Twitter is now changing that. Advertisers can now pay to be featured in Trending Topics – and so far, it seems to be a hit with advertisers. Coca-Cola is the second company (after Disney/Pixar) to buy a sponsored trend. Rumoured to cost tens of thousands of dollars, Coke’s trend was timed to coincide with world cup fever, when traffic on Twitter would be the heaviest.

Coke reported 86 million views, with a user engagement rate of 6%.  I think that is a pretty healthy return on investment – and quite a step forward for Coke, who could have just as easily shelled out millions of dollars for a more traditional advertising campaign.

One minor concern is the relevance of trending topics to users. If they know that certain trends are being paid for (or the tweet within certain trends are being paid for), how interested will they really be? It will be interesting to see if user engagement drops as sponsored tweets become more ubiquitous. However, I doubt that will ever happen; Google’s AdWords connect people with the products they’re searching for every day, so it will be interesting to see if Twitter’s sponsored tweets manage to do the same.

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1) Can you explain what the hashtag does?

A hashtag is a word preceded by the symbol #.    Hashtags are an easy way to denote a word or topic that is important to your tweet.  For example, if you are excited for your favourite TV show’s finale, you might tweet “so stoked for #LOST tonight!!!” or “new #lost episode has surprise ending; what else is new?” .  This distinguishes your post from “I think I may have lost my keys…”.  When people search for topics in Twitter or use applications that accumulate tweets about a topic, hashtags help them find on-topic tweets.

2) How does one follow a webinar on twitter?

In order to follow something like a webinar or a conference on Twitter, you can click on a keyword preceded by a hashtag to see all Tweets that are marked with that hashtag/keyword combo. For example, click here to follow Twitter mentions (tweets) of the F5 Expo at the Vancouver Convention Center tomorrow.

Another way you can do this is just by using the search box on the right hand side of the screen when you’re logged into Twitter.

3) Are you able to retweet/ reply, etc on a blackberry/smartphone, or is this an iphone thing only?

An iPhone user myself, I don’t know first-hand.  After doing some research, it appears that there are a lot of good applications out there that are smartphone compatible, that do allow you to reply and re-tweet.  One that got a good review (from someone who tried many, many, mobile twitter apps…) was CeTwit .  There are many clients available, both websites and applications, that will better your smartphone Twitter experience.

[Adam's note: Yes, you can re-tweet (a.k.a RT) from a blackberry, by manually copying a message you see and then posting the Tweet to your profile. It's best to include RT before the user name so people know it's a re-tweet. However, this is a bit cumbersome. I currently use Twitterberry on my blackberry and the version I'm using right now 0.8 does not have an easy to use RT feature. So it's manual for me. There may be better apps out there though! Any input from our readers?]

4) What else can you do on twitter besides update your status?

Well, first off, you can do a lot with status updates.  They can contain links to pictures, videos, and websites – any of the stuff you would normally browse online.  You can also look at other people’s status updates; other people’s content can be interesting and useful.  In many cases, Twitter will explode with breaking news before the best news outlets feature it.

[Adam's note: One of the most important aspects of status updates is your ability to have conversations with other Twitter users. Building your network of contacts, of people you can help or who can help you, hire you, teach you, do business with you and vice-versa, is one of the most important things you can do with Twitter right now in my opinion.

The way to do this is by replying to things people say. When you mouseover a Tweet, you'll see the reply button when you're using a desktop. On your mobile it will depend on the app you're currently using. Jump in and get involved in some conversions. Remember: email is for more private discussions but Twitter is public for a reason! The more people you talk to and get to know, the larger your network can grow and the more benefits you're likely to see. Start meeting and speaking with people in your industry, in your area and who have similar interests and see where it takes you.

Other things you can do include:

• Creating lists of people to follow
• Use the search box to find information or people much like you would when you use Google
• Use the direct message feature to send private messages
• And you can use Twitter to monitor trends or follow what people are talking about right now

There's an endless list of things you can use Twitter for but a lot of these things are not obvious when you first begin using it because it looks so simple compared to something like Facebook for example. ]

5) What is the point of twitter for the average Joe, if you’re not promoting anything/ business purposes?

Use it for disseminating your opinions and thoughts; use it to keep tabs on news; use it to see what your friends are up to today.  Personally, I use my Twitter account to share my daily occurrences with people, as well as small ideas that pop into my head:  recommended reading, restaurants, fun stuff.  If you and your friends all use Twitter like this, it can be interesting in a non-business way.  I would think that most of Twitter is actually devoted to non-business activities.

