Last night at a Tweetup in Dallas, a girl who I have become friends with through Twitter asked me why I tweet back a thank you to her when she retweets something I have posted.  "Because I appreciate it!"  I said honestly.  "But you know me."  She replied.  Recently I have had more and more people asking why I thank them for retweeting me.  And some saying that thanks for retweeting is not necessary. 

It is a great compliment to the original tweeter.  And I was raised to always say thank you if I receive a compliment.  Beyond that, I am posting to my network and yours that I appreciate the fact that you retweeted me.  This exposes you to my network as someone who sees value in quality material and will help send that message on to others.  People will follow you because of this.  These are the reasons that I publicly thank you for retweeting me.

Some people feel that kind of thanks is best sent in a direct message, one that only you and the recipient see.  But that doesn't spread the love as much in my opinion.  Does that make sense?  I don't just thank people I am already familiar with.  I thank new followers everyday.  This further gets their name out and helps to build their network. 

Applications such as Twitter Grader track how often you reply to people both in your network and out of your network.  And for good reason.  People who reply and converse publicly, whether it is just to say thanks or to comment further, are more fun to follow.  Its great to follow famous Twitter users who have tens of thousands of followers and provide good content on a regular basis.  But after a while it gets a bit old if you never hear anything from them directly.  And then, if you do hear something back, its only in a direct message.  A direct message from a top Twit is great too, don't get me wrong.  But it doesn't show your twitterverse that the Twitter celeb is actually acknowledging you.  I know that sounds trivial, but unfortunately that's one of the things that gets others to follow you.

Twitter cynics will say,  "But I don't care if people follow me.  I don't need big numbers."  Well, good for you.  But personally, I like networking with many people.  It's sort of my job because I am a recruiter.  And if you have a job, or a business, or anything else that networking is good for, then you should agree.  The whole idea is to get to know new people.  Some of my best resources on Twitter have come from the most unlikely of followers. 

So thanks to you all for retweeting me.  Much appreciated.  Cheers, CF

So do you agree?  Should retweeters be thanked publicly?  Am I nuts?  Let me hear from you.

Labels: branding, MicroBlogging, Recruiting, Social Media, Twitter, web2.0

What a week it has been.  I keep getting surprised by how cool Twitter is and how many new relationships I have made there in the last few months.  You can't achieve anything quite like this anywhere else.  There are very few people that I network with on Twitter that I knew prior to joining last September.  But I have so many people who now influence my life from Twitter that its hard to comprehend.

Twitter, at its best, is a great happy place where people exchange ideas and information, wit and wisdom.  You give advice, ask advice, do favors, ask favors.  Its a truly great exchange.  And one for which I am very thankful.  In fact, most of the time, everyone on Twitter is thankful.  Gratitude runneth over in the Twittersphere.

I think that's one of the things that makes Twitter so addictive.  Social networking isn't just about the Internet real estate on which one squats.  It's about what you build there.  Relationships are the most valuable assets on the net.  So no matter how many are people in your network, it doesn't mean much if you don't really know the people who make it up.  And the only way to do that is to truly engage with them.

Simple courtesy dictates that you show your gratitude when someone does something nice for you.  So it is on Twitter.  Twitter etiquette dictates that you should thank those who "ReTweet" your posts to their network.  Twitter is also the home of #followfriday, a method by which tweeps show their appreciation for one another by including them in a #followfriday post that others in their network can click on to find more good tweeps to follow.  And sometimes you even get mentioned in someone's blog post.  Talk about cool!

How do you even begin to thank someone for that?  Earlier this week I wrote a post about Susan Kang Nam's reasons for using Twitter.  In a karmic turn, three unrelated Twitter friends mentioned me in their blogs later this week.  Three!  Big deal?  It is to me.  I feel as if I am in some kind of Twitter thank you groove.  And I am inspired to keep it going.

