The Everyday Blogger

What is Twitter and Why Can't People Stop Talking About It?

With the media all a flutter about Twitter, you'd think someone just invented the newest Krispy Kreme craze. When you got mainstream types like Stephen Colbert and Barbara Walters chirping about this latest social networking thing, well, it's easy to see how the gab fest is going Main street.

In geek speak, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. You can use Twitter on the computer, cell phone, or mobile device. Twitter has also been referred to as the "SMS of the Internet" because the platform is based on text messaging technology.

With that explanation, you're probably falling asleep or scratching your head thinking to yourself, "Uh, so what?" Yeah, I get it.

So, this is how I describe Twitter: Twitter is a Swiss army knife of texting awesomeness. Here's what you get:

Is Blogging For a Living Just About the Money?

For those of us who blog for a living, the one thing we are all obsessed with is traffic numbers, and big numbers to be specific. Traffic is life blood to a professional blogger because our revenue is dependent on it.

Some of us may even tie our self esteem into our traffic numbers as a sign of how successful we are because traditionally, the more traffic you have, the more you are deemed influential and "important."

But lately, I've been thinking more deeply about what really is important when it comes to blogging for a living.

Is it just about the money?

The answer really isn't so simple because...

I'm on PBS MediaShift Show 5Across About "Twitter Mania"

Earlier this week, I was honored to be one of 5 top Twitterers to guest on the PBS Media Shift online show 5Across hosted by Mark Glaser on the topic of "Twitter Mania."As you all know, I'm all about the Twitter goodness as I tweet @skinnyjeans and my new food tweet stream @noshtopia.

My fellow guests included Eric Jaye the campaign manager for Gavin Newsom for Governor, Amit Gupta Founder of PhotoJoJo, Maggie Mason author of "No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog," and publisher of Mighty Mighty Media, and Chris Sacca a venture investor, private equity principal, company advisor, and entrepreneur who most notably is an investor in Twitter.

You can find the entire episode here at the PBS MediaShift homepage, "Will Twitter Change the World?"

Below are three short clips where I talk about being authentic on Twitter, the simplicity of Twitter in Trending topics, and Tweetups, meetups where you meet others who tweet in person.

If you haven't gotten on Twitter yet, seriously, try it out. For newbies and non-techies, I have written some very easy in Oprah speak directions on how to get started on Twitter.

Monetizing Your Twitter: Magpie Brings the Bling But Will Followers Drop

In 30 days, I have found myself in a position where I now have over 39,000 Twitter Followers which in Twitterdom is a mass of Tweeps, and oh yes, I thank and am very grateful to the powers that be. And indeed, the small business owner in me who is looking at everything I can possibly monetize thought, "Hmm, how can I make money from my Twitter?"

Someone suggested to me Magpie, an ad network for Twitter. Here is a very cute diagram of how Magpie works and how you the Twitterer make dinero. And here, you can plug in your Twitter name and Magpie will give you a ballpark of how much you could potentially make per month. So, I plugged in my Twitter name: skinnyjeans, and here's how much coin Magpie says I could make:

That 45,274 Euros per month converts today to about $58,237 USD per month which is $698,844 USD per year. So um, yeah, I fell out of my chair. Wouldn't you? So see, Magpie is looking very alluring about now, and the idea of being a six figure Twitterer just sounds pretty amazing. Is there even anyone doing that? If you know, please share.

Twittering is sooooo much easier than blogging and right now, if I could actually make that kinda bank or even 1/7 of that amount with Magpie just tweeting, then blogging would go bye-bye or I'd just use my blogs to elaborate on tweets because I don't even make any where (no where) near that kind of money through my blogs where I also have to work 10 times harder. However, let's come back down to earth...

Sometimes Life Is Like One Big Blog Post

After three years of blogging, I kinda see life as one big bag of content that unfolds on blogs. I know. It's a bit nutzoid perhaps but whatev, a hint of crazy is good for traffic.

I'm constantly finding myself saying, "Oh that would be a great blog post, or this would make my next post funny." I carry my Nikon and Flip in my purse wherever I go because I always see something that would be blog worthy. And indeed, I do have the blog lady big purse.

I enjoy reading blogs mainly because it's a peek into someone's soul and heart. I feel honored to be a part of that intimacy and rawness that a blogger will share on his/her blog. I love to experience the expression of the blogger which is why I tend to gravitate more towards the lifestyle blogs because it's like making an impromptu visit on friends and strangers, and seeing what they're up to.

Blogging for a living sure beats a day at a regular office which here in Silicon Valley means being a cubicle gofer. What's way cool is that as a lifestyle blogger it is "my job" to see what people are doing in their day-to-day lives. It's cool to say that I "have to" spend time hanging out and socializing on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social sites. Sometimes I feel like a sociologist or anthropologist. I'm telling you, 1000 years from now when the historians are trying to figure out how we lived, they'll be reading lifestyle blogs. Blogs are like the modern day Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Now on the flip side, I can find myself in periods of spending too much time online and not enough in the physical world. I have to be conscious about making dates to go out with my friends and family, and to make an effort to make new friends...in my physical locale.

