On 140 words or more – Reflections on #140 confLi

Foreword: Yes, I’m cheating. This foreward won’t count for the 140 words (or more) in my reflections on the first Social Media 140 Characters Conference of Long Island, held at Touro Law on May 26th. While, everyone was busily managing their smart devices and laptops, I took notes, re-kindling my old school reporting. As observer and twitterer, here were some thought phrases I caught, in no particular order:

#RT means re-tweet. #MT means modified tweet. A twoosh is a perfect 140 character tweet; try to keep ‘em under 110 for RT purposes. “Bad writing is killing America.” Brevity is best. “Listen to your audience.” Serendipity exists. Lift people around you and you will be lifted. A tweet is a terrible thing to waste. Twitter reveals “who you are as an artist.” Ask questions and respond; forget about private stuff. People love bandanas. Power of twitter is to reach and touch human needs.

#Usguys has online community transparency. There is too much overuse of the words authenticity and transparency. We are…we are...trending! Backchannel to cool; Thought zoo. Achieve so much in so little time, so far away. Presentations can still be drawn on poster board. Journalism professor likes to dance. News anchor likes to sing.

Twitter tick-offs: private convos, cluttered backgrounds and #too #many #hashtags. Virtual party members must be quick and witty. “Meet people halfway.” Be a social median. Connect with 20 influential people. Remain engaged. “Less stress, more success.” “Fear of change is fear of failure.”

Social media is like dating. Focus on customer, not social media elite! We are all connected: #ff #ww About.me. Make a power website! Translating local news to patch=connecting people to community.

Don’t go crazy with metrics, ROI. What is your social network worth? No man or woman is a “real island,” but Staten Island is. May the Jedi force be with you. “I can see Brazil from Montauk.” Mobile apps are changing how we consume. Are you a poster or paster? #Spoonie became a heart behind the hash tag. “Patients want to be heard.”

“Tweet, tweet, you’re fired”. Interactions, not transactions need to be managed! Your cell phone can be a weapon in customer service. Duck! Law school students tweeting badly! Does that mean they use bad “sentences”? If you can make pancakes from scratch, you can make beer? Stories about the heart from the heart!

Infrequent tweeter feels inadequate. Plane in the Hudson photo – wow! Focus on the quality of your community, not the quantity. Too much coffee! Really good burgers. Field seats at Bethpage Park = sitting Ducks for foul balls!

Backword: Ok, I failed at 140 words, but the characters at the conference were succinct and passionate! (cue Theme from Exodus)