It started with something Dan Schawbel (@danschawbel) posted to Twitter about not spreading yourself too thin on Social Networks.  I ReTweeted Dan's idea and James Wester (@jameswester) asked my opinion as to why not and I told him I feel that if you are spread out over too many networks you won't be able to keep up decent relationships with your friends on some of them.  Well Dan's tweet, and my reply gave James an idea for a very poignant article he wrote on his blog at Ignorantium, entitled, "The Peanut Butter Principle? Spreading Yourself Too Thin." 

Then I posted a link to an article called, Don't Create a Job Description Resume, in response to which my friend, Annette Holland (@dananner) asked me what my advice is for a Jack (or Jill) of all trades.  Annette is about to be looking for a job but not sure which direction she wants to go.  I gave her my standard advice on that question, which is to focus on what you have done best or most of.  I gave her an article to read for reference, Should You be a "Jack of all Trades" or a Specialist?  We later had a quick phone conversation where I gave her some ideas to work on.  And wouldn't you know, all this prompted her to write a great blog article entitled, The dilemma for a "Jill of all trades".  Annette is a great writer who will soon be getting paid to do so, in my humble opinion.

Finally, Thursday I mistyped "Come Shake Your Groove Thank" in a post I sent out to let people know about a get together happening this weekend.  I meant to say, Groove Thang, which I clarified in a follow-up Tweet.  But a new Twitter friend, Judy Kinney (@flourishingjudy), liked Groove Thank better and we discussed how it could be a metaphor for social networking.  She smelled a blog post coming and we decided to each write something.  So on Friday she posted an insightful article, Grab Your Gratitude Groove Thang. 

And here I am writing this.  Thank you to all those who have made this such a memorable week.  You keep renewing my faith in people.  That's what social networking is all about.  People, not numbers.  Do you talk to your network?  Just listen?  Or do you truly engage?  Give more than you expect to get and you will soon find yourself in a thank you groove too.

Labels: blogging, MicroBlogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

A big question I am often asked about Micro-Blogging service, Twitter, is simply this, "So what do you do on Twitter, just tell people what you're doing?"  And my answer is usually, "No".  I use Twitter to network with early adopters and people all over the world who have similar interests in social media and web2.0 technology.  I post helpful links about careers, employment, and job searching.  And I use it to promote my blog, where I write about using those technologies for recruiting, career branding, and employer branding.  I also use Twitter to promote my company, A-List solutions, a full service staffing and recruiting firm for management, marketing, and I.T. positions.  (how about that shameless self promotion!)

One of my Twitter networking friends, who I originally met through a recruiting network, is Susan Kang Nam.  She is what I like to call a social media darling.  She is a master networker with a knack for recruiting, collaborating with the top players in social media and recruiting.  She supports her sister's boutique, Pink Olive Inc. based in NYC, where she uses various social media tools to network and build relationships with customers, vendors, and community organizers around the world.  Susan also has responsibility on the boards and committees of numerous groups and associations related to social media, recruiting, and careers.  You can see a full bio of her at her Google profile page: http://www.google.com/s2/profiles/117560664691580702505 

When we talked last week about ways to encourage more participation in a Twitter networking group that she runs on Talentbar.com,  she told me that she had been invited to sit on a panel at the upcoming BlogHer conference.  She thought this was slightly ironic because she doesn't have a blog.  In January we had talked about her plan to start a blog and she told me at the time that she hadn't done so yet because she was still finding her voice, -deciding on the right content, key players, and collaborators- to present persuasive information that is original and unique to readers. 

Susan excels at the concise format of micro-blogging, which, with the help of Twitter, has become the hottest new form of blogging.  The BlogHer panel she has been asked to sit on is a "micro-blogging" panel called "Is MicroBlogging the Key to MommyBlogging Bliss?".  But she is still working on the idea of a real blog.  She has encouragement from blogosphere luminaries like good friend Chris Brogan.   But she is in no rush to set one up, having such enthusiasm for twitter (She's happy to be a micro-blogger) offering values & engaging in interesting dialogues via tweets.

