Next time you hold an event that involves name badges, be sure to have them Twitter-friendly. Promote your attendee's twitter names so that after the event, participants can continue the conversation and newly formed relationships.
Oh- you can follow me on Twitter @alanweinkrantz.
Jeff Pulver's 140 Characters Conference, taking place June 16th and 17th in New York City has attracted a very dynamic cast of characters. Credentialed members of the media can request access to the event here.
Jeff has an open “casting call” looking for people who are on twitter who would like to record a “shout out” to the people who will be joining me in New York City at the 140 Characters conference. These “shout out” videos will be shown during the breaks in the conference program.
If you are character and would like to be seen and heard at the 140 Characters Conference, please use 12Seconds to record your “shout out” to the people attending the 140 Characters Conference.
Please be sure to include your name and location in your 12Seconds video. Once you have recorded your video, please tweet it with #140conf hash tag.
The deadline to have your “shout out” video considered is June 11th.
As more and more journalists are on Twitter, this might be a good way to follow and build relationships in your pitching efforts.
Twitter is a great tool for networking, seeing what's on the minds of people that I follow, and a wealth of information and data specific to PR and Social Media. You can find me on Twitter here.
Here's how I am using Twitter:
1. Engaging and listening to people where I live in San Antonio. I've made new "real" friends who are not just into the craft of communications but are really interesting and nice people. That is benefit #1.
2. Self promotion. OK.... so I do have to self-promote myself and my business. Since I blog here and over at 3Screens.net, I can tweet to the world about a post that I think is not only self promotional, but helpful to others.
3. And speaking of being helpful, that is something I am really focusing on with Twitter. I figure if I am helpful to others, others will be helpful to me and so on and so on. Sort of a version of Pay it Forward, if you will.
4. Sharing my human side. Yup, I am human and real. This weekend I was in Galveston, Texas and was Tweeting my impressions of the destruction of the hurricane that you still see present. The during Thanksgiving shopfest known as Black Friday, I shared my impressions of people shopping vs. buying in San Antonio, Houston and Galveston. The week before, I went to see BB King and Tweeted my video that I shot at the concert.
5. Direct conversation. You can direct conversation with other members... sort of like SMS on your cell, but via your computer. Very efficient and direct.
So where can you start?
1. Think of an objective or two? Make new friends. Expand your network. Learn about a new social media and communications platform. Promote a cause.
2. Sign up. You can sign up here.
3. Start following. Here's a post from Darren Rowse on 10 people you can start following now.
4. Start a conversation or two. Tweet something interesting and helpful to others who are liked minded. You'll be amazed at the responses and the followers you will attract.
5. Don't spam others. A huge no-no.
6. Broadcast news or your insights on the major news events. If you are live where something is happening, Tweet about it.
7. Tweet at least once day. I am finding Twitter to being sort of addictive, particularly on my iPhone where I use Twitterific. It's a great way to check in several times a day, in between meetings, just to scan and when appropriate chime in on conversation.
8. Find people with similar interests. They could be where you live or around the world. I still go back to one of the greatest benefits of Twitter is that I have made new real friends right where I live.
9. Go offline from Twitter. Sometimes, I don't want to have a conversation with someone on Twitter. I will share my cell or a secondary email address to engage further.
10. Traveling? Meet up with Tweet-Ups with other like minded Twitter people when you travel. I've done it and it's great to meet like minded people in other cities.
Here's a good example of combining Blogging, Media Coverage and Social Media in order to promote a story on my 3Screens blog
1. Blogging: I did a post, including a YouTube video, which is a review of AT&T's new WholeHome Manager telephony platform on my other blog, 3Screens.net
2. Sent pitches to appropriate Media Oulets pointing them to my blog.
This resulted in coverage in leading blogs and news sites such as: DSL Reports, Electronic House, Engadget, TeleCompetitor. Telephony Magazine, FierceTelecom, Zatsnotsofunny did some extensive quotes both from my blog and my video.
3. Social Media: It's on Digg, Delicious, Twitter, FaceBook, etc.
When I see a news story on the subject, I leave a comment like the one here in the LA Business Journal, inviting readers to come and see my post and video.
Yup, this really works.
Because of my 3Screens blog, I follow AT&T news by subscribing to their email service.
They've just killed that and are now promoting their news feeds through Twitter. To follow them, you just go to: http://twitter.com/attnews. (You can follow me here on Twitter as well.)
You still get access to regular stream of tweets announcing breaking headlines and linking to just-posted videos, photos and podcasts.
I got this idea from a post by Chris Brogan, who talks about why and how he works at coffee shops. When I am in town, I generally work at my office and at home.
When I travel, I like to work at Apple Stores. 
Right now, it's Saturday and I am in Dallas seeing my girlfriend and my family who also lives here. (I live in San Antonio).
My girlfriend has wireless at the house. I also have a client here in town and after our meetings, I can hang out and use a private office if I wish.
But today is Saturday.
My girlfiend is doing some family stuff and I am doing this post from the Apple Store at NorthPark.
They are always very nice an accomodating and don't mind if I just grab a stool, get on the network and spend an hour or so cranking out a few things that I am working on. I will go for a walk in the mall, see what's new (NorthPark, in my opinion is the best mall in the U.S. - even better than Tyson's Corner in Northern Va.).
Sometimes I just save up questions on small stuff I am still trying to learn or get better at on my MacBoook Pro, so I sort of kill two birds with one stone.
So Chris, yes, I love coffee shops and coffee, but when you travel and need a place to chill, try an Apple store. Oh- and the background music is not too loud and much better than the stuff they play at Starbucks.
I am just now starting to get it with regard to Twitter. Jeff invited me, and I've been watching Chris' Twitter to get an idea of how to apply and benefit from it.
Here's my profile.
You can also what some of my initial friends are up to. I am going to reserve further comments on its potential applications for social and business networking and working with my teams around the world until I use is some more.
You can join in here for free.
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