Image credit: Shawn Campbell

I recently saw a well-known author and speaker tweet about an event he was hosting. Included in the tweet was a screenshot from Twitter with a message reading, “The event is trending!”

The event was trending, but only for him. How is that possible? I’ll explain.

Twitter’s Default Trends

A few months ago Twitter rolled out a new feature called Tailored Trends. As the name suggests, these trends are tailored just for you based on your location and who you follow. Tailored Trends became the default when rolled out to all Twitter users.

To identify Tailored Trends (as opposed to Worldwide, for instance), look for the box on the lower left-hand column of your Twitter feed. It should look something like this:

Notice that the title of the box is simply Trends. This means you are viewing Tailored Trends.

How to View Worldwide Trends

When most people exclaim that their topic is trending, they presumably mean it’s trending worldwide. To avoid making the mistake of confusing a Tailored Trend with a Worldwide Trend, click the ‘Change’ link next to the Trends title. A pop-up will appear that tries to convince you to keep Tailored Trends.

Click ‘Change’ on this popup. You will receive a list of options on the next window. Select ‘Worldwide’ – the first option in the left column.

After selecting ‘Worldwide’, the top of the box should refresh to show your selection. Now click ‘Done’ in the lower right-hand corner. After the box closes, the Trends box in the lower left-hand corner of your Twitter feed will now look like this, with the updated ‘Worldwide Trends’ headline:

So, Is Your Topic Really Trending on Twitter?

I hate to sound negative or to deflate you. But someone needs to say it. There’s a slim chance that you’ve ever had a Worldwide Trending Topic. However, that doesn’t minimize the importance of integrating social media with your traditional marketing, events and other opportunities to spread the word online. Who knows – one day you might find yourself among the few fortunate marketers that do, in fact, reach around the world with your topic on Twitter.

Image credit: Rachel

Reserving a great username is increasingly important as social media continues to affect our lives both in a personal and business context. If you would like to build an online platform, it’s important to have a consistent brand across every online channel that you occupy. In an ideal world, your real name is available for any website that requires a username. However, if you don’t have a unique real name, reserving it as your username is becoming harder to do as more people join social networks. When deciding what term or phrase to use to describe yourself, ask yourself these questions.

1. When I say it, can people spell it?

Phonetics are grossly underrated. While it may seem cool or cute to use a made up word or phrase for your username, it can be a barrier to sharing it easily. That is, unless, it is spelled exactly how it sounds. Imagine yourself at a networking event in a crowded room. A gentlemen next to you pulls out his phone and asks for your username. Will he know what to type in to his phone when you speak it out loud? If not, then don’t use it. It’s that simple.

2. What is the longevity of this username?

You will likely change jobs, hobbies, location, clothes – you get the idea. The username you select should last forever. This is why using your real name is typically the best option. However, as I stated previously, your real name may not always be available. Many people use their first or last name paired with another simple yet descriptive word in these situations. For instance, my username on Twitter, “socialcade”, will always be relevant. Though it is based on my career, it also describes the context in which I’m using it. Be as generic as possible while also using something that is a reflection of who you are.

3. Is this username widely available?

Once you select the perfect username, check if it is available on the sites you plan to use. Though it sounds like a big hassle, namechk makes this process incredibly simple. Visit their website and type your username in the box at the top. It will show you where the username is available on up to 159 different sites. If it is not available on the sites you plan to use, it’s time to go back to step one and start the process over again.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Before reserving your username, try to avoid these common mistakes:

Bad Abbreviations

If you must abbreviate your name or business name, choose something clean and simple. When your name includes very long or multiple words, do not create a nonsensical acronym out of it. It will confuse people more than if you extract one or two words and only use those.

Random Numbers

Many sites suggest usernames based on your birthday or by applying random numbers. Unless it is critical, do not use numbers. Numbers in usernames suggest that you or your business is not unique. It also makes a username harder to remember.

Underscores

Never use underscores. Refer back to question number one. If you tell someone your username and have to explain where the underscores go, it’s too complicated.

Keep It Simple

Always keep your username simple. It’s better for your brand. The easier you make it for people to find you, the more likely they will.

Image credit: SamsungTomorrow

Many consumers turn to social media to voice their opinons of brands and products. For this reason, many companies use Twitter for customer service. If you aren’t sure how to get started, I’ve created a short list of tips for you.

1. Stick To An Easy-To-Remember Username

If you’re already using Twitter for your business, you have a decision to make. You can use your existing username for many purposes – marketing, customer service, PR, etc – or you can create a specific username for customer service. When possible, use one username for everything, especially if you run a very small business. It is easier to manage and less confusing for customers who are seeking help.

If you are a medium-to-large sized business with a dedicated customer service team, then a dedicated account may be worth your time. This allows your customer service team full-reign to do what they need to do without interfering with other employees throughout the organization.

When creating a dedicated account solely for customer service, use a slightly modified version of your main account. For instance, a customer service representative at “XYZWidgets” may use “XYZWidgetsHelp” as the Twitter handle. This allows the customer to easily identify that XYZWidgets is the brand and that this account is specifically for asking for help.

@comcastcares is one of the best examples of this.

2. Master the Twitter Search Tool

Twitter’s @replies make it easy to see every Tweet that mentions your username. However, many consumers do not use a proper Twitter handle when talking about brands or products. For this reason, it’s important to understand Twitter’s search tool so that you don’t miss an opportunity to help a customer. In addition to checking your @replies, you should also regularly do a search for the name of your business or product.

Twitter offers many search operators that allow you to filter your search. Here’s a Twitter Search cheat sheet I created a few years ago that I still use as a reference.

3. Resolve Issues Publicly When Possible

One of the greatest things about using Twitter for customer service is the ability to show your resolution to many customers at once. Not only does this show that you care about the voice of the customer, but other customers not involved in the exchange may have their questions answered by observing.

Some situations may require a lengthy dialogue. In these cases, reply to the Twitter user with an email address. This lets other users know that the situation is being handled, but not on Twitter.

After a Twitter conversation is taken to email or a phone call, you should come back to Twitter to respond and thank the customer for bringing the issue to your attention and for working with you on a resolution. This is sometimes called ‘closing the loop’ of the conversation. It lets other people know that an offline interaction took place and that everything was resolved.

Focus on Human Relationships

Twitter is a just a tool like your call center or customer service email address. Stay focused on the human relationship aspect and you will be a great Twitter customer service representative.