Quick Quotes on Twitter From Day #1 of PubCon 2009

November 10, 2009 written by Liz

So day one of PubCon is coming to a close, but instead of recapping the entire day, I’ll just share a few quick quotes from some social media speakers at the convention today.

“They [tweets] are the first viral mechanism that we can study: what makes specific messages contagious?”
- Dan Zarrella, Viral Marketing Scientist, HubSpot.com

Metrics in regards to Social Media have been a pretty hot topic for a while, and it’s becoming more possible with every new social tool. Dan Zarrella has been doing research on the science of tweets, and the statistics we’ve all been waiting for. During the first session on Twitter of the day, “Hot Topics and Trends,” he addressed some of those statistics, including some surprises, like the fact that only 3% of all tweets are retweets. Should it be awkward that I wrote this while he sat next to me during the session I’m in at the moment? I’ll ask and let you know how that turned out.

“Prostituting yourself and annoying others diminishes social capital.”
-Brian Carter, Director of Search Marketing, SEO and Social Media, Fuel Interactive

This sentiment was illustrated via those great motivational posters we’ve all seen. Despite it’s humor, it couldn’t be more true. Brian Carter spoke during a session on capitalizing on Twitter and the microblogging revolution, and how you should try to transform your social capital or popularity into financial capital. “It’s not so much how many people follow you,” Carter said, “it’s how much people end up reacting and doing what you say. Become a strong networker in your niche.” Quality, quality advice.

“11:30 CST and 4PM CST (pearanalytics) Teusday or Friday are the best times to be retweeted.”
-Sean Jackson, CEO/Creator Ecordia

Well, there you have it. You probably can’t find a more specific statistic than that. Later in the afternoon, a session on PR and Twitter shared some specific statistics and tips on how to monitor your brand and engage followers. Lisa Buyer also spoke at the session and commented on the importance of acknowledging a goal before going after a big Twitter following: “mean it before you tweet it. We are what we tweet.”

It feels like a good time to end this blog because the next session involves tweeting, snacks, and beer. Us Social Media nerds know how to party.