This is a guest post by Michael Gass, whose Fuel Line blog has been ranked one of the top 100 marketing blogs in the world, according to Ad Age’s Power 150.
Twitter allows me to open up and share my personal side to make an emotional connection with my audience.
Sharing personal information helps my audience get to know me beyond my profession. If all of my Tweets or Retweets were business oriented, my Twitter feed would be dry and robotic.
“People want to work with other people that they know, trust and like.”
A lot of people have difficulty with how to be personal on Twitter. Many tend to over-think their tweets. The truth is, “The way you network offline is the same as the way you network online.”
I was just on the phone with one of the partners of a large agency in the midwest. He asked me if I could give him some examples. I came up with the following and thought I would share them in Fuel Lines for others who are having the same problem.
Here are some of the types of personal information that I have shared via Twitter:
1. Showing appreciation
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
When others are nice enough to retweet your posts, you should be willing to acknowledge them and “pay it forward”.
Another way to show appreciation is to have a “two-way” relationship. It shouldn’t be all about you. When people follow me, I reciprocate and follow them back. A couple of years ago, one of the early adopters of social media decided to dump thousands of people he followed. He had over 200,000 followers and unfollowed all but a few hundred. A number of others followed suit. I didn’t do that. I think it is respectful to treat others equally.
@RoxanneJoffe and her husband Sam Stern @mHealthMarketer , two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. A pleasure catching up w/ you both today!
@angelinestacy thanks for the #FF Angeline. I hope you had a great weekend!
@gfb3 thanks Frank. When I worked for Lewis Communications @Lewisideas I visited Mobile often. Hope you are having a great summer.
@mobstercreative very kind. Thank you!
@mnburgess thank you Mark. Very much appreciated. I hope you had a good weekend.
2. My Personal recommendations and opinions
Such as this recent Tweet: “If you are in retail you should follow @Ball_Brad, former CMO of McDonald’s, Warner Bros Pictures, Nascar Entertainment” or recommending a tool for new business: “I just subscribed to Job Change Alerts from @SalesLoft. 15 second signup here” http://jobchangealerts.com.
Another recommendation: @the_list_online thank you! And Congrats! The List was by far the most popular list service among the 300 agencies in this survey.
I share my likes and dislikes. For instance, I like Southwest Airlines and I greatly dislike US Airways.
A recent rant of mine via Twitter: “B’ham News keeps throwing these free papers onto our driveway. I’m saving them up so that I can dump them all on their doorstep!”
I choose not to share my political or religious views via Twitter. A good rule when sharing personal information in any social media network is to use some common sense. I only share what I would feel comfortable sharing in person when in a mixed setting such as a business meeting, trade show, seminar, etc.
3. Location information and travel
Some people are paranoid about sharing where they are. I’ve never been that way. Since I’m using Twitter as a networking tool for new business, I’ve found it beneficial to share where I am. For instance, I tweeted recently that I was on my way to Nashville. By the time I arrived, I had three additional meetings lined up with prospective clients.
Here is a sampling of my travel and location Tweets:
When I’m relaxing: I’m at Goose Pond Colony Marina (Scottsboro, AL) [pic]: http://4sq.com/16zqmca
When I’m working:
My office for the week! pic.twitter.com/qxTFjzeoAG
My office for the next couple of hours. pic.twitter.com/pID75ZEWYJ
Getting some exercise: I’m at Veterans Park (Alabaster, AL) http://4sq.com/144FrUI
At home:
About done with all of the yard work. Looking much better. pic.twitter.com/ylWTu2kiJ2
My new office assistant is working out well. I think he’s found a permanent place on my team. pic.twitter.com/jvXnN31lfq
Visiting city sites:
Wisteria covered gazebo in Central Park. pic.twitter.com/3t14zH63CW
It’s a #wonderfilled #oreo morning at the New York Stock Exchange pic.twitter.com/sM3FQzCgq5
I’m at Times Square (New York, NY) w/ 18 others [pic]: http://4sq.com/12uY1EM
Airports:
I’m at @Delta Sky Club (Atlanta, GA) w/ 2 others http://4sq.com/18EGn6z
I’m at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) (East Elmhurst, NY) w/ 88 others http://4sq.com/19uaZnj
@SouthwestAir lots of confusion Gate 4B @ Midway. Sign for Group A not visible. Awkward. pic.twitter.com/MiRyo9B1sX
First time to fly out of Gate 4A at Midway. Nice space. (@ Gate A4B – @fly2midway) [pic]: http://4sq.com/10ugXzp
Conducting workshops:
Traveling to Cleveland, OH today to conduct a New Business Social Media workshop
Starting the workshop with Quez Media Marketing. A great group! http://fb.me/MdKO5Zlu
Meeting celebrities: @tjholmes it was a pleasure to see you briefly at LaGuardia yesterday. I know you are going to land a big gig soon.
