Ah, behold the power of Twitter. I’ve preached about the business benefits of using Twitter and shared examples of other Tweeple who have had problems solved when the company with which they were having issues with saw their gripe-filled Tweets and contacted them to fix things. Well, now I am one of those stories.
Last Wednesday, I wrote a blog post called My Beef with Google’s Web Master Tools detailing my frustration with their recently introduced “Link From” feature that allows you to see which external URLs are linking to non-existent URLs on your domain. The only problem, most of the time the tool didn’t work. I would get an “Our servers are busy. Try again later.”
After a couple of weeks of getting this message, I was fed up and blogged about it. I’d actually posted a couple of Tweets about it, too, but never got a response. But, my blog automatically posts to my Twitter account and later that same day, I got a Tweet from Sagar Kamdar (@skamdar) that read:
@garycope we are looking at the issue with the “Linked From” functionality. will get back to you when it is resolved.
I was floored! I could only assume that Sagar worked for Google. The next day, I got an e-mail alerting me that someone left a comment on my blog post. It was Sagar. He wrote:
The issue has been resolved. (link)
I checked the Webmasters Tools again and all but one “Linked From” function was working. I wrote back:
@skamdar Thanks! All but one of the “Linked From” links are working now for me. The first one on my list still returns “server busy” msg.
Sagar replied.
@garycope we’ll take a look.
@garycope we are unable to reproduce the issue internally. could you tell me the site and link that is ending in error.
This morning, I logged into Google’s Webmaster Tools and the link was working just fine. As a matter of fact, all of the links were working. I Tweeted back to @skamdar:
@skamdar The issue appears to be resolved. I logged into my Webmaster Tools today and did not receive any errors. Great job! Thanks!
I also told him via a comment on my blog that I would write a follow-up blog post (kinda like this one) singing the praises of Google’s development team. So, thanks Sagar and the rest of the Google Webmaster Tools team for using Twitter and actually taking the time to ready my blog and address the issue. It has been a tremendous help!
All Hail Google! OK, well, let’s not get carried away. Take care everyone!
*This post is about Twitter, a microblogging tool. If you don’t know what Twitter is, click here for an explanation.
Twitter is no longer an exclusively techie/dork medium. Real estate agents, TV stations, newspapers, and even Britney Spears are using Twitter. Depending on your social media savyness, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to really get the hang of Twitter. And from what I can tell, media outlets, at least locally, are a little slower to harness the power of the Twitterverse.
I’m not trying to be critical, because I applaud them for even using Twitter. We can only hope that the “how” to effectively use Twitter will come soon.
In Roanoke, Va., the 70th ranked TV market in the country, only three of the four major network affiliates have Twitter accounts. WSLS, the NBC affiliate, only recently created an account, but has done an admirable job of posting timely and regular news updates. WSET, the ABC affiliate has been posting for much longer, but I have a beef about how they use Twitter, but I’ll get to that a little later. WDBJ7, which is my preferred local news source even though I used to anchor and report for WSLS, has a Twitter account, but has only posted one update. Lastly (in almost ever sense of the word), the WFXR, the Fox affiliate, does not have Twitter, much less its own news department - they pay the NBC station to produce the Fox 10 p.m. newscast.
Oh, and my favorite local news anchor (sorry Jay!) Natasha Ryan has a Twitter account. From what I can tell, only her and WSET reporter and weekend anchor Margaret Clevenstine are the only local on-air personalities with active Twitter accounts. Both are relatively new to Twitter. Natasha just started hers and Maggie has been on since July, but hasn’t posted a new update since Sept. 7. Booo!
Look, there’s not one right way to use Twitter and I suppose that certain Twitter patterns appeal to different people. But, the way I see it - Twitter is a “what’s happening now” service. And in that regard, WSET fails in my opinion. See the picture below which is a screen shot of what appears on my Twitter home page, which displays all of the Tweets from the Tweeple I follow. This is not what I want to see.
Clearly it appears that they have some automated system, probably something akin to TwitterFeed (or some poor intern) that blasts all of their news stories at one time. Uh, no. If I want all of your news at once at a predicable time, I would WATCH your news. I’m looking for you to post news AS it happens. That is the point of using Twitter.
Now, I worked in TV for a number of years and for the most part, there are still a lot of zealots running the show, so the transition and adoption of new means of communcations are slow to make their way to the newsroom. Which, is really mind boggling considering that these tools such as blog and microblogs are completely free and can be used with Mobile devices. If you can send and receive text messages, you can post and receive Tweets. It just takes some time to educate your staff and management - something I would be HAPPY to do for WSET and any other company that wants to learn more about Twitter.
Yes, I know, I can sign up for text alerts from virtually any news outlet and that’s cool, but I only get those after the stories have been filed and someone has posted them to the Web site which then triggers the alert to come to my phone. But imagine if a reporter is on the scene of major event, but is waiting for the live truck and the news director can’t be reached to authorize a break-in-programming live event? How cool would it be to read a reporter’s accounts of the news event as it happens?
For example: Let’s say we have a standoff (which I have covered as a photo journalist), but the reporter is just standing there while the photog (videographer) is rolling endless minutes of tape waiting for something to happen.
@tv-reporter: Camera is rolling and the SWAT team is getting into position, but police won’t say if or when they will go in.
@tv-reporter: Gunman is yelling out of his window. Wants the police to back off. Threatening to shoot anyone that comes in.
@tv-reporter: Lots of activity. Feels like something is about to happen - stay tuned!
@tv-reporter: They’re going in! Camera is still rolling! Loud explosion from the flash-bang grenade. No shots - suspect in custody!
