TechCrunch tells us of the growing list of conferences that are starting to sprout up as a result of the use of (or confusion around the use of) Twitter for business purposes.

It looks like the trend of Twitter conferences is growing, with more events popping up around the country. As we’ve said in the past and will continue to say, there are tremendous opportunities for businesses, brands, non-profits and individuals to use Twitter as a tool for customer support, fund raising, brand management, advertising, job search and much more.

I have not attended one but I can imagine they must be pretty quiet because everyone is likely to be talking to everyone but those right in front of them. I gotta tell ya that when someone tweets that they are talking to someone I wonder if they are even listening to them or concentrating on their 140 characters of brilliance they are allowing the rest of their audience to ingest.

Of course, if you attended the 140 Character Conference in New York in June the venue itself (which was literally underground) forced Twitterheads to actually listen to others since there was practically no connectivity for the attendees.

Twitter is so fascinating in that it appears that so many folks are finding ways to monetize the service without the service monetizing itself. At least with Google (which face it, is why most of these conferences exist in the first place) makes money and knows that these conferences will only help it make more.

So if you are tired of the usual shows and you need more opportunities to ‘network’ then think about these:

• TWTRCN 09 DC- for non profits and government types. October 22 in Washington, DC.
• 140 Twitter Conference / LA – Endorsed by Biz Stone. Need we say more? September in Los Angeles (for those who didn’t get the LA part of the title).
• 140 Characters Twitter Conference – Jeff Pulver’s deal goes west coast on October 27th in Los Angeles.
• Cool Twitter Conferences- Apparently this is a traveling road show that has stops scheduled in Boston and San Francisco.

So don’t miss your chance to blow off work get out and learn more about Twitter and the future of communications. Hotel bars in the areas of these meetings can’t wait to serve you!

Comments

It was one of those days when you hear something in the morning that seems really important and almost random. Then you hear it mid-morning from another source that was unexpected. You start to suspect there might really be something to this but you shrug it off as mere coincidence. When you hear it again around lunch time, you really pay attention and consider that a higher power is work. Then it hits you like a fastball right off your melon–that this thing really is important and you have not given it the time it deserves.

What am I talking about? It’s a mission statement. Mission statements apply to all areas of our lives but let’s talk about it regarding business and, in particular, your Web presence. "What?" you say. You don’t think that having a mission statement for your Web site or blog is necessary? You think that your site is for information purposes only, so what’s that have to do with mission? You think that the "plan" that you follow is sufficient? Well, let me put it to you as gently as possible considering the time of year we are in: you are wrong.

I say this only because I realized even though my blog has a theme and I have plans about what to write, I have never truly established a distinct mission for the blog (other than helping the SMB market understand search marketing a little better, which sounds admirable, but is woefully under-developed). As a result, I can derail very quickly and have a case of "blogger’s block" because I am too wide open with my blog. Flexibility is a good thing, but being too flexible is a dangerous thing.

I have learned in the past that the best organizations each have clearly a defined mission that is the measuring stick for all actions they undertake. Sure, this is not anything new, but it is one of those things that can be overlooked due to being too busy and other things that happen daily. If everyone did this, we would see a lot of stronger companies that would not be in such dire straits even during the current economic climate.

So back to you Web site or blog. What is the mission? Is it to generate leads? Is it to sell product? Is it to brand you or your product? Is it a mixture of these elements? Whatever it is you need to clearly articulate it to everyone who touches your site, be it Web designers, developers, marketers, business owners and on down the line. They all need to know that unless every word, image, and call to action does not literally stink of your mission, then it will not be tolerated.

Why is this important? Think about it for a short second and you will get it. Who rewards a Web site that is focused, targeted, intentional and helps end users get the results they desire? Google. It’s pretty simple. Of course there are techniques that can overcome having a less than targeted presence including link building etc etc. Truth is, though, that the best way to attract link partners is to be a site with a mission around what you do best. A site that is clearly thought-out and laser-targeted is one that is useful. Google wants your site to have a mission, and you to be on that mission at all times. Rewards will follow.

I am going to be putting some serious thought into my mission. I want to emulate the businesses that I have seen that measure everything they do against their missions. These businesses then make decisions based on whether proposed action accomplishes their mission or at least moves them closer to it.

These businesses don’t get distracted by shiny objects or go down rabbit trails. They just succeed. Thankfully, after today it all seems so much clearer now and I can.

Comments