SM usage? #eventprofs PATIENCE !!!
ASegar:	@ericlukazewski Set times to scan Twitter feeds, turn them off otherwise. Regular but not obsessive blog posting schedule. #eventprofs
CharityChoice:	You read up still there is a fine line between do's and don'ts. You go for it be yourself. little hand slap won't hurt that bad #eventprofs
showmakers:	@ericlukazewski Since I'm tweeting from the office, I try to set aside time in a.m., aft, p.m. to catch up on tweets/post. #eventprofs
lizkingevents:	I also try to integrate SM w my everyday life - instead of searching for articles, I share what I already read & find intresting #eventprofs
PinkDeb:	#eventprofs - jump in - at least a little everyday. With coffee in the morning. agree on RSS feed and email alerts of what i need to see
michaelnewhouse:	We have sched blog days (so I can monitor clients) & SM times (stats of when users r participating) #eventprofs
ericlukazewski:	I couldn't survive without Google Reader RT @lizkingevents: @mizcity Do you use Google Reader? #eventprofs
AKthe5th:	@Mizcity @lizkingevents How about getting out from behind the screen and institute an IRL schedule! Take time to meet people!!! #eventprofs
lizkingevents:	SM can be time consuming, but I think of it as my investment. Like u would put in $ for an ad, u put in time for SM #eventprofs
D_Elms:	Anybody else "favorite" tweets so they can read later, & realize there are hundreds of them waiting ??? #eventprofs
samueljsmith:	Google Reader helped "consolidate" the madness of 75 Blog feeds, 40 alerts, etc. into one tidy space. My inbox thanks me. #eventprofs
justinlocke:	i also find it's fine to just read new blogs that people tweet rather than the same ones day after day! #eventprofs
AKthe5th:	@lizkingevents The best investment U can make in a business is developing relationships IRL,an investment in growtrh for future! #eventprofs
lyksumlikrish:	@Mizcity I also use Evernote to bookmark links. It REALLY helps keep me organized, can search by tags #eventprofs
jeffkorhan:	@theexpogroup Here's a blog post I made w/vids on simplifying use of Reader w/iGoogle: http://bit.ly/d2WARv #eventprofs
mikemcallen:	@lizkingevents feedburner has been great for stats on meetingspodcast... but it broke recently #eventprofs
Mizcity:	Thanks everyone for an awesome chat & alleviating my RSS fears Liz- awesome job as always! #eventprofs

Ideas for Future Chats

1. Brand yourself. If you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to check out my "30 Days of Branding" series on my blog for more details on how to hone in on your brand and ensure that you convey it using social media and other forums. Regardless of whether you are tweeting for one or one hundred, you will need a consistent brand that is recognized as being true. You can convey this on your Twitter account by editing the background image and making sure that your profile is clear and concise. Download a free template for your background image here.
2. Be Personal. When you are tweeting for an organization, it’s very tempting to use the company name as your Twitter handle and the logo as your picture. This is probably fine to do if you are a well recognized company, but not a great idea for your average small business. It’s all about getting to know the people on Twitter and allowing them the opportunity to get to know you. Make sure that your Twitter handle includes your name so that people know how to refer to you. Your picture should be a professional picture of you and should welcome people to your page. Your tone should be approachable and friendly. The way your present yourself and interact with others on Twitter is key to your business success.
3. Listen to what is being said about your organization. A lot of companies monitor what is being said about them on Twitter. Because communication happens so quickly in this space, bad press can spread like wildfire. Do a few searches and try to find out what people are saying. If they aren’t saying anything good, feel free to address it and offer solutions. Silence means something too. If no one is talking about you or your organization, at least you know where to begin.
4. Share your knowledge. Whether you have a blog or not, there are many ways to share what you know with the community on Twitter. The people who may be interested in having you work for them (whether now or down the road) need to know what your expertise is. Twitter is an easy, fast way to show them. Tweet your blogs, comments on articles, information you are learning, new things you are doing – anything that shows that you know what you’re talking about and you’re learning everything else. Try to keep this information to your brand. You want to make sure that when someone thinks of you, they think of one thing – what you’re good at. You don’t want to be remembered as the “guy who always talks about himself” or the “chick who you think does event planning”.

If you've read anything about social media marketing, you know that the new philosophy is all about giving in order to get. The video above clearly depicts the value of this philosophy. The originator of an idea is only a "lone nut" without the people who choose to follow and spread the idea.

The retweet on Twitter, perfectly encapsulates the mechanics of this marketing method and demonstrates its value. Typically someone tweets a link or useful bit of knowledge, others see the tweet, decide to share it with their followers and so on and so on. When you retweet, you accomplish several very positive things at once:

1 - You help spread valuable information
If someone tweeted it first, the chances are good that it's valuable information that people are looking for. Tweeting on a regular basis establishes a solid presence for you on Twitter. You can make sure that people come to associate your Twitter handle with getting something they can use by posting helpful information. The easiest way is to watch the Twitter stream, click on links. When you see something useful, retweet it. (Note: make sure to read or at least thoroughly scan articles before retweeting otherwise you may accidentally retweet spam.)

2 - You help promote other people which may lead to beneficial connections
OK. You could just take that link and tweet it yourself offering no credit to the original tweeter. Maybe you think that by doing this, people will think you are superior to the retweeter because you posted it first. This type of thinking will only hurt you in new media marketing. First, there is a good chance the original poster of the tweet will figure out your game, and you will ruin your reputation with a key influencer on Twitter. But most importantly, you have missed a great opportunity to start forming a bond with this influencer. Retweeting promotes other people and as Chris Brogan says, the best way to promote yourself in social media is by promoting other people.

3 - You distinguish people who are worth following, including yourself
When seeking people to follow, I generally look for people who #EIR, engage, inform and retweet. If you are retweeting useful information posted by someone else, I can see that person posts great information and might be worth following. But I also know that anyone who retweets a post is much more likely to fall in with the #EIR method. In fact, if I check out your profile and I see that you have been doing a significant amount of retweeting, that is a VERY big plus from my perspective. It means you interact on Twitter and are much more likely to retweet my tweets!

The days of me-first marketing seem to be on the wane. The good news is that new media marketing taps into our innate desire to connect with other people. Sure there's a greater element of risk, but the potential rewards are much greater too; new ways to reach potential clients, greater customer loyalty, new opportunities for beneficial partnerships, the list goes on. It all begins with helping others. Retweeting is a simple, easy way to do this that costs nothing and takes very little time, so RETWEET!!

________________________

Jenise Fryatt is Co-Owner and Marketing Director of Icon Presentations , audio visual for events located in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. Her blog, Sound 'n Sight , offers information on the events industry with an audio visual and social media bent. She is married with two teenagers (one now attends college in Canada) and has a background that includes print & broadcast journalism, PR, theater production and acting.