Do Not Underestimate The Power Of Twitter Chats
By Cheval John
We have heard predictions of how twitter was going to be bought by a major media company by a certain time.
We also heard how Twitter was not relevant anymore because they were not “growing” in user base.
Some saw twitter as a place where people spam others hoping to make a sale.
I can understand what they mean due to the constant automated direct messages from people who are asking to like their business page or subscribe to their blog.
The truth is twitter has always been relevant since it began in 2006.
Just because they have 330 million active users compared to Facebook’s almost 2 billion users does not mean Twitter is not important.
No other social media platform (with the exception of snapchat) have come close to where you can interact with anyone in “real time.”
There is a level playing field when you can chat with a celebrity or with an “influencer” any time you want to on Twitter.
Those who think Twitter is not relevant are missing a huge opportunity to stand out from their competition.
They do not realize the majority of journalists from media organizations have Twitter accounts.
Most of them will share another side of themselves and also interact with their fans.
The smart entrepreneurs will take the time to build a relationship with the journalists on Twitter and sometimes see the behind the scenes of what they are working on for a news cast.
This can save them from ending up in the journalists’ spammer list because most companies still use the dreaded press release in order to get placement in the media outlet.
If they share the journalists’ article consistently to their audience on twitter, the journalist will notice.
Unfortunately, most corporations and organizations uses twitter as a broadcast only channel to promote their events to the journalists on the platform.
They think the golden days of advertising still works today.
When they do not see the quick results from their tweets, then they whine like spoiled brats wondering why their campaign is not working.
They also will blame Twitter and tell everyone it is not worth the investment because they did not see the results they were hoping for.
That is probably why they thought social media was a fad because it clearly went against the conventional wisdom of advertising.
And why small businesses, mid-sized businesses and even micro-businesses will always win because they are using Twitter to build a community around their brand.
One of the methods they use to build a community is hosting a Twitter Chat.
A twitter chat are conversations with like-minded people surrounding a hashtag.
Think of it like a focus group that happens every week.
The topics can range from social media marketing, how to build a successful blog, or how to host events if you are in the event planning business.
The brands can use these twitter chats to learn more from the community.
They can even get topic ideas for their blog.
Most companies produces a recap from the twitter chats on their blog and feature the best answers from the participants.
This is another way for the company to highlight their community and share their expertise with their audience.
This is the cherry on the cake for the participants because they are contributing to the twitter chats and also getting exposure to the host’s blog audience.
The participants in turn can share the twitter chat recap to their audience on social which gives the brand exposure to prospective clients.
They can also create a press page on their website featuring the recap from the brand’s blog.
It’s a win-win for both the twitter chat host and the participants.
For those who are looking to run a twitter chat in the new year, here is a list from the most successful twitter chats.
#TwitterSmarter: Thursdays at 1 p.m. eastern time
Twitter Smarter is hosted by Madalyn Sklar, a podcaster, business coach and houston social media power influencer.
She started the chat in mid 2015 after her podcast by the same name became very popular.
The chat talks about ways to use twitter wisely and has a plethora of guests.
Twitter Smarter also became very popular due to the number of participants who are there on a regular basis.
Another reason for the fast growth is Madalyn has hosted another twitter chat for five years surrounding the Go Girls Community prior to starting Twitter Smarter.
#ContentWritingChat: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. eastern time
Content Writing Chat is hosted by Express Writers.
Topics surrounds putting out quality content, having a content calendar, seo, etc.
This chat also features guests who shares valuable information to the community.
Each month, they have open forum in which they ask the community tips on improving their content.
#ChatGram: Tuesdays at 1 p.m. eastern time
Chat Gram is host by Ken Watson, a houston social media power influencer
This is the first twitter chat surrounding the use of instagram.
Participants share on topics like the importance of instagram stories and how to spot bots.
The chat also has guests who are experts on instagram.
#ChatSnap: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern time
Chat Snap is hosted by Kristy Gillentine, a former journalist and houston social media power influencer.
This is the first twitter chat all about snapchat.
Participants attend this chat to learn about building a community on snapchat, how businesses can benefit from snapchat, etc.
This chat also features guests who are experts in all things snapchat.
