Forget the white Christmas; I’ve been dreaming about a Charles Town tweet up!
Not too long ago I came up with the idea of having a local “tweet up” for Charles Town, WV, folks on Twitter. A tweet up, for those who are not in the Twitter know, is just geek speak jargon used to describe a gathering of twitter-using and twitter-loving folks.
In my digital marketing life throughout Washington DC metro circles, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a handful of city-based tweet ups and can say that each and every one of them has proven to be an adventure full of opportunity.
Some positives that come out of any typical tweet up include, but are not limited to:
- meeting people face to face that you interface regularly with online and/or on twitter; it’s always wonderful to be able to associate real faces to avatars and real human names to twitter “handles” (twitter IDs)
- meeting people you’ve never heard of or tweeted (conversed on twitter) with before, thereby connecting with someone new and expanding your network
- enjoying some good ol’ fashioned networking, connecting with new folks and learning more about your fringe network
About that fringe …
Many of the folks I tweet with on Twitter are part of my fringe network. In my experience, a fringe network is the most powerful network you’ll ever develop, connect with and have, period. Why? Well, because they are not immediate family members or close friends. These fringe folks are objective, vested third parties who are in communication with you to share in like-minded activities, projects or connections.
So what happens when that fringe network gets localized?
Well, that’s what I’d like to find out. I’m always going to city tweet ups and am just very curious about what a local, Charles Town tweet up would or could be like. And while I’m always grateful to make new friends and contacts anywhere I go, why should I have to go anywhere to meet new folks when our own town has some interesting folks to befriend right here?
And if you’ve ever seen the list of Twitter folks for Shepherdstown, they appear to be… dare I say… even more intriguing than Charles Town Twitterers. There’s a bed and breakfast owner, a cartoonist and even a jewelry maker.
So with all these folks nearby, there’s no need to commute to the city; my own ‘hood clearly has some very curious people I’d love to meet.
What could be the outcome of a local tweet up?
There are many things I wonder about having a local tweet up just down the street from my house, including:
- Will any of the local Charles Town tweepers (people who tweet), a whopping nine (9) of them, even show up?
- Will any of our neighboring Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry tweepers be willing to come as well?
- Will any Virginia tweepers from Loudoun County or Maryland tweepers from Frederick County think about heading west 20-30 minutes for a nearby, non-city-based tweet up?
No, these thoughts don’t keep me up at night (weeelllll ….. maybe sometimes!) but I do often wonder how a tweet up here in town would all go down. Sooooo … after many weeks of thought and consideration, I’m just going to chance it and see what happens.
Will Eastern Panhandle folks take a liking to a local tweet up held at an in-town grocery store’s café or will they get confused and think the tweet up is an energy drink promotion at the coffee bar? Will I be the only twaddict (twitter addict) sitting by my lonesome at the café lounge or will I be surrounded by new local friends from near and afar?
You’ll just have to stay tuned, wont’cha? J
Posted by Marya Ruiz-McPherson, or @marketingmisft on Twitter
Post new comment