6) When I sign in to twitter on the web, I can only see the last few tweets from people I’m following.  Do people really go to the next page to read everyone’s past tweets?

It varies from person to person.  I would depend on the number of friends a person has on Twitter, and how often they check their account.  I have managed HUGE twitter accounts before, and unless you are refreshing every 2 minutes, you won’t catch everything said by your friends.

[Adam's note: I think most people never delve too far into the list of past tweets and use Twitter as more of a snapshot in time of what's going on. It's up to you though! Some people spend hours and hours on it, just like Tv...or facebook . Twitter lists can help you break up your stream into useful chunks so you can stay up to date on the important stuff more easily.]

7) Is there a way to see if you’ve been mentioned without having to search it on the web?

Definitely.  When you sign into Twitter, click “@limekwok” under the menu on your home page.  It’ll show all the mentions you have garnered.  Looking at your mentions is a great way of keeping track of who is talking directly to you.  Checking for new mentions is an easy way of cutting through the Twitter clutter to messages you should be aware of.

8.) What is a list/ what does it do?

A list is a compilation of Twitter users.  Kind of like a segment. Simply put, you use lists to organize Twitter to your liking.  Lists are a great way of organizing those who you want to watch, but without their tweets filling your main feed.  For example, I follow the Economist, the Onion, TechCrunch, Mashable and others through a list, “news”.  I can look at the list when I want their updates, but they won’t show up on my wall because I’m not following them.  Convenient, huh?  You can also organize your different social circles by lists, which is great for Work, Friends, People I’d Rather Not Talk To, etc.  Oh, and you can also make your lists private if you so choose.  Even the listed account won’t know they’re on the list.

Summary

There is a lot more to Twitter than there appears to be at first glance.  Used properly, it’s a great way to stay informed of what your friends are doing, keep abreast of news items, and glean popular opinion about current events. It can also be used as a communications and marketing platform, a market research tool, a search engine and more!

PS: Thanks to @limekwok for the great questions!

If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them in the comments

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In the span of a few short months he’s amassed a following of 30,000+ people. Known for his work with S.U.C.C.E.S.S BC, an organization dedicated to helping new entrepreneurs, Gary frequently blogs and speaks about successful marketing and business practices.

I had a chance to sit down with Gary and asked him a few questions about his success with Twitter and the benefits he’s seeing as a result. It’s a quick clip and offers insight into how you can build your own, profitable network online.

Follow Gary on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/gbizzo

Or visit his Vancouver business blog here.

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When deciding whether or not I would take advantage of the free ride out to the airport I decided to check Twitter first and came across a ton of people talking about it (mostly people waiting in line…). Thanks to @thebuzzer for pointing out there was a 2 hour wait on average which convinced me to stay home and try it during the week as I’m usually not one for long line ups.

Here are a few of the more entertaining Tweets I came across:

• @sanazj Avg human walking speed 6km/hr,#canadaline 19km long, walking from Waterfront to #YVR 3 hrs shorter than waiting in line!
• lyteforce To those who have gotten on the #CanadaLine – is it more comfortable & pleasant than the 98 Sauna Bus to RMD Centre?
• stryderjzw Hmm… I’m sure #canadaline will still be here tmrw. *cross fingers* I’m hoping I don’t miss it by not going today.
• dannydang @sanazj Lil’ wayne is stuck in the line waiting to ride the new #canadaline http://tinyurl.com/5o4r2y
• abusse I get reception even in the tunnels. Cool. #canadaline
• g_campbell Wow. The only word for response to #CanadaLine. What a difference it’ll make. Lines around the block for today’s free rides.

And no doubt the list goes on…follow this link to see more from #canadaline on Twitter.

This is a great example of what happens when you provide something that people want, I mean really want and have been waiting for, you market and promote it well and then give something away for free to generate some buzz: people talk.

The moment I finished that last sentance 47 more of them added comments to Twitter and no doubt when I login to facebook later on there will be pictures etc from people who took one of the 1st free rides today.

So in a nutshell, here’s what’s right about the Canada Line’s opening day:

• Pre-launch marketing and promotion to build desire
• Tapped into the power of free by giving away free rides on day one
• The product is slightly better (we hope) than previous versions and competitors (cabs, busses, old sky train)
• It services an area that people wanted (service to the airport) and does it cheaper

All great things to include in your next product or service launch in order to get people talking…and buying.

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A must read for anyone interested in what makes social networking services like Twitter tick.

Full article here.

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Oh, and by the way, if you’re not yet following me on Twitter please visit http://twitter.com/adamkillam  and do so.