Still she joked, in a tweet she sent to me after our call, that she doesn't do that much creative writing.  I tweeted her back with a gentle nudge and she responded the way I would expect her to.  By writing something so useful that I wanted to blog about it.  She posted the following note on Facebook shortly after our exchange.  It's a great lesson for would-be bloggers.  And it is great info for anyone wondering what this Twitter thing is all about, highlighting some of the multiple ways that it is useful. 

Why Tweet? Tweeting for 5 reasons so far...

  By Susan Kang Nam

Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 2:23pm

Encouraged by my latest "tweet" from a twitter recruiting pal Craig Fisher, I decided to "practice" my creative writing on this post via FB notes today. His tweet to me was:

Fishdogs (Craig): @PinkOliveFamily (Susan) That's crazy. You are plenty creative. It's like anything else. Research + Practice makes perfect : )

Ha! So as much as I'd like to believe that I am a creative writer. I solely admit I am not. However, here is my further attempt to continue writing and exploring via this post.

Many ask me why I "tweet" and there is no short answer for that obviously. To be honest, from the beginning it was just another tool ~ an exploratory tool that I have used after hearing it from a couple of recruiters over at recruitingblogs.com back in late June of '08.

I tweet for the following 5 reasons:

1. Content: Initially I came to twitter to review and correspond with other recruiting professionals to share content. I find some of their links that they share online quite useful i.e. Fistful of Talent to various other recruiting bloggers that showcase their knowledge and thoughts. I also came in initially to reach out to other pink olive customers and to provide value i.e. Tory Johnson over at ABC news Good Morning America, Women for Hire CEO - as her little one was a fan of pink olive boutique in east village location. I was happy to reach out to other Pink Olive customers and give information back to my sis Grace Kang, founder/owner/designer for Pink Olive Boutique. Other contents I valued overtime include Social Media in general, Marketing sources as well as reaching out to mainstream media professionals (i.e. CNN, Wall Street Journal to Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick etc and the list goes on and on). As I continue to look out for my next executive recruiting position I'd like to continue to explore connection via Twitter and find it worthwhile. In the meantime, appreciate sharing contents via peeps I follow on Twitter.

2. Contacts: As I started to lead a club called Boston Salty Legs Career Club, I have utilized all social media tools including Twitter to reach out and get referrals for our membership roster. I found it quite helpful and the contacts I have made via twitter has been phenomenal. Of course, I talk about Chris Brogan quite often however since I have the great opportunity to meet him via his New Marketing Summit I have been in awe of what he has brought reference to contacts I have made via Twitter. I highly recommend following him on twitter if you have not yet to recognize the "value" that he brings to connecting with professionals all over the world utilizing this platform. And yes I would not have had the opportunity to connect with someone like Tory either if it wasn't for our tweets shared back in October of '08. Currently I have little over 4400 followers and I am humbled by what they know and share (even funny jokes really helps - that reminds me - can't forget about @animal - aka recruiting animal ;P).

3. Presence: At Jeff Pulver's SocComm summit I had the opportunity to share my thoughts via being part of his twitter team in NYC. At the Summit, many mainstream media industry moguls spoke on topic of "presence" on social media. I highly recommend to attend his next SocComm2 Summit in June and continue the conversation on various topics. The topic of "truth" from Fred Wilson was an eye opener for me for sure. His thought processes intrigued me.

4. Branding: There has been lots of tweets regarding Branding lately and I hope to explore more on this topic as I am not 100% clear on both personal or professional/employer branding. I'd like to "think" that I know what exactly it means to brand yourself using twitter however that topic is open for more to come.

5. Fun: I know we speak of ROI for everything ~ however twitter is also about having "fun" engaging in conversations while making an impact in this "new" social media world. For good example, Jyl Johnson Pattee and Carissa Rogers, founders of MomITForward and #GNO have done a great job energizing the 200+ mommy professionals providing "fun" content on Twitter along with their efforts to reach out. Their mission is "to change the world one mom at a time." achieving that by 1) strengthening women, 2) helping them become the best moms they can be, and 3) providing ideas, opportunities to, and recognition for carrying out the Mom It Forward mission in small and large ways, locally as well as internationally. I am in awe of their efforts & energy and I do my best to join their #GNO hashtag party in Twitter every Tuesday night from 9PM EST.