Oh, I have made friends all over the world through blogging and socializing, but I can't ring up and say, "Hey meet me at the Starbucks in 5, or I'm making pot roast, come on over for dinner." When you're a blogger you could literally spend a week in your cave, and never leave, and even that would make for an interesting blog post. See, there I go.

Have you been blogging so long that almost everything reminds you of potential content for a blog post, or am I the only one :)

Quote on Discovery

 

How I Got My First TV Spot on CNBC and What I Think of The Advice Their Experts Gave Me

Over at Back in Skinny Jeans, I shared the back story of my "success story" and that I landed my first TV spot. Woo-hoo! Yes, I was a featured success story on CNBC's "On the Money Show" with Carmen Wong Ulrich about becoming one of the top healthy living bloggers in the world.

Indeed, for a blogger, getting TV love is a huge deal mainly because it helps to punt you into a new level and it is fabulous for building your brand and influence on and off line. I find it really wonderful that my first TV spot is on a show about money and finance when I'm a healthy living/lifestyle blogger. I haven't even (yet) been on a show about health, wellness, or lifestyles; my niche. But that's cool. Not complaining. I'm very grateful!

So how did I land this CNBC gig?

What Do Those Weird :-D Text \&&&/ Symbols Mean?

How many times have you seen on your cell phone, Blackberry, or around the interwebs on forums, blogs, and Twitters these weirdo text emoticons (as they're officially called). You wanna be hip and be in the know, and yet you scratch your head and think "WTF! Might as well be Swahili." This is me almost everyday even as someone who lives on the web.

Stuff like this:

\&&&/   is Princess

\%%%/   is Queen

8-)   is smiling wearing sunglasses

:-S   is "I'm confused"

I've been using :-D for laughing out loud because apparently it is a more mature version of LOL! or lol! which is okay for kiddos not adults over 30. See, so much to learn from the thumb generation.

Need translation, here's some quick links to enlighten you:

Sharpened Glossary - Simple and basic
Wikipedia - Their list includes Basic, Asian, and Complex

Net Lingo - This one has the basics plus fun things like @:-) for "I'm a smiley with wavy hair" and +<:-) "I'm the Pope"

When You Gain 300..No 2300...Twitter Followers In A Couple Days

Yesterday (Wed Jan. 14), I hadn't gotten to email much until late afternoon, and when I opened up my box, I was greeted with a frickin' truck load of emails from Twitter saying, "Hey so-and-so is now following you." I kept scrolling and scrolling and it was like a village was now following.

My Twitter following jumped by a little over 300 by the end of the day. And yeah, I jizzed in my pants.

I was thrilled and yet thought, "wtf?" Did Britney Twitter about me? Are my Law of Attraction vibes finally kicking in? Is my hummus in a tube giveaway as exciting as the Facebook Whopper freebie? Have my twice daily Twitter water reminders become so famous that word got around like wild fire because so many people made a NY's resolution to drink more water in 2009?

After about 200 emails, I was intrigued like a Scooby mystery, so I just asked my new Tweeties. Turns out, Twitter has a "Suggested Users" page and they put me on it. And by the way, Britney is on the same list.

See here it is.

I was between the New York Times and ESPN; um, a skinny jeans sandwich on mega media bread. And right after ESPN is oh one of the world's most famous bloggers Dooce. I'm one avatar up from the woman who's traffic I so want to have even more than wanting to wear the skinny jeans once again. In fact, I'd rather have her traffic than a night of wanton lust with imaginary husband Gerard Butler. Now that's saying something because well, let's just say it is.

Thank you powers to be at Twitter! This blogger is eternally grateful that you think my tweets have that much value. And there's a mini lesson for those of you who want to build up your Twitter following. Tweet about things that help others, offer value and meaning, and most of all tweet things that can brighten up someone's day :) That's my secret sauce.

And well, let's be honest, it wouldn't hurt if Britney tweeted about you too.

Update: It's now Sat. Jan. 16 at 2:30am PST, and I'm up to 3,510 Followers. That's a 2300+ increase since Wed. afternoon. Wowza! Really, thank you Tweeties!

This Is The Year I Get a Book Deal

I'm just going to make a bold outright declaration here today to the universe, and say that 2009 is the year I get a book deal. This is one of my goals for this year and is related to my 2009 NY's resolution theme to be paid what I'm worth financially and emotionally.

Being a published author has been a life long dream of mine, and I have several franken-versions of many a novel and non-fiction memoir. One day, I'd like to walk into Barnes & Noble or Borders, and see a book with my name on the shelves. Mom and Dad would be so proud too, and it's something that they could actually grasp because this "blog stuff" I do on "the online" as they call it, is still foreign to them.

This book cover here on top is just some silliness I played around with playing with the Skinny Bitch book theme. My book would be more of a personal journey versus a How-to or advice book.

What I have hot on my finger tips right now is...