#MediaChat: Thursdays at 10 p.m. eastern time
Media Chat is hosted by Aaron Kilby, vice president of sales and marketing for Artisan Colour.
Guests have included experts ranging from social media to live streaming.
#WinnieSun: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern time
This chat is hosted by the co-founder of Sun Group Wealth Partners, Winnie Sun.
It features different experts from the finance industry who share tips on managing your money.
Topics also surrounds social media which Winnie Sun has leverage to gain the right clients for the company.
#BlogElevated: Mondays at 10 p.m. eastern
Blog Elevated is co-hosted by Bobbie Byrd and Lisa Stauber.
Topics range from improving your blog to using live streaming.
The twitter chat is an extension of the blog elevated conference which brings in speakers who are experts in blogging.
Both co-founders are houston social media power influencers as well.
Did I miss any twitter chats from this list? You can leave your comments below.
Madalyn Sklar: Online Community Builder and Social Media Influencer
By Cheval John
Starting today, I will be posting about each of the podcast episodes from What’s The Word? here on the blog.
You will be seeing snippets of videos from the Vallano Media TV’s YouTube channel in addition to the full episode which airs on BlogTalkRadio.
The videos are edited from Blue Jeans Network, which I use to record the majority of the podcast on Facebook Live.
The original blog posts will continue as always.
Today’s podcast episode features Madalyn Sklar, host of the #TwitterSmarter podcast and Twitter Chat.
Madalyn is a social media influencer who has built online communities in the age of the internet and now social media.
She started #TwitterSmarter podcast in early 2015 as a way to find out from experts their number one twitter tips people can use to grow their audience.
The podcast became so popular she decided to create a Twitter chat with the same name and it grew even more popular.
Madalyn was also among the first people in Houston to use Twitter in 2007.
In this episode, you will hear:
The history lesson of the formation of social media
What led her to start Go Girls Music Online Community
How she was among the first to live tweet an event at South By Southwest in 2008
How running Go Girls Music Twitter Chat prepared Madalyn to have “immediate” succuss with the current #twittersmarter twitter chat.
Video Snippet from Vallano Media TV
Full Podcast Episode on BlogTalkRadio
Here is the upcoming recording on Facebook Live on the business page:
Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communication- 4 p.m. eastern, 3 p.m. central
If you have a guest you want featured on the show, please leave a comment below.
Top Seven Twitter Chats For Starters
By Cheval John
Here are some statistics to think about:
-Social media users have risen by 176 million in the last year-Brand Watch
-Online adults aged 18-34 are most likely follow a brand via social networking-Marketing Sherpa.
In 2016, there were 2.3 billion active social media users-Brand Watch.
Among the above statistics, Twitter users are about 350 million.
Yet, that platform allows you to interact with people in real time.
And the majority of journalists are on Twitter.
You can interact with them on a daily basis and they will notice your giving spirit.
That is how entrepreneurs like Josh Elledge, founder of Upend PR got to be on media outlets across the country.
Side note: Diane Gottsman is in my mind the best teacher on how to be a giver because she shares advice on etiquette that has made her a media resource.
One way to share value with your potential customers is to participate in Twitter Chats.
Twitter Chats are a place where you can interact with people using a hashtag.
You can use these Twitter Chats to get ideas for your content marketing.
And maybe interact with some journalists too because they might even be on Twitter chats
So how do you know which Twitter chats is right for you?
To answer your question, I have compiled a list of seven twitter chats that will give you valuable advice with your content marketing.
Twitter Smarter occurs on Thursdays at 1 p.m. eastern, noon central.
It is hosted by Madalyn Sklar, who is one of the leading authorities on Twitter marketing.
The chat has guests who answers questions on tips and strategies on how to use the social media platform.
And the majority of the time, the chat trends on Twitter.
2. #ChatSnap
#ChatSnap occurs on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern time, 1 p.m. central and is hosted by Kristy Gillentine.
This chat focuses solely on snapchat and how marketers can use this platform.
Kristy is one of the leading authorities on Snapchat and her Twitter chat has been quoted on Social Media Examiner
3. #MediaChat
#MediaChat occurs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. eastern, 9 p.m. central and is hosted by Aaron Kilby.