Visiting with industry leaders: @aaaaveep was kind enough to give me a tour of the @4As new office in NYC. Creative space w/ great views pic.twitter.com/R4f1nAC55r
Meeting interesting people along the way: Ms Mae has worked for the Lambert – ST Louis Airport for 34 years. She’s 71 yrs old
pic.twitter.com/REimLUmlzm
On the plane: Flying out of NYC heading to B’ham! http://ow.ly/i/27vyL
In the Cab: Gave my name to the limo driver to take me to the airport. On the way he realizes I’m not the person he’s to pickup. Back to hotel.
Meeting with friends:
@JeffFromm great to see you Jeff. Lets talk when you get back to KC
@paulroetzer @Tracy_J_Lewis I’ll ck my flight schedule and get back with you. Would like to get together if we can work it out.
Conferences:
Just finalized and sent my #Mirren New Business Presentation deck. Looking forward to my 11:15 am session Tues in NYC
Mark Snyder, president of @RSWUS speaking at #Mirren http://ow.ly/i/27rKM
Just saw @tracywong8 at #Mirren he was recently named one of the most influential art directors of past 50 yrs http://ow.ly/l1YnZ
My #Mirren session is about to begin pic.twitter.com/y9qNFtebkK
4. Inspirational quotes and stats
Great quotes and important statistics always create appeal and often become viral when shared in Twitter. Here are some that I’ve recently tweeted:
RT @GaryVee Guys once and for all – White wine is BETTER than Red Wine ..at least on my palate
Most agencies are in a perpetual state of re-branding or redesigning their websites or both!
By 2014, video as a total of Internet traffic will rise to 90% – souce CISCO
80% of decision makers said they found their vendors not the other way around – MarketingSherpa
Love is more than flowers and a happy ending. True love is making another’s well-being more important than your own http://ow.ly/mCE7y
Advertising Wisdom @LeeClowsBeard No point setting up a client on Twitter if you can’t help them step it up on Twitter.
The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” — John Pierpont Morgan
Survey: Over 86% of respondents reported using bureaus for recommending and hiring professional speakers http://ow.ly/kTS9F
5. Emotional experiences
I occasionally share my emotions and how I’m feeling. For instance, I wasn’t real happy having to spend the weekend on some major yard work projects. I had a number of guys chime in with some of their own disgruntlements about their “Honey-Do Lists”. I guess it’s true, “Misery loves company!”
Here are a couple of other Tweets of articles that I wrote sharing some very emotional experiences:
My Favorite Aunt Passed Away http://goo.gl/fb/XH6Su
I Have Lost My Most Faithful Companion http://dld.bz/cynTf (I had over 1,000 respond in some way to this article)
6. Articles and books that I recommend
Most people rely on word of mouth from trusted friends when it comes to finding good content. I’m often asked to recommend reading for business development, social media or agency presentations. I write a good number of book reviews and share them through Twitter. I recommend and even help promote resources that I feel will be helpful to my target audience.
I just bought: ‘How To Deliver A TED Talk: Secrets Of The World’s Most Inspiring Presentations’ http://ow.ly/kJnLQ
Why Is Facebook Blue? The Science Behind Colors In Marketing By @LeoWid
You have to check out the video trailer for @jaybaer new book, #Youtility. Very cool! http://ar.gy/YoutilityTrailer
The All Business “No Bull Crap” Guide to Social Media Marketing http://dld.bz/aymEZ
Free ebook for you: A Field Guide to the Four Types of Content Marketing Metrics. Download it here: http://ar.gy/4AK0
John Jantsch always provides such helpful content “How I Podcast and Why I Think You Should” http://ow.ly/kP0sC via @ducttape
Reading the The Insider’s Guide to Boat Cleaning and Detailing
7. Personal interviews
Interviews are a tremendous tool for personal branding. It builds credibility with your audience and allows you to showcase your specialty. Sharing them through Twitter allow’s your target audience to see, hear and get to know you.
Podcast Interview: Fueling Ad Agency New Business with Michael Gass http://ow.ly/kBYw2
How to Win Agency New Business: Interview | Branding Magazine http://dld.bz/cFGcF
8. Hobbies and projects
All of your communications through Twitter do not have to revolve around business. It’s a place to enlist conversations, helps and resources when you are engaged in a project or want to nurture a hobby.