Now, this brings up a whole other issue, but one that the media has dealt with before: what if the bad guys are Twittering, too? Highly doubtful, at least now it is. Who knows in 5-10 years?
The bottom line is, this is a free tool that media outlets should be taking advantage of. Every reporter should have a Twitter account and giving viewers and readers behind the scenes information about the news they are covering, especially TV because we only get :30 to :90 worth of news per story and that’s not enough to tell the whole story.
The age of media convergeance is upon us. Newspapers like the Roanoke Times send reporters out in the field with video cameras to post video and interviews on the Web site. TV stations are having their anchors write print-style news for the station’s Web site, though they should really be using blogs at this point - especially Twitter.
For a while now, I’ve been trying to maintain both my Facebook and MySpace accounts. But, the time has come to choose a winner and it is Facebook. Sorry, MySpace. It came down to a time-management issue. I just can’t keep up with both of you and despite Facebook’s “new” layout and user interface (which most people seem to hate), I like FB better. It’s not you, it’s me … really.
I will keep my MySpace account, but I have purged my friends list down to actual friends and family and I don’t plan on checking it often. I will get e-mail alerts if someone leaves a comment or send me a message, but I average about one or two a month and those are usually from my younger cousins, who are much more suited for MySpace than me.
It’s not that MySpace isn’t cool or functional, it’s just that most of my friends, colleagues, classmates and family are on Facebook. Aethetically speaking, I find FB’s layout much tamer than MySpace, which is an assualt on the senses when you visit their site; ads flashing all over the place, movies playing without allowing me the option of turning them off (really bad when you’re at work), and a lot of the time, some questionable images in the form of ads that I really don’t feel are appropriate for a site aimed at the younger generation.
Facebook may not be pretty or have a fancy user interface with customizable templates, but I prefer it that way - one less thing for me to have to maintain or fuss about. I guess it comes down to MySpace having too many bells and whistles (also read “time wasters”), whereas Facebook is pretty straight forward - nothing to customize, no color schemes or background images. I like it. Plain, simple and to the point. Say what you have to say and share what you have to share and you’re done.
One of my favorite features of the “new” Facebook is the ability to comment on your friends’ posts/status updates/photos right from your home page. I don’t have to visit each friend’s photo album or wall to post a comment - I can do it right from the main page. That is a huge plus in my book, not that anyone would read it.
Well, that’s all for now. If you have MySpace or Facebook and are thinking of adding me as a friend, please do so Facebook (look on the icon at the top of the right column of this page). My goal is to see how long I can go without logging into my MySpace account. You know, when you view someone’s profile it will tell you when they last logged in? I’m going to go as long as I can without having to log in. Bets anyone?
If you follow the Social Media and Technology industries, by now you have likely heard of BusinessWeek columnist Sarah Lacy. Even if you have not heard of her before, you may have seen or read something about her on the news in the last couple of days. On Friday, March 7, she interviewed Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) and the keynote address has been described by many as a “train wreck,” a “disaster” and an “out-and-out bomb,” among other, less critical adjectives.
Now, as with all things, there are two sides to this story and Lacy certainly has her supporters and you can read their side of the story here and here. Both links are to bloggers who readily support Lacy, but I think the point they are both missing is that whether it is right, wrong or indifferent, perception is reality and in today’s social media world, the perception among the target audience at this conference seems to be that Lacy did a poor job both interviewing Zuckerberg and handling the criticism.
The interview was lengthy, but you can get a feel for how quickly it went downhill by watching the first few minutes. For a more detailed recap of the hostile exchanges between Lacy and the audience, read CNET.com’s article by Daniel Terdiman. It makes me uncomfortable just reading about the confrontational nature of the interview.
A special Q&A from TheButterRoom.com:
Ah, so this is The Butter Room … it’s everything I imagined and more! Seriously, though, I am excited to be a part of such a talented group of professionals and I’m even more excited about my first contribution to this unique site.
First, allow myself to introduce … myself … I’m Gary Cope, the In-house Search Engine Optimization and Marketing Professional for a company in Roanoke, Va. I also founded and run CWI Media & Marketing. If you want more detail, check out my bio. The bottom line is, I spend about 10-14 hours a day working on search engine optimization.
SEO is a never-ending learning process, mostly in part because the search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Ask, MSN) are constantly modifying their algorithms to adjust for changes in the SEO landscape and to combat Black Hat SEO practices. The biggest part of my job is keeping up with those changes and that means reading a lot (and I mean A LOT) of SEO-related blogs. And that brings us to our interviewee Jane Copland, a Search Marketing Consultant for SEOMoz.org. Jane has established herself as one of the most respected search marketing professionals in the business. SEOMoz is a Seattle-based SEO company that serves as a hub for search marketers worldwide, providing education, tools, resources and paid services.
Photo of Jane is Property of SEOMoz.org.
The Butter Room and SEO-KungFu.com thanks Jane for her time and response.
For those who may not be familiar with your background, can you give us a quick overview and a little bit of info about SEOMoz?
Jane Copland: SEOmoz is a search marketing company based in Seattle, Washington. We specialise in creating both SEO tools and in creating educational content for the search marketing community, as well as maintaining a popular Q&A service and a daily SEO blog.
I started working here in September 2006. Looking back, I was incredibly lucky to get this job: there were over 100 applicants, many (most?) of whom were way more qualified to work here than I was. However, I made it through the rather grueling interview process SEOmoz had set up and have been working here for almost a year and a half. Before that, I attended Washington State University and competed on the school’s swim team for four years. I’m originally from New Zealand, but I’ve been living in the U.S. for six years now.