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His tweets often link to his blog, which offers a glimpse into his personal life—and is always beyond amusing. One entry not to be missed describes how he fell in love with his wife, Joan, on a visit to Necker Island years ago. His Facebook page has fewer viewers, with a “mere” 827,439 likes, and is intertwined with his Twitter content as well. It’s a place where his most loyal fans respond to his antics, like a recent photo he posted while kitesurfing at Necker Island—with bikini-clad woman on his back, of course. “You have a blast, Sir Richard. Have fun for me while you’re at it,” wrote one young man. “I hope that’s your wife!” another follower added.
Though there’s speculation about whether Branson writes everything that is posted under his name, for a 2013 Forbes article, writer Carmine Gallo spent a day observing his social media behaviors. “I had the opportunity to see how Branson interacts with his team, employees, and customers,” he wrote. “I was surprised to see him carrying a smartphone and sending out his own tweets. For example, when his marketing manager showed him a photograph of a Virgin employee, he said, ‘Send me the picture. I’ll think of a funny caption and I’ll post it.’”
For Branson's "Six Tips for Using Social Media to Screw Business As Usual," download our new interactive magazine app.
And she’s everywhere these days, not only online, but on Internet TV (she just became a co-host of the Event Alley Show), at every Vancouver meeting industry event, and speaking at meetings including The Special Event 2014 and last year’s Incentive Research Foundation Invitational.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
TE: I have followed the #EIR principle (Engage, Inform, Retweet), so when I find cool content or interesting people, I share. I’m excited about the future of where meetings and events are going, and the design skills and tools we can bring to support these shifts continue to fascinate me.
MEETINGSNET: What do you find Twitter most useful for? Has that changed over time?
TE: At the beginning, it was about learning, now it’s about connecting.
MEETINGSNET: Are people who meet you on Twitter surprised when they meet you in real life?
TE: At IMEX America this year, I met David Merrell (of AOO Events) in person, and his first comment was, “You look like your picture!” Apparently many people do not!
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
TE: Absolutely! @JeniseFryatt, @tracibrowne, @lindsayfultz, and @eventsforgood, among many, were people who taught me the Twitter ropes at the beginning and have continued to be fun and supportive friends. I’ll never forget @LCatRandall jumping up at a PCMA Convening Leaders lunch and yelling “Tahira!” We had been talking online for years and she was the PCMA online session moderator when I attended virtually. She became a catalyst for my involvement with the amazing work of the Incentive Research Foundation. There are so many more but I’m sure we’re running out of space!
MEETINGSNET: Has it led to business?
TE: It has led to many opportunities that support the business we do and make us more visible, including being the “dream wrangler” for Event Camp Vancouver and a co-host of the Event Alley Show.
MEETINGSNET: Have you ever had a profound experience because of Twitter?
TE: I have lots of stories, but here’s one of my favorites: I was at IMEX America, in a hotel elevator with a young man and a young woman, all of us strangers. She said to him, “I really like your shoes.” He replied, “Thank you, I couldn’t decide between two pairs so I put them on Facebook and let my friends vote.” I thought: What a cool idea! So as we were all walking to the show, I introduced myself, “By the way, I’m Tahira.” “TahiraCreates?!” he said. It turned out to be Gerritt Heijkoop, and we had been engaging each other on Twitter for nearly two years!
Favorite follows:
The Velvet Chainsaw Group: @velchain (Dave Lutz), @jeffhurt, @donnakastner
“Great writers and thought leaders”
“Always on the lookout for what is new”
“Always cool content”
@padraicino (Padraic Gilligan)
“Always finding things of interest to me and our industry”
For more on why Endean tweets from events, and the different approaches she uses for each social media channel, download our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
SM: The tweet-up is an amazing thing! I love that I can go to an event by myself, but almost always have a chance to meet up with folks I’ve only connected with on social media. It breaks the ice.
MEETINGSNET: Has it led to business?
SM: Yes, although this is a bit tough to quantify. Sharing and responding to questions via social media has led to people recognizing me as someone who is knowledgeable in my field. I’m so grateful for my Twitter peers who share what I offer with their networks, and that has led to business leads.
MEETINGSNET: Do you tweet a certain number of times a day?