This chat focuses on different trends that is happening on social media and usually have guests like Jessica Ann
#LetsLivestream occurs on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. eastern, 2 p.m. central and is hosted by Rachel Moore, owner of Really Social.
This chat is a combination of a Twitter Chat where people can engage with their fellow participants and a Facebook Live Show where Rachel interviews the guests about different live streaming strategies.
5. #WinnieSun
#WinnieSun occurs on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern, 1 p.m. central and is hosted by you know who, Winnie Sun.
Winnie is the founder of Sun Group Wealth Partners and has made appearances on major media outlets to share her expertise surrounding the finance industry.
Her chat has a panel of guests that shares about how to manage your money and also social media topics in between.
It trended on Twitter today which shows the popularity of the chat .
What an honor to share this on #internationalwomensday #trending #WinnieSun ☀ pic.twitter.com/2IY0G0Nzie
— #WinnieSun ☀️ (@SunGroupWP) March 8, 2017
6. #ContentWritingChat
#ContentWritingChat occurs on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. eastern, 10 a.m. central and is hosted by Express Writers, LLC
Express Writers was founded by Julia McCoy in 2011 and has clients around the world.
Their twitter chat is about best practices surrounding content writing, the dos and don’ts of content writing.
Content Writing Chat also has guests who are experts in the evolving social media fields and they share what works for them in their content marketing efforts
#BlogElevated occurs on Mondays at 10 p.m. eastern, 9 p.m. central and is co-hosted by Lisa Stauber and Bobbie Byrd.
This chat shares about how a person can grow their blogs and also different ethical tactics that will make your blog stand out.
Blog Elevated is like an open forum where each of the participants can share what works for them in their blogging strategies and the hosts themselves will share some valuable advice that you never thought of before to grow your blog.
So there you have it, the top seven twitter chats that can help you grow your social media presence online.
Do you have a favorite Twitter Chat that has helped you with your social media marketing? You can leave your comment below
The Basics of Using Twitter
By Cheval John
The world of social media has changed over the last few years.
What remained are the dominant players: Facebook and Twitter.
LinkedIn is still an important platform for many entrepreneurs, business professionals and college graduates who are looking to get hired at a new company.
However, LinkedIn is now part of Microsoft due to the purchase earlier this year according to the Wall Street Journal
With rumors earlier this year of executives trying to sell Twitter, one could wonder if the social media platform is still viable for people trying to build a business or a personal brand?
Heck Yes
Though Twitter have about 320 million active users according to Adweek, you can still interact with people you admire in “real time”
The problem is many businesses see these social media platforms as a place to promote themselves for free and not interact with their customers.
On the flip side, small businesses understand the importance of social media and are being profitable in the process
I created a video below that explains the basics of using Twitter as my free gift to you for #smallbusinesssaturday.
The advice I share can apply to Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn because all of these platforms should be used to build trust with your audience.
Below this video are the twitter chats (conversations around a hashtag like #bizheroes of Paper.Li) I mentioned in the video:
Madalyn Sklar’s #twittersmarter Thursdays at 1 p.m. eastern, noon central: www.madalynsklar.com
Hootsuite’s #hootchat Thursdays at 3 p.m. eastern, 2 p.m. central : www.hootsuite.com
Chelsea Krost’s #millennialtalk Tuesdays at 8 p.m. eastern, 7 p.m. central: www.chelseakrost.com
Bonus: Applebee’s #livelunch Fridays 1 p.m. eastern, noon central: www.applebees.com
What are your favorite Twitter chats and how are you celebrating #smallbusinesssaturday?
Social Media Professionals Houston Businesses Needs To Know In 2018
By Cheval John
January 12th, 2018
Houston has long been known as the energy capital of the world.
It makes sense because the entire city was built directly and indirectly through the discovery of oil in the spindletop area in the early 20th century.
The riches made from the oil boom allowed people to form their own businesses in the growing city.
It even led one former Houston Post reporter Marcellus E. Foster to form the Houston Chronicle in 1901 despite the fact they already had two newspapers in the city with a population of about 45,000 residents at that time.
The Houston Chronicle outlasted the other newspapers to become the official newspaper of record (the Houston Post was bought and shut down by the Chronicle in 1995).
