Well, that’s what I always tell PRs when I run training sessions. Why? Because I find it impossible to explain to twitter newbies exactly how and when it *might* be OK to do so. But am I too hardline?

Maybe.

I mean when I run training sessions most people are new to Twitter full stop, forget the marketing applications (ick) of the service. But could PRs have an authentic and relevant conversation about a client on Twitter? Hmmm…

Willing to accept I am not the Social Media equivalent of a Delphi Priestess I instead asked some of my on- and offline writing contacts to “B*tch about the Twitter Pitch”. Over to them……

The majority said:
“Not at all” or “Not unless I know you”“

However some pointed out that if you know eachother, you already know how they prefer to be pitched, and would have their email/phone contacts to do so.

Of those who were fine with it (and I’m not listing their names to avoid them getting inundated) they advised:

• DM’s preferable
• Further to the above, ONE DM ONLY, preferably with a link to further info
• Once you’ve said it,  then leave it with them, don’t pester
• Relevancy is still important! Don’t just pitch them because they have a lot of followers…
• Works best if you can see they’re online and having a relevant conversation, otherwise email would be better

In general Twitter feels quite personal to people, they would prefer for you not to try and start a “business” conversation with them unless they open themselves up to it, for example with a request for information via Twitter.

Oh, and most said the personal nature of Twitter went double for Facebook. So don’t switch your pitch to there.

Good luck out there.

a “referral economist”, a new breed of business matchmaker who profits from connecting people

That alone sounds a little shady but in context it’s about using your network to connect with business opportunities and connect other businesses to eachother.

A lot of people think “networking” is ego-driven, greasy sales types at events handing out business cards and trying to get closest to the most important person in the room. That’s just a misconception like the idea that Twitter is just ego-centric, over-sharing of the minutae of life.

Networks (and social technologies like Twitter)  are about connecting people. The social media revolution has already massively impacted industry by connecting brands and customers. The next phase is when businesses connect to eachother. Wikinomics fascinates me by exploring that idea, and the concept of  Amplified 09 goes further looking at what happens when we connect across industries.

I know it’s cheesy but we really do live in exciting times.

Alpacas. The new LOL cats?

Kerry has started a meme to share resolutions for social media and digital blah in 2009. Ordinarily I probably just wouldn’t do it but then that’s already…

…My 1st Resolution: Enjoy doing more of the fun stuff on the web and less o’ the work side

My 2nd Resolution: Give up explaining why I use Twitter to non-users. Like with everything else just try it yourself and decide

My 3rd Resolution: Bother to show my friends more of the cool/useful stuff on the web. This will help with my 1st Resolution

My 4th Resolution: Express my opinion more even if it’s *shock horror* a tad negative. As a PR you can get a little paranoid that a) you are creating a problem for another PR b) will never work in this town again

My 5th Resolution: Trim out people in my communities who are unpleasant about PRs. Yes, we make mistakes but there should still be space for people to mess up without all this stoopid ‘naming and shaming’. Personal attacks on, quite often, junior people just starting out in their careers and following instructions, are rubbish. This includes PRs who are quick to cannibalise each other.

Could I suggest we spend 2009 victimising call centre support staff instead? Let’s face it everyone gets fed up with customer service, we’ll never find out their real names and we might  get some vouchers from ranting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In line with 1st Resolution going to tag some non-marketers to see what they’re planning. Over to you Jess, Stuart, Steve, Leila and Ferdy

This morning I logged on to see that Janefu who, judging by her profile pic, works for Qik had seen my plaintive cry and tweeted back to ask what the problem was.

Although I feel slightly silly, it’s impressive that they’re listening to conversations and responding direct to try and help out. Now, I wonder if I rant about HSBC if anyone will finally return my calls?

The images are pulled from Flickr based on the tabs attached by the people uploading them and the results are surprising, beautiful, interesting, funny, …

I use it mostly to send image cards to people, which are a lot cooler than some current e-card offerings. I sent a recently diagnosed diabetic gummie bears and a new home owner a quote.

I think they’re on to something…

My positive response to the environment demonstrated that people feel different degrees of being intro- or extroverted and it’s something that crops up in questions when I run social media training sessions: who are ‘these people’ ie bloggers, tweeters, social networkers et al and why do *they* feel so comfortable broadcasting their lives?

I’m not sure I know the answer. At a basic level, once you and your friends start using something like Facebook it becomes more standardised and natural, you find yourself adding more personal updates, posting photos etc.

But honestly I still feel a bit like a social media “observer” using tools like this blog and Twitter to engage with my community from professional more than personal desires. As a pretty private person being publicly online makes me feel exposed and I contemplate deleting my accounts to run away to my Benedict’s cave. (Although I wonder if after 30 mins there I’d discover a compulsion to tweet “sitting in cave waiting for @Romanus to stop by with the food basket”).

I suspect that your level of comfort with publicly sharing is based on your confidence to allow people to make judgements about you. After all people can be nasty (See: Max’s Guardian blog or when Katie took on Fark)

There must be social anthropologists studying and categorising social media engagement types. But it’s intrinsic for humans to share at some level whether it’s online via blogging etc or offline via updating the people in your office with details of your love life. Only the mediums have diverged.

1000s of years ago when humans were creating cave drawings I wonder if they ever imagined their works would be seen outside of their small tribes.

How do you feel? Are you too shy to share?

[Check out more funny cartoons at Geek And Poke]