SM: I’m probably less strategic than I should be. Because Twitter is not a part of my job formally, it tends to be the thing that slips when I get busy, or happens every couple of evenings. Outside of busy times, I typically share a few things a day. I’ve become more selective over time because there is only so much you can send before you become annoying, and I don’t share just for the sake of meeting a daily quota.
When I’m on site for an event project, what I share is a mix of spontaneous content and planned but inspiring fun facts to encourage people to make green choices. My favorite tweets are those that catch random acts of green in everyday event moments.
MEETINGSNET: What’s the value of tweeting from meetings and events?
SM: It’s impossible to take everything in, so listening to folks tweeting from other pods or sessions can give insight into what is being shared.
MEETINGSNET: How do you differ in your approach to the various social media channels?
SM: Facebook is a very personal social media channel for me. It’s rarely work-related, well, okay… I’ve maybe made my tweeps suffer a couple of dog and knitting pics! They’re still outnumbered by the number of event recycling bin pics!
MEETINGSNET: Do you ever tweet about your personal life or your family?
SM: I hope those who connect with me on social media are interested in authenticity, so while I don’t tweet out a lot of personal moments, I do share appropriate ones that are part of who I am.
Favorite follows:
Too many to mention…Check out my sustainable event teachers, green sports, ethical eating, environmental, technology, and science-based lists of tweeters I follow, on my Twitter.
For more on McKinley's mission when she tweets and how she finds it most useful, download our new interactive magazine app.
On Twitter, he draws you into his posts (which often connect to his blog with curious questions, such as, “What do Anguilla supermarkets and meetings have in common?” Answer: “You never quite know what you may find when you venture inside one.”), or blow-by-blow commentary from industry events (as at the recent Professional Convention Management Association Convening Leaders meeting, where he live-blogged, along with two of our other list members, Tahira Endean and Sue Pelletier), or through his regular features, such as his “Dear Adrian” letters, where he answers questions that other tweeters send to him.
MEETINGSNET: What do you find Twitter most useful for?
AS: Most people are surprised when I tell them that Twitter has been the most important method for people to hear about my work, and for me to connect with like minds who I never would have met otherwise. People who find me on Twitter usually end up at my blog, where all my important short-form writing resides. Even though Twitter has been invaded in recent years by people who try to use it as a broadcast medium, it remains a powerful means of making valuable, serendipitous connections, and an invaluable tool for interesting conversations.
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
AS: Most of the people I meet professionally in real life I’ve met on Twitter first. For example, at the last conference I attended (the Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference in Boston in November), I’d estimate that over half the people I met there for the first time I had previously connected with on Twitter.
MEETINGSNET: How do you differ in your approach to the various social media channels?
AS: I use Twitter and Google+ to channel people interested in my stuff to my blog/Web site. I dislike Facebook and use it mainly to stay in touch with a couple of event industry groups (plus, of course, friends and family). If I had time to make decent videos, I’d like to use YouTube more; I’ll occasionally post a promo video or interview. LinkedIn is helpful for professional contacts, but I don’t find the social media opportunities there especially useful.
MEETINGSNET: Do you ever tweet about your personal life or your family?
AS: Yes, when the spirit moves me, a tweet may appear.
Favorite follows:
“Tweets from Seth Godin's hugely popular blog”
“Always shares interesting stuff”
“Very funny”
Does Segar's Twitter personality mirror his real-life one? For this and more, download our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
JH: My primary mission is to be helpful to others. I actually follow a formula that the well-known educator and speaker Angela Maiers shared many years ago: 70 percent of my tweets are to provide resources and helpful information to the meetings industry; 20 percent answer specific questions that others have posted; and 10 percent are self-promotional.
MEETINGSNET: What are you trying to become known for?
JH: My goal is to be a resource for information on meetings, events, learning, and associations. In the 1990s, I was that guy who would tear out or copy magazine articles to share with others—I enjoyed sharing what I was learning. Twitter is a natural extension of that old-school process for me.
MEETINGSNET: Is your Twitter personality the same as your real-life one?
JH: Yep, although I’m usually a little more chatty in real life. I’m not just a walking resource of links to useful stuff.
MEETINGSNET: Are people who meet you on Twitter surprised when they meet you in real life?
JH: Not really, unless they expect my moustache to be black instead of white.
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
JH: Absolutely. It is much easier to connect directly with great thought leaders, experts, and authors through Twitter today than through their managers.