Another result of the oil boom was the creation of the Houston Ship Channel in 1914 which allowed the Port of Houston to become one of the largest cargo exporters in the United States due to connecting with the Gulf of Mexico.
The riches made from the wealthy also allowed them to create the Medical District, the largest area of hospitals in the world, the houston symphony orchestra, the houston ballet and many other places which has enriched the vibrancy of the city.
Why I went through the history lesson of houston you might ask?
Many outsiders only know the city of houston as the energy capital of the world.
They might not understand there is more to this city than meets the eye.
Though the oil and gas industry are the drivers of the houston economy, there are other business sectors which are comparable to other cities in the united states and even the world.
The city has a vibrant music scene where many independent artists create their sound and eventually get discovered by major music labels.
The food industry is very hip as well as they are thousands of restaurants in the city which some have said will take a lifetime to visit.
The above is quite impossible because many restaurants are closing every year while new restaurants are appearing at the same time.
Super Bowl 51 allowed visitors to see the different coffee shops, bars, burger joints, barbecue joints and restaurants the city had to offer.
Visitors also had the opportunity to see the thriving arts and entertainment scene the city has to offer.
They also might have been shocked to know the city of houston is among the few cities in the United States to have the the major artistry of the symphony orchestra, the ballet and the theather based in one area.
Many might be also be surprised to know Houston is among the places where the tech startup community is based.
Matt Mullenweg created this platform in the city of houston in 2003 from a code called b2/cafelog before changing the official name to wordpress.
And higher education institutions like the University of Houston and Rice University has set up incubators to allow startups to grow at a pace where they can be profitable on their own.
The non-higher education company which has also been a resource for startups is Station Houston.
Station Houston was created in March of 2016 to help startups connect with potential investors.
They give workshops on pitching to investors, growing your customer base and building a community around your brand.
Houston is also a hot bed for the social media industry.
Since every business sector must be on social media, they have to understand how to grow their audience and their business through this platform.
Unfortunately, people will have a tough time finding work as a social media professional in the city of houston.
According to Conductor, Houston was not even in the top ten for content marketing work and seo work.
It leads back to the oil and gas industry as they are rules and regulations on what you can report and what you can’t due to the competitive nature of the business sector.
Which leads to this point.
CEO’s, executives and C-Suite will have to be on social media in addition to the employees of each of the business sectors because people transparency from each brand.
They can not afford to do business as usual like they did in the past with comments about certain crisis or a change in the business structure with quote “said in a statement.”
Yes, they have to be very careful of what they say because it can become misunderstood by the public.
However, they can let the public know when an event is happening as quickly as they can, “We will answer all of your questions as soon as we can once we know all the details” in a crisis like an oil spill.
Or in the case of Walmart shutting down 63 Sam’s Clubs stores yesterday without giving their workers any warning about their change in direction of the business.
At least the rest of the workers in other stores within Walmart know they will be out of work soon.
Samantha Kelly, who is a twitter expert and founder of “The Women’s Inspire Network” said this statement in Social Media Examiner:
“CEOs will no longer be able to avoid social media. They’ll become the company’s biggest marketer by engaging with customers and allies more regularly and showing more behind the scenes and the human side, which will increase sales and brand advocates.”
This further explains that leadership from every business sector especially here in the city of houston must be on social media this year or wind up losing business to their competitors who are already there.
It does not mean for them to just broadcast their message hoping to get a sale on the first interaction.
It means taking the time to build trust with their customers consistently.
So they might be wondering how to get started with building a community with their customers on social media.
And which social media agency or professional corporations and organizations can work with.
Here are the top social media professionals here in houston I believe will be the best bet to guide them in taking their social media activities to the next level.
This list is not in any particular order
KAMI HUYSE
Kami is the founder of Zoetica Media, an agency which provide social media services to the health care sector, the non-profits and the travel industry.
She has been a public relations professional for more than twenty years prior to founding her company.
Kami is also the co-founder behind the Social Media Breakfast Houston, a monthly event which started in 2009.
Social Media Breakfast Houston is also live streamed on Facebook.
KRISTYNA TORRES-CRUZ
Known as “PR Kristyna”, she provides workshops and seminars about social media to the non-profit sectors.
Kristyna also does some live streaming surrounding tips to using social media to build an audience.