Sodding the backyard … My DIY project when I return from my business trip. pic.twitter.com/59fioKWQVi
About done with all of the yard work. Looking much better. pic.twitter.com/ylWTu2kiJ2
Almost finished with re-teaking the interior of the boat. pic.twitter.com/v0ZFWOaOlH
9. Photos and videos of family, pets, travel, vacations, etc.
Photos and videos are powerful because people are visual. They can help to quickly create an emotional connection with your Twitter audience. Here’s a sampling of photos and videos I’ve shared:
Celebrating Jonathan’s birthday at Mizu’s. He wanted Suhsi. pic.twitter.com/bQyQNhbQi0
Sun rising over Lake Erie #Cleveland pic.twitter.com/eSa6fmPuT0
4th of July Celebration on Lake Guntersville vine.co/v/ha5BdwM1BEL
It looked like snow in my hometown of Winchester, TN yesterday. Soft hail called Graupel http://ow.ly/i/232bu
A beautiful summer morning. https://vine.co/v/h7Iw0nTBHJq
The General Jackson on the Cumberland River, Nashville, TN pic.twitter.com/wYrDZgu54F
Jax on the boat pic.twitter.com/s08ss94uOU
One World Trade Center – A beautiful sight! pic.twitter.com/eMiHTKPpse
I saw this yesterday … a motorcycle seat for a dog. It even had its own little windshield! pic.twitter.com/r58LVAdooP
Fish on! pic.twitter.com/wWlE32AXms
We have a new addition to our family. Any suggestions on a boy’s name? pic.twitter.com/4jSQFgRIQq
What a gorgeous evening pic.twitter.com/gGnYSM3DVd
I saw this sculpture in a NYC store front window. It’s carved from bone. Incredible detail. http://ow.ly/i/28PjR
10. Contests and Polls
Conducting polls and engaging in contests provide lots of opportunities for engaging with others and real time feedback via Twitter. Here are some examples:
@bhammag Best Pets Photo Contest – Please vote for my daughter’s pup Brady by clicking “Like” http://ow.ly/ldxLQ Thank you!
Should people be given the freedom to work from home? http://twtpoll.com/glrwjj via @michaelgass (this poll generated over 200 responses)
Are you a Mac or PC person? http://twtpoll.com/1s5hx5 via @michaelgass
Fuel Lines’s ‘Ad Agency Blog of the Year’. Vote for your favorite from among these ‘Blog the Month’ winners: http://twtpoll.com/ifkezk via @michaelgass (Over 3000 responses)
Should Ad Agency Pitches and RFPs Be a Thing of the Past? http://twtpoll.com/3n6yo7 via @michaelgass
11. Causes
47% of Americans learn about causes via social media and online channels.
Liz Strauss is a well known social media strategist who has been battling throat cancer. To fight the cancer, it required extensive chemo and radiation. On top of her treatments, Liz also suffered a fall that broke her hip and shoulder. As a result, Liz was confined to the hospital from December through March. Her friends created an auction fundraiser with all proceeds from the fundraiser going to Liz. Tweets like the following helped spread the word quickly:
The Official Liz Strauss Fundraiser is Finally Live http://ow.ly/2xvRLY Via @lizstrauss
Liz Strauss Fundraiser – Liz was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. Help her and her family if you can http://ow.ly/mo3wx
@jasonfalls If there’s anyone in the social media world most of us owe a little something to, it’s @lizstrauss. She needs us: http://buff.ly/14zGGMK
12. Events, TV Shows and Movies
I’ve tweeted television events such as the Oscars and shared my opinions of the Super Bowl ads. I’ve engaged with others via Twitter while watching programs such as AMC’s Mad Men and The Pitch.
@SHO_Dexter “You’re exactly what you need to be, #Dexter. You’re perfect.” –Evelyn Vogel pic.twitter.com/ADJC0BlYbf
“You know the rules. I don’t make plans and I don’t make breakfast.” #MadMen
@ThePitch_AMC: #ThePitch returns August 15. Check out the full list of brands and agencies featured this season http://bit.ly/15ao7xQ
Another coach has left The Voice – who do you think should sit on next season’s panel? http://bit.ly/13pb3YI
Additional Twitter articles that may be of interest:
[Infographic] How To Write The Perfect Tweet
The Single Most Important Twitter Tool for Ad Agency New Business
10 Twitter Mistakes Made By Ad Agencies for New Business
About Michael Gass
Michael Gass is an international new business consultant to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies. Since 2007 he has led in the use of social media and content marketing strategies to make agency new business EASIER.
He is the founder of Fuel Lines, which has been rated among the top 100 marketing blogs in the world, according to Ad Age’s Power 150. You can reach Michael at michael@michaelgass.com.
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