MEETINGSNET: Has it led to business?
JH: It has. People have followed me on Twitter and then later reached out for proposals.
MEETINGSNET: Do you set out to tweet a certain number of times a day?
JH: I typically try to schedule 20+ tweets a day. I’m not online all the time but use tools like Triberr, Buffer, and Hootsuite to share information.
MEETINGSNET: Are your best tweets spontaneous or something you think up over time?
JH: The majority of my tweets are about things I’m reading or find interesting, even the spontaneous ones. However, I’m known to use Twitter to take notes when I’m attending a conference. I just happen to share those notes with the world in 140 characters.
MEETINGSNET: Have you ever had a profound experience on Twitter, one you’ll never forget?
JH: I’ve met some amazing people via Twitter and grown to cherish their friendships. On #EventProfs I met Lara McCulloch, Mike McAllen, Mike McCurry, Midori Connolly, Jessica Levin, Paul Salinger, and many, many others. My Twitter experience with #EventProfs lead to a group of us starting EventCamp several years ago.
MEETINGSNET: How do you differ in your approach to the various social media channels?
JH: I share more personal things on Facebook. YouTube is for my video clips, which often get reposted in Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Slideshare is my personal presentation resource. It’s full of my past presentations and slidedecks.
Favorite follows:
“Love his insights about neuroscience and life”
“One of the best nonprofit bloggers, with tips on social media networks”
“Beth Kanter is a brilliant mind on learning, sponsorships, networking, evaluation, social media, and nonprofits”
See what Jeff has written about tweeting from events by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
JL: I want to add value, bottom line. I try to be engaging, and sometimes funny. I work in a few markets so I tweet about relevant industry issues. But I also am human so I discuss things I like, especially travel.
MEETINGSNET: How has your use of Twitter changed over time?
JL: When I started in 2008, it seemed more intimate. I spent more time just hanging out—it was a place to converse. Now, you need a strategy.
MEETINGSNET: Is your Twitter personality the same as your real-life one?
JL: Absolutely.
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
JL: Twitter has changed my life, literally. I met so many people who I have worked with, become friends with, celebrated holidays with—all through Twitter. I got on a circuit of speaking gigs that brought me clients. One day, I need to draw a diagram illustrating all this.
MEETINGSNET: What are some ways to cut through the Twitter noise?
JL: The first tip is to use a manager like Hootsuite to keep you organized. I also create lists of specific people and hashtags to follow.
MEETINGSNET: What’s the value of tweeting from meetings?
JL: It’s a great way to talk about sessions, make plans for lunch, and meet people. Rarely do I attend an event where I don’t know someone if they have an active Twitter presence. I try to establish contact with them ahead of time so I always have a friend or two to meet. For me, an event is made better when I can connect ahead of time.
MEETINGSNET: How do you differ in your approach to the various social media channels?
JL: They are completely different. Facebook is my community, the people I know and trust. I spend the most time there. Twitter is much more public. Blogs are for detailed writing on specific topics.
MEETINGSNET: Do you ever tweet about your personal life?
JL: Just pop culture, travel, and food—nothing too personal.
Find out how Levin plans out her tweets and more by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
MC: I have a lot of unique knowledge about AV and technology, and I want to share as much as possible! And hopefully bring a smile to someone’s face.
MEETINGSNET: Has your use of Twitter changed over time?
MC: When we first started using Twitter there were only about 25 of us in the events industry. I used it more as a conversational tool. Then, as the network exploded, I started using it as both a news and information source as well as a knowledge sharing place.
MEETINGSNET: Is your Twitter personality the same as your real-life one?
MC: I keep it cheerful, quirky, and approachable, which is my goal for how I interact with people in real life, too!
MEETINGSNET: Do you set out to tweet a certain number of times a day?
MC: I used to tweet at least daily. As the feeds have become more cluttered, I’ve reduced that to more of an as-needed basis. Kind of like writing a book: Unless you feel compelled to share something, you really shouldn’t tweet just to tweet.
MEETINGSNET: What are some ways to cut through the Twitter noise?
MC: I turn on SMS alerts for key contacts that I want to track, both mentions and direct messages. This takes it out of Twitter and onto my text window.
MEETINGSNET: Do you use audio and video in your posts and tweets?