One of the best advice a person can follow from her is this: “Do not post the same content to other social media platforms because each of the platforms have different audiences and it comes across as lazy” #paraphrased.
Kristyna worked as a social media volunteer during Super Bowl 51 last year.
REBECCA COUNCILL
Rebecca is a social media professional who provides services to small businesses.
She is also a certified evernote consultant and businesses who needs helps with this platform can find her.
Rebecca is the founder of Social Media Day Houston, a one day event which brings together speakers on different social media topics and is indirectly part of the global Social Media Day event which was started by Mashable.
She also had the opportunity to work as a social media volunteer during Super Bowl 51 last year.
KRISTY GILLENTINE
Kristy is a former journalist and producer, who is the Vice President of Public Engagement for Drive West Communications.
She is also the creator of #chatsnap, the first twitter chat talking all things surrounding snapchat.
Kristy has done some snapchat takeovers including one for her former employer, KTRK-TV, a Houston media station.
She has also been featured on top blogs including Hootsuite and Social Media Examiner.
KEN WATSON
Ken is the founder of Watson Knowledge Services, a agency which provides small businesses with social media audits and consulting.
His main expertise is instagram.
Ken started #chatgram, the first twitter chat about all topics surrounding the instagram platform.
He also worked as a social media volunteer during Super Bowl 51 last year.
BOBBIE BYRD AND LISA STAUBER
Bobbie and Lisa are the co-founders of Quirky Owl Media, an agency which provides social media services to small businesses.
It is the parent company of Blog Elevated, an annual conference which brings together speakers on topics surrounding blogging.
They also co-host #blogelevated, a twitter chat which is an extension of the conference and was featured in Hootsuite’s blog.
They have spoken at Social Media Day Houston last year.
ERIC T. TUNG
Eric is the Digital Director for Go To Marketers, a Canadian based company.
He has spoken at Social Media Marketing World twice and was featured in media outlets like Forbes and The New York Times.
Eric has also been the guest speaker at Social Media Breakfast Houston and has build a strong online presence.
ANH T NGUYEN
Anh is the founder of Amplified Marketing, which provides services for mid-sized organizations.
She is also the co-host of #mobilechat, a twitter chat about topics surrounding mobile technology.
Anh has made appearances on Livestream Universe and has spoken at Social Media Breakfast Houston.
MADALYN SKLAR
Madalyn is a twitter expert who has build communities via Twitter Chats.
She was among the first to live tweet at a conference event when Twitter was in the early stages.
Madalyn hosts #twittersmarter, a chat about topics surrounding twitter.
She is also the host of #socialroi which recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary and is produced by Manage Flitter.
Madalyn has made many appearances on many media outlets including Al Jazeera and the Huffington Post.
JILLIAN GOLTZMAN
Jillian is an instagram expert and influencer.
She blogs at Cup of Charisma, where she shares tips on fashion and social good.
Jillian is also an account supervisor at Integrate, an award winning digital agency.
She was among the speakers at the inaugural Hispanicize Houston event last year.
Jillian has spoken at Social Media Breakfast Houston and was featured in the Houston Chronicle.
BASYA BENSHUSHAM
Basya is the founder of Pink Cilantro, a digital agency which focuses on social media and data.
The company has worked with brands like AT&T.
She has spoken at Social Media Breakfast Houston about data focused social media.
ASHLEY JOHNSON
Ashley is the founder of Mouth Marketing, LLC, a marketing agency which provides consulting to small businesses and startups.
Their specialty is LinkedIn because they have grown their business through the social platform.
Ashley has spoken at Social Media Day Houston in 2016 and 2017.
She has made an appearance on media outlets including Texas Business Radio and Voyage Houston.
AIMEE WOODALL
Aimee is the founder of The Black Sheep Agency, a marketing company which works with non-profits and for profit businesses who does social good.
She has been recognized by the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2014 and has been featured in media outlets including the Houston Chronicle, Fast Company and the Huffington Post.
Her company took part in former first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign, “Better Make Room” which brought one billion impressions on social media.
There you have it, the list of social media professionals who I believe will add value to your corporation and organization.
Did I miss anyone who you believe should be on this list? You can leave your comment below.
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