A Twitter chat is a fantastic way for brands to build a solid relationship with their audience. It’s typically an hour-long discussion via Twitter about a topic that is relevant to both the chat host and participants– anything from what it’s like to go to university for the first time to a new album from a celebrity rap artist.

But it’s not enough to choose a topic and time and let loose on Twitter. A great chat takes planning, organization and – possibly the most important – follow-up.

I’ve been an active participant in a number of Twitter chats, and I’ve noticed that some things work… and some things flop. Here are ten ways to make sure your next Twitter chat is one that works!

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When Vine was first announced in late January, the initial reaction was lukewarm and filled with uncertainty about what it would mean for marketers and brands as they attempted to weave to the videos into their social marketing mix.

But time has shown the tool can provide a good change of pace and be an effective engagement tactic for any brand.

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There has been a flurry of twitter account hacks recently, what with our neighborhood villains over at the Syrian Electronic Army phishing every media outlet in the Western pond. NPR, BBC, Associated Press, and even The Onion (is nothing sacred?) have all fallen victim to their hacktivist wiles.

The good news: In response to the AP hack that sent the stock market for a loop nearly a month ago, Twitter has instigated a brand-new two-step authentication option that makes it much harder for hackers to worm their way into Twitter accounts. But how many of our nation’s celebrities had to suffer before this new and improved system was put into effect? Well, a bunch of them. Read on to find out what hackers had to say when they assumed the voices of America’s sweethearts and rock stars in 140 characters or less.

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How many times in the past six months have you read or heard someone reference the phrase “paid, owned, and earned”?

I’d venture to say that the answer is more than you can count on your hands (and maybe even your feet as well!). In this post, I’ll explore the evolution of social media marketing that eventually led us to the paid, owned, earned trifecta, and I’ll dive into a few brands that have found success employing it.

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It seems the popular micro-blogging service Twitter has something up its sleeve and is about to make the jump from micro-blogging to a full-fledged media platform.

We know that Twitter is currently in talks with media industry giant Viacom over a deal that could begin in mid-May. The deal would bring TV clips and advertisements to Twitter in exchange for a cut of the ad revenue – reported to be a 50/50 split. Partnering with media giants isn’t new for Twitter. It already has arrangements with The Weather Channel, ESPN and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), but what Viacom (and a NBC Universal) could bring is some of the most popular content online, such as HULU videos or major sporting events.

Here’s what the deal leads us to believe.

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Since launching its advertising platform three years ago, Twitter evolved its offerings at a staggering pace. Due to the lack of data it requires users to provide, Twitter may lag behind Facebook in demographic targeting, but has and will continue to use its real-time nature as a key differentiator from competitors in the social media advertising space.

Here’s a quick refresher on the targeting options Twitter currently offers for its Promoted Tweets products:

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Anyone working in social media marketing appreciates the unique challenges of attempting to budget and plan for the upcoming year’s social media strategy. How can we know the type and level of resources we’ll need to be successful when the mix of social content is evolving so quickly? And when most social marketers have only recently secured budgets commensurate with the amount of time and resources required to succeed in social media marketing, how do we stay ahead of emerging trends in 2013? Did we know we’d need a Pinterest budget a year ago? Probably. Do we need a Vine budget today? Probably not.

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Over the past five years, the Shorty Awards (honoring the best in social media) have added new categories to their list, with the introduction of widely used social media platforms and tools. The newest categories for the fifth annual awards ceremony taking place on April 8 in New York City, include Pinterest Brand Presence and Animated GIF of the Year.

Perhaps the sixth annual event will honor the best use of Vine (Twitter’s six-second video app), which exploded onto the social media scene earlier this year as a free iOS app available for iPhone.

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Most of us are already aware of the new six-second video app, Vine, but not much has been said on how businesses can use this new tool to communicate with target audiences. Aside from many B2B and B2C companies flip-flopping on whether or not there is value in using it, there are some who have identified great potential in the app’s uses. 

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It’s easy to forget that Twitter isn’t a one-size-fits-all communications channel. What works for one brand isn’t necessarily the right strategy for another. That observation may seem obvious but tends to get lost amidst the various case studies of success that frequently capture marketers’ attention.

Every brand is distinctive. Its digital and social media marketing strategy needs to be customized in a way that matches its unique marketing needs and customer peculiarities.

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