MC: It varies, but generally when I have good multimedia to share, I do. It’s a fun opportunity to use platform extensions such as Vine.
Favorite follows:
“I write for them, great AV pro information”
“Excellent news and education”
Find out how Twitter laid the groundwork for Midori to meet important people in her career by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
DP: I have been using Twitter for 5 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 18 hours, and 4 minutes (at the time of writing, to be specific). It seems I was destined to be a proponent for Twitter and social media since Day 1. When Twitter came out, I was living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Within the first week, there were about four of us who were the early adopters, and we put together the first tweet-up on the island. Pretty soon, tweet-ups became the accepted way for all of us crazy social media people to get together.
Then in 2010, I started a group called Lunch Tweet-ups, where we would all get together and I would do a presentation on whatever was the newest and coolest in high-tech and social media. We always meet at high noon on hump day, so when you see my tweets with the “#HNHD” hashtag, you know I’m posting something that my original tweeps will be interested in.
MEETINGSNET: What do you find Twitter most useful for?
DP: Gleaning knowledge would probably be first for me. I have been learning from some of the world’s most brilliant people by following them and interacting with them.
MEETINGSNET: Are people who meet you on Twitter surprised when they meet you in real life?
DP: It’s always kind of strange when people are introduced to me and I see their eyes light up. “You’re @cpudan! I’ve been reading you for years!” It’s very humbling, and very cool.
MEETINGSNET: How has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
DP: I’m currently producing a Google+ boxing hangout show with Hall of Fame Broadcaster Al Bernstein from Showtime Sports. Last year, Al allowed me to join him as he was inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where I was able to meet all the top figures in the sport. Now, in 2014, I’ll be working with many of them on the show. And it all started from my interactions on Twitter.
MEETINGSNET: Are the best tweets spontaneous or something you think up over time?
DP: We have set up campaigns for our clients that use a set list of objectives, with specific Twitter teases that are all planned and storyboarded, with great success. I personally never have a set number of tweets. As moderator of The Meetings Community Social Media Headquarters, I start my day with my coffee and my iPad, scouring a zillion sources I have coming in on multiple topics. Some days there will be 20 great pieces of information to share, other days only one or two. It’s always quality over quantity. I’m a big believer in the Japanese proverb: “A fool speaks when he wants to say something. A wise man speaks when he has something to say.”
MEETINGSNET: Do you use audio and video in your posts and tweets?
DP: All the time. I also move around the actual location of the links within the tweets for variety and increased retweet possibilities.
MEETINGSNET: Do you ever tweet about your personal life or your family?
DP: Sure! Why not? I believe the more people know about you and your character, the more they will appreciate where you’re coming from and look forward to the content that you share.
Favorite follows:
“I call him ‘Joe Rogan University’ because I learn something amazing from him every day—usually laughing at the same time.”
"One of the most brilliant people I know”
“A legend in our field, with content that is always on point—and she is pure gold as a human being.”
Learn more how Parks cuts through the Twitter noise and feels about tweeting at events by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: What is your mission when you tweet?
SP: I try to pass on interesting ideas related to meetings and business travel that I find during my daily ramblings through my RSS feeds.
MEETINGSNET: What are you trying to become known for?
SP: Never once having tweeted a picture of what I’m having for lunch!
MEETINGSNET: Is your Twitter personality the same as your real-life one?
SP: I’m pretty much the same person no matter where or how I show up. Being both a writer and an introvert, I’m probably less outgoing in real life than people might think. I’m also much better looking!
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter laid the groundwork for meeting people in your career?
SH: Oh, sure, I’ve gotten acquainted with some really interesting folks through the #EventProfs group, the #CMEChat group (for continuing educators in the health professions), and numerous LinkedIn groups and blogs. I think most of the deeper connections I’ve made have been through blogs, though, not so much through Twitter.
MEETINGSNET: Do you set out to tweet a certain number of times a day?
SP: Are you kidding? That would take forethought. I tweet ’em as I find ’em, usually at night as I’m going through my RSS feeds while watching TV. I probably should put more thought into it, but how wrong can you go in 140 characters?
MEETINGSNET: What’s the value of tweeting from meetings and events?
SP: I’ll speak on the value for show organizers: It’s huge. They are able to know instantly when temps need adjusting, rooms are overflowing, lunch boxes are running out, etc. And they can instantly let people know about room changes, that sort of thing. What a great tool for being able to respond to attendees instantly and personally.