As a micro-blogger, I am happy to share content, RT contents, making contacts, defining presence, learning about branding and having fun utilizing this tool. It helps me to pinpoint what I'd like to get out of for that day. Usually I'm on from 5:30-9:00AM on weekdays to engage in conversations (except this week I am "suppose" to be on vacation ~ so I have been on more often than usual ;P). On weekends it really varies. Sunday early mornings are an interesting "time-frame" to tweet.  Why?  Hmm, that can be another post.

So, why do you tweet? :) What drives you to use this platform over others out there, not to mention already "addicted" to twitter ;P

Susan
On Twitter
@pinkolivefamily
@shuffergreene (for #GNO ladies and gents)
@saltylegs (private for members and guest speakers/ update for the club)

Labels: blogging, FACEBOOK, MicroBlogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, web2.0

A-List solutions is proud to sponsor the Dallas Twestival, which will take place this Thursday in Dallas form 6-9pm at Mockingbird Station.  There will be live music, a comedy show, and a movie screening in addition to free site wide wi-fi and some great networking with all your Twitter friends.  If you're not too sure about all this Twitter business, this is a great opportunity to experience what it's all about first hand.

Please join A-List solutions founders, Craig Fisher and Jeff Lipschultz for an historic event that will take place simultaneously in over 175 cities worldwide in support of Charity: Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.  For more information, go to twestival.com or Dallas.twestival.com.

A-List Solutions is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm providing permanent and contract placement services for management, Marketing, and IT positions. 

You can follow A-List Solutions on Twitter at www.twitter.com/alistsolutions for great employment, hiring, and job search info.  You can also follow Craig Fisher (www.twitter.com/fishdogs) and Jeff Lipschultz (www.twitter.com/jlipschultz ) for job search tips and social media strategy for careers and employment.

Here's is an article about the event form today's Fort Worth Star Telegram:

Twitter users will meet offline for a good cause | News | Star-Telegram.com

By MELODY McDONALD

mjmcdonald@star-telegram.com

It's enough to set your heart a Twitter.

On Thursday, in more than 175 cities worldwide, people who chat on the social-networking site Twitter will come together (in person) to raise money for one charity.

Think of it as virtual fundraising with a twist.

"When Twitter users meet up, they call it a 'tweetup,' " explained Laura E. Hall, a volunteer who is helping organize the event in Dallas. "It's like a social event that benefits social causes or social justice."

The "Twestivals," as they are being called, will be held in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. Dallas' event will be at Mockingbird Station, where tweeters (people who use Twitter) can meet, enjoy live music, and take in a free film and comedy show.

All the proceeds will go to Charity: Water, an organization devoted to bringing clean drinking water to developing nations.

"Clean water is a right that everybody in the world should have access to," Hall said. "It is great that we can use whatever method of technology available" to get the word out.

Twitter allows users to send updates (also known at "tweets") to their Twitter friends about what they are doing. It's similar to Facebook, but each update is limited to 140 characters.

Hall acknowledged that most people mail invitations or post fliers when they host a charity event. Using Twitter, she said, makes more sense.

"Twitter is definitely faster," Hall said. "People that use the service get their messages on phones or e-mails immediately. It becomes viral. People see the conversation, and they click over to see what is being talked about or what is going on."

Plus, Hall said, Twitter is eco-friendly.

"We are trying not to use printed material and are telling everyone to take the DART rail to Mockingbird," Hall said.

According to twestival.com, the idea to use Twitter to organize a charity event came from a group in London.

In September, the group decided to host an event that would benefit a local homeless charity and connect the local Twitter community, many of whom had never met.

Soon, other stories started popping up about local Twitter communities coming together for various causes.

Finally, the idea for a global Twestival was born.

Hall said that each city is responsible for its event. Dallas' goal is to raise $4,000, roughly the cost of drilling one water well in Central Africa.

Hall said part of the money will be raised through ticket sales. The rest will come from sponsorships and donations.

