Four & Twenty Tweets into a Pie

Jacquelyn Kittredge talks about getting started with Twitter, getting conversations going and keeping them rolling, and rapping about an apartment building.

How did you get into social media? Can you tell a little of your story and background?

I first got into social media when I worked at a healthcare startup. We had absolutely no money for marketing, so I started blogging and tweeting to connect with doctors, physical therapists and office managers.

I really started getting into it, so when I got together with friends I would tell them how social web stuff might be good for their insurance agency or landscape design firm. It prompted me to start helping others use social media to connect with people and grow their business.

As for my background, I have a checkered past. I have been a programmer, an installation rep, customer support rep, a training/documentation specialist, an architect, a marketing director, an art teacher.

What is e-Bakery?

When I worked at the healthcare startup, we were so small that I was not only in marketing but also customer service. When things didn’t work, people would yell at me. Ok, they didn’t actually yell, but sometimes email feels like yelling even if it’s in lowercase.
So, whenever I was having a bad day I would turn to my business partner and say “I want to bake pies.” (Because, you know, the logical career progression for someone who has been a programmer, architect, art teacher is baker) Anyway… the full story is at”How e-Bakery got its sprinkles.”

Twitter seems to be a love/hate thing- those of us that have gotten started love it, while some people seem afraid of it. Why do you think this is, and what’s the best way to get our feet wet in the busy bird bath of Twitter?

I think Twitter can be intimidating at first. It’s like walking into a cocktail party where everyone else knows each other. They’re having cryptic conversations and sometimes talking in this weird dialect with @ signs and shortened links. It’s hard to know who to go up to and start a conversation with. The great thing is, you can hang back and listen/observe for a while and figure some things out just through osmosis. Then it doesn’t feel so scary.

Another way to get your feet wet is to get some guidance. There are dozens of twitter enthusiasts party-goers, like @pistachio or @problogger. They have been at the party for a while, figuring out where the tastiest hors d’oeuvres are, who mixes the juiciest margarita, and have made friends with lots of the invitees.

How can a new user get more @replies and RT@s?

I see @replies as mini conversations and RT@ as a vote of support.
The best way to get @replies is the same way you converse at a party. You go up to someone and start a conversation. Only on Twitter it’s easier because you know a bit about the person from their bio and their tweet history. (I’ve never been to a cocktail party where someone has a sign saying “My name is @ted, I live in Phoenix and I help baby gorillas learn about social media.”)

And, just like at a cocktail party, if you are friendly and helpful then people are more likely to talk to you. Instead of “Can I get you a drink?”, on Twitter people say “You might be interested in this article/post/website” or “I know a Tibetan monk that would be a perfect speaker for your event” or “this video just made me spit coffee on my keyboard.”

How can we tell if what we’re doing is actually working? How do I know I’m saying the right thing?

First, don’t stress about it.
It is like friendship or dating. How do you know when those things are working?

The rules of kindergarten apply: be kind, help each other, create stuff, think about stuff, share it, don’t eat paste.

How does a free service like Twitter translate into a bigger business? What about sales? How does selling integrate with it?

Real business has always been about relationships. I don’t care if you have the best widget on the planet, if my friend Sue makes a widget that is almost as good, I am buying it from Sue. Because I know Sue, our kids play together, she helps me rearrange my living room when I’m depressed and we laugh at the same SNL skits.

My grandfather was an independent businessman and he always talked about how he made more deals on the golf course than in the office.

Twitter is the modern day golf course.

What’s your favorite social-media related success?

One of the most enjoyable social media projects that I worked on was a Facebook contest for an apartment complex. We had the residents submit one minute rap videos about why they liked living there.

The submissions were amazing! Such heart and soul and creativity. I think people hunger for the opportunity to let their creativity shine and we provided an outlet through a silly contest.