HOW I USE TWITTER

I use Twitter to: 

a) To connect with people online who I can later meet at networking and business events locally (competition, potential partners, potential clients, friends, current clients). 

b) To build a following of people who have related business interests. I find that by posting about my SEO/PPC/Social Media work, people interested in these topics find and follow me which makes my job of finding and following others in the industry easier. (Just follow back the people who follow you!). 

c) To create value for people in my network by quickly and easily connecting them with people I think they should meet and online resources I think they would find useful. 

d) To research the popularity of a given subject by posting links using http://budurl.com so that I can track the click through rate of a given article and judge how interested people are in the topic. 

e) To generate traffic to my site ( http://adamkillam.com/twitter ) and my client’s websites by posting links to articles that I believe are relevant to my follower’s interests. 

f) To do keyword research using tools like TweetDeck which enable you to monitor Twitter for any mention of the keywords of your choice. Often times people will mention all sorts of great related phrases to the keyword you had in mind or in relation to a particular product or industry. I then take these words and phrases and use them in my own Google Adwords campaigns for example. 

g) To build credibility. When prospective clients research me, they see that I have a decent following on Twitter which adds a touch of credibility (aka I might know what I am talking about just maybe

That’s all I could squeeze out right now!

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1. A T.V / Movie star
2. Have an in with a traditional mass media company with great distribution
3. And have a Twitter account of course!

The story I am referencing above is in regards to Ashton Kutcher’s (@aplusk on Twitter) recent publicity stunt of generating 1 Million followers on Twitter and beating CNN in the race to boot.

How did he do it and why should you care? For an explanation of how he did it, see this article on Advertising Age, complete with images of Kutcher’s billboard promo. (whoops did I give it away?)

Now for the answer to the question: “Why should you care?”

For one this is a great example of how online marketing and offline marketing can be merged with excellent results.

Now, the value to Kutcher of having a million fans, and the resulting publicity at this stage may be hard to measure (sure beats stories about DUI’s, divorce or drug abuse!), but for the average person or company, it’s a great reminder that relying on one source of marketing is never a sound strategy and often online and offline can work together to give you extra bang for your buck.

Another thing this story reminded me of was: to be original. Or at any rate, the ploy was a great example of taking an old concept (billboard advertising) and mixing it with something new (Twitter) to create buzz and increase one’s reach in the marketplace.

Those are my thoughts on this story. I’m now heading out with some spray paint to post @adamkillam on everything in sight I can get my hands on. I figure if I work hard over the weekend I should be able to ad at least another 200-300 followers!

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The 1st Vancouver Twestival is taking place tomorrow (Feb 12th) at 6:00 PM. I was one of the lucky fast movers who got a ticket and NOW I CAN’T GO! Seems a course I booked myself in for a couple of months back decided to start this week on the 12th and attending the first session is mandatory.

In light of these recent developments, I would like to give my ticket away – with a small catch.

What’s the catch you say?

What I would like in return for the ticket is some help with my website. Yes, I work in Internet marketing and yes I am web savvy but the plain truth is that I have neglected this site for some time now. It seems I am always doing work for my clients (god love them) and  never enough on my own site (can you relate?).  

I am currently working to overhaul the content of the site and all sections are being worked on. Visitor feedback is incredibly valuable in my eyes which is where this mini contest comes into play.

Here’s how you can help, AND WIN BIG!

1. Post a mini review of this site with 3 helpful tips/suggestions/comments. 
2. Add your post to the comments section of this article 
3. By 8:00 PM I will choose a winner and announce it on this site and on Twitter.
4. Be sure to include a link back to your site and your email address or @ so I can get in touch

Let the races begin!

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I wore a less flashy watch to a meeting today and will be tweaking the site in the coming week or so to see if I can simplify it a bit (yes, it’s already quite simple and I can do better!).

With all the talk lately of recession, marketing in tough economic times etc etc, it makes sense for marketers to be a little less flashy and focus their messages more on the bottom line and how they can make and save their clients money.

For me, that means the site needs to be less about adding widgets and more about focusing on good, solid, valuable content that my clients will find applicable to their businesses.

On that note today’s tip is:  go back to basics.

Practical applications:

• Update and simplify your web site’s theme / design 
• Don’t be afraid to use or go back to plain text emails or simplified HTML
• If blogging or using Twitter, focus on practical tips and less theory (marketers are the most guilty of breaking this one)

I think going frugal is a trend we’re going to see catch on and stick for the next couple of years. As more ideas on this topic come to mind, I’ll post them here.

What steps are you taking to “go frugal”  in 2009″ 

Post thoughts to comments.

Update: Read about the New Frugal Google

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