Hall said it is hard to predict how many will attend Dallas' Twestival, but she expects people to continue to use social media to raise awareness - and money.

"My whole life is wedded with social media," said Hall, 24, of Dallas. "I keep in contact with people through Facebook and I share stuff on YouTube. There is a saying that Twitter is what happens between e-mails and blogs. Twitter connects people directly with one another. I think it is a natural extension of where things are headed."

The Dallas Twestival is from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mockingbird Station, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane (just off Central Expressway) in Dallas.

Tickets for the Dallas Twestival are $10 if you buy at amiando.com/twestivaldallas or $15 at the door. The ticket gets you into a free film at the Angelika, a free show at Hyena's Comedy club, access to a raffle, drinks and food.

Volunteers run the event, and all proceeds are donated to Charity: Water.

For more information, go to twestival.com or dallas.twestival.com.

MELODY McDONALD, 817-390-7386

Labels: MicroBlogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Twestival, Twitter, web2.0

Jim Stroud posted this list yesterday on The Recruiters Lounge web site.  On this list I am #12.  Blast!  I should be #1!  But I just don't have time to Twitter that much.

Top 50 Recruiters on Twitter

According to Twitter Grader, below is a list of the Top 50 Recruiters on Twitter according to their number of followers and (presumably) their influence in the Twittosphere. All of the members below have the term "Recruiter" in their Twitter bio. (Just fyi.) Click here to see the Top 100 Twitterers with "Recruiting" in their bio. (Thanks to KarenM for the heads up.) 

Top 50 Recruiters on Twitter

#1 DMular (Dawn Mular)

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2. smheadhunter (Jim Durbin)

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3. derrickcarlisle (derrickcarlisle)

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4. mnheadhunter (Paul DeBettignies)

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5. prjobs (Lindsay Olson)

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6. cincyrecruiter (Jennifer McClure)

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7. eskimo_sparky (Markus Hafner)

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8. drsallywitt (Social Media Maven!)

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9. audreychernoff (audrey chernoff)

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10. heathergardner (heathergardner)

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11. biotechjobs (Laurie DesAutels)

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12. fishdogs (Craig Fisher)

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13. richrecruiter (richrecruiter)

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14. harveyclay (Harvey)

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15. mclaine (Michael Laine)

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16. salesrecruiter (Peggy McKee)

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17. medicalquack (MedicalQuack)

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18. srj61304 (Sarah)

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19. sallyoahu (SallyOahu)

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20. jonlyles (Jon Lyles)

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21. tcarah (Trevor Carah)

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22. debworks (Debworks)

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23. DarrylRMSG (Darryl Dioso)

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24. theregoesdave (theregoesdave)

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25. GordonLokenberg (Gordon Lokenberg)

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26. gunrights (Mark Vanderberg)

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27. AndreaSantiago (Health Careers)

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28. plaz_ (Drew Kovacs)

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29. aellislegal (Amanda Ellis )

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30. timpauk (timpauk)

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31. recruitermoe (Martin Burns)

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32. jguske (James Guske)

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33. kimpope (KimPope)

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34. barchbo (Betsy)

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35. DavidTalamelli (DavidTalamelli)

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36. mktrecruiter (Kim Sheets)

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37. stevengilbert (Steve Gilbert)

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38. the_wordgirl (the_wordgirl)

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39. topmentor (Brian McCoy)

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40. gregdwyer (gregdwyer)

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41. dawnmiller (Dawn Miller)

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42. shebeegee (Sheena Gates)

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43. davebenjamin (David Benjamin)

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44. bartkewicz (Matthew Bartkewicz)

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45. karla_porter (Karla Porter)

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46. allisonwerner (allisonwerner)

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47. smellycents (shelly centis)

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48. IMPACTHIRING_BR (Brad Remillard)

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49. blogging4jobs (JessicaMillerMerrell)

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50. nextforce (Ryan Coleman)

Labels: MicroBlogging, Recruiting, Twitter

To the uninitiated, Twitter is confusing, even daunting.  Whether you have never tried Twitter, or are just looking for some new tricks, you're in luck.  These tips will help newbies and Twitter veterans alike.  Happy tweeting.