Find out what Pelletier thinks of adding audio and video to tweets and how her use of Twitter has changed over time by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
Also, check out her favorite follows—along with those of the rest of the MeetingsNet editors.
MEETINGSNET: What do you find Twitter most useful for? Has that changed over time?
SB: Given today’s on-the-go culture, Twitter has proven to be a great channel for delivering real-time news, content, and thoughts. We’re seeing more and more executives, journalists, and other industry professionals turn to Twitter before heading to a news outlet.
MEETINGSNET: Is your Twitter personality the same as your real-life one?
SB: As they say, “What you see is what you get.” I attempt to be as genuine as possible and to play an authentic role as an influential force in the industry.
MEETINGSNET: Has Twitter led to business?
SB: Without a doubt. First encounters on Twitter turn into leads, leads into opportunities, opportunities into sales, sales into retention and engagement, and retention into long-term advocates for our brand.
MEETINGSNET: What are some ways to cut through the Twitter noise?
SB: As Artie has demonstrated over the past couple of years, it all comes down to sharing information and ideas relevant to targeted followers in real-time.
MEETINGSNET: What’s the value of tweeting from meetings and events?
SB: Sharing information and developments from an event in real-time is arguably one of the most important spokes of the social media engagement wheel. Think of it this way: ESPN wouldn’t miss covering a major sports event. As a meeting and event thought-leader, how could you refrain from live-tweeting?
MEETINGSNET: How do you differ in your approach to the various social media channels?
SB: Given the real-time nature of social media, our audience, and the type of content we produce, Twitter has proven to be the most successful outlet for us. LinkedIn has pretty much become the modern-day equivalent of a Rolodex or Chamber of Commerce.
Favorite follows:
“I have found Chris Elliot and the USA Today travel team to be resourceful, entertaining, authentic, and relevant.”
"Harriet Baskas is a writer and radio producer focused on the airline industry"
"Hugo Martin is author of the weekly 'Travel Briefcase' column in the Los Angeles Times"
Find out how Barth has used social media to build the Hospitality Lawyer brand, as well as his own personal one, by downloading our new interactive magazine app.
MEETINGSNET: How has your use of Twitter changed over time?
SM: Twitter is most useful for letting our community know about new articles, eBooks, videos, and infographics that we’ve released. This has always been a core part of what we do on Twitter, but over time the type of content we share has diversified. In the beginning it was mostly just articles and blog posts.
MEETINGSNET: Has all this tweeting led to business?
SM: Yes, though it isn’t easy to pinpoint a specific number or correlation. Our blogs are the hub of our social media strategy. We spend a lot of time and effort making sure we have the right people, internally and from within the industry, blogging on the most important topics. As a result, we get a fair amount of traffic to the blog. Not all of that traffic becomes leads, but we’ve definitely seen Twitter influence deals and increase interaction.
MEETINGSNET: Do you set out to tweet a certain number of times a day?
SM: I don’t have a specific number in mind every day. I try to share a couple of our new articles every day and then other topical articles, videos, or infographics. I’m not afraid to share the same content a few times over a week or two because I know different people are checking Twitter at different times. I’ll pay attention to the click-throughs and what others are commenting or sharing organically to make sure I’m only re-sharing popular ones.
MEETINGSNET: What are some ways to cut through the Twitter noise?
SM: It’s all about curating good lists of users, hashtags, and keywords. Subscribing and using other tools like paper.ly really helps.
MEETINGSNET: What’s the value of tweeting from meetings and events?
SM: It’s almost like getting built-in notes! However, you do have to be careful about session-envy. I always think it’s glaringly obvious when a session is a dud at an event because Twitter goes silent from that room. As an attendee, if my session isn’t what I expected then I immediately can go to a different session that would be a better fit because I can see the tweets coming from the session. I’m really excited for the new Twitter custom timeline feature as a way to keep track of these takeaways—both personally and as Cvent. When you go to write followup posts, this will be a great reference.
MEETINGSNET: Does Cvent use audio and video in your posts and tweets?
SM: We’ve been putting out funny 15- and 30-second videos around different areas of event planning. Two of my favorites are “The Essentials: Gas” and “Ranch Vegetables.”