13 Tips to Hacking Twitter

Sage Twitter advice from Larry Chiang on SocialTimes.com

Hey, What are you doing right now?

This is what Twitter answers in a text message of 140 characters or less. This networking tool is something bloggers use to publicize writings, companies use to elicit brand promotion, and people use to network. Here are ten Twitter hacks to better understand and leverage this new social networking tool.
-1- Be reTweet Worthy.

The biggest compliment you can get on Twitter is a retweet (RT). I've posted 2000+ tweets and maybe have been retweeted less than 1% of the time.

-2- Gossip Boy.

'OH' is when you "overhear" something juicy and tweet it as OH. This is in contrast to citing and sourcing, "@larryChiang's Drunk tttrs are funny". Gossip girls and boys, relish in the guilty comfort and anonymity within the confines of an 'OH'.

-3- Pick a Twitter Thesis.

Twitter generalists bore. Twitter granularists bore most when they 'report' on cereal consumption and choice. Solution: pick a thesis or at least a general focus. My focus is "What They Don't Teach You At B-School".

-4- Twitter Ambush.

Some elements of a good military ambush are positioning, preparation, monitoring and of course surprise. Position and preparation are functions of what you selected as your focus. Monitor via Summize. A twitter ambush is where people walk into your expertise and your material springs into action.
-5- Squat a Hashtag.

Conversations can be hash-tagged to get tweets organized. For example, "#SXSW08? is SXSW in Austin and if my math serves me right, #SXSW09 will be next year ;-). In March I'm hosting #VCsecrets as a panel. In the comments below add your hash-tags to various conversations.

-6- Reciprocaters Only.

Ratios on Twitter are very important. The Friend to Followers ratio should be 1:1. Friends are those you follow. The Follow-Unfollow-Follow maneuver is used on someone who isn't following you. What this does is sends an email notifying you are now following them (even though you were following them all along).

-7- Follow Passion Topics on Summize.

Use twitter search engine called Summize to find tweets about your thesis/focus. You can also use alerts based on keywords.

-8- Oops, I Did Mean to Turn You On

Twitter mistakes are fun and can help communicate a message. Depending on your newbie status, you can 'fail forward'. For example,
"Favorite @tylerWillis"
This mistake I made when Mr Tyler Willis reTweeted and re-posted a Business Week blog post of mine.

'Unfollow @gregarious' is when I didn't really stop tracking Greg, but wanted to fire a shot across his bow after he talked smack at #BWE08.

-9- TinyURL to Promote.

There are website shorteners for when you're tweeting a link. This helps you stay under 140 characters. You may have heard of RSS. Twitter is similar to RSS but made slightly more personal.

-10- Live tweet something.

Have access to something newsworthy, informational or breaking?! Live tweet it.
CNN loves the Twitter and your live tweets might make it onto cable TV for hundreds to see.

-11- Read your DMs and @ replies.

Twitter newbies don't realize that there are DMs - direct messages and @ replies - public DMs. For example, @arielK might tweet "@larryChiang AfterParty at W." I'd miss it if I didn't hit my "@replies" from my twitter home page.

-12- Host a Twitter Contest

High brow intellectuals furl at the thought of doing a contest. Me, I have 700 followers because I'll bribe, tip, comp and bribe people to read my twitter. I said bribe twice because nearly every contestant is a winner.

{CONTEST} Tweet ur fave TIP and WIN a gift card! http://tinyurl.com/twitter20 or http://tinyurl.com/6ak7r2 #larrychiang to play

-13- Pre-publish a Chapter Except via Twitter

There's an urban legend that a book is getting written via Twitter 140 characters at a time. Maybe its a sequel to "What They Don't Teach You At Stanford Business School."

Larry Chiang is the founder of Duck9. His focus is "stuff they don't teach you at B-school". It's material that Chiang has been reading, researching and investigating since he was a sophomore in college studying engineering. Get Chiang's book "What They Don't Teach You in Business School" here.

Labels: MicroBlogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter