Forward Thinking: New Tech Ideas for the Marketing Mind

The term "Tweetup" officially became a word this week when it was accepted into the Oxford Dictionary of English. It's not news. The way people are consuming their news has changed and is still evolving.  New technology tools are popping up to aggregate and deliver our content in better ways, and thought leaders are asking big questions like "How will the act of reading change as we move from print to pixels."   What will it look like, 5, 10, 20 years from now? Here's a few new tech ideas bouncing around the web for the marketing mind to think about: 

* Extra, Extra! The Twitter newspaper by paper.li is a new tool that organizes links shared on Twitter into an easy-t- read newspaper format; An interesting tool that can be used for marketing. See how @IntDesignChat made use of it this week to promote its weekly Twitter Chats. (pictured left) 

* What impact will the iPad have on your blog? Consider that, and plug into iPad peek to take a look. 

* There's an app. for that, and that, and that.... An article in Wired implies the web is dead as applications, aggregaters like Facebook and other things are taking over search-based browsers. It's gotten the techies sparring in some heated discussions. What will ultimately win in the war for our screen sucking attention? 

Designers & Architects Put Their Ears to the Computer Screen on Twitter

In a busy little world called Twitterville, there's a growing community of architects, designers, manufacturers and industry professional chatting with consumers and peers about everything from Fall trends to client relationships in 140 characters or less.

If you're regular on Twitter, then you may already know what Twitter Chats are. If not, the quick definition is: a conversation between Tweeters on a given topic held on Twitter at a scheduled time, which is identified by a hashtag (#nameofchat) that makes it easy to follow.

There are a lot of different Twitter Chats happening on Twitter on all sorts of topics, but over the course of the past year a few new chats  have emerged in the design and architecture industry and they're gaining a healthy following of active participants.

The American Institute of Architects (@aianational) hosts an #AIAChat the first Wednesday of every month for architects to discuss common issues and challenges. Their last chat caught 73 participants discussing the topic of client relationships. Two other design chats #IntDesignerChat and #IDzineChat were launched earlier this year and have claimed over 150 participants.  The first is geared for discussion among interior designers, while the latter is a live question and answer chat  between consumers and interior designers.

While studies are being released to show what Twitter fails to do for brands, they miss the whole point of what it does do very well; Connect people and provide  real-time market intelligence to businesses.  These Twitter Chats are helping design brands stay inspired and strategic through challenging and changing times by simply listening to what consumers and other businesses care about. Maybe you should check it out. 

Do you participate in any Twitter Chats? What have they done for you? 

Design Businesses! Why & How to Attend Meet the Media Twitter Chat, Friday April 2

Join us this Friday for the only #MeetMdiaChat on Twitter
 April 2nd at 1 - 1:30PM EST

with Carmen Natschke of the top ranked design and architecture blog The Decorating Diva

What Is It?
 #MeetMdiaChat Twitter Chat is a monthly PR chat that aims to connect design & architecture businesses and PR professionals with the design media for improved media relations. Each month, a media guest will join us to answer your questions about content and useful information like what they're looking for, how they like to be pitched, and more. 

Why Attend?
To learn more about the design media's content, story interests and best pitching practices.

How Do I Participate?
It's easy. Twitter Chats are a fun and dynamic way to learn and connect! 

. Once you have a twitter account, go to TweetChat
. Log on
. Input “#MeetMdiaChat” in the Room to Enter field
. Start tweeting

Please note: you can still participate even if you don’t use TweetChat; just use the hash tag #MeetMdiaChat when you enter a tweet so the group can follow your conversation. Another great tool to stay on top of the conversation is TweetGrid. Check it out.

How it Works 

. Introduce yourself when you sign in
. I will introduce our guest and pose 2 - 3 questions to start 
. Please send any questions you have to @lauranewm (do not use the hash tag #MeetMdiaChat). I will then ask the question of the guest labeled Q1, Q2, and so forth.
. Please stay on topic and be sure to mark any responses to questions with their respective question label at the start of your tweet: EX: Q2: When did you decide to do that? #MeetMdiaChat
. Learn, have fun and go get 'em!

Still not clear or need help getting set up on Twitter? Feel free to contact me at laura@lauranewmanpr.com or ask your question here on comments.

Ask.Listen.Learn: Decorating Diva On Meet Media Chat April 2

Save the Date! Tell your industry friends! Tweet it, Facebook it and shout it out from a rooftop! On Friday, April 2nd I'll be hosting  Meet the Media Chat (#MeetMdiaChat) on Twitter - the first of a series of live Twitter chats focused on connecting design businesses with the media on a more intimate level.  Carmen Natschke of the design and architecture blog The Decorating Diva will be the inaugural guest and she's ready to answer your questions!

One of the most important things in PR is knowing the media and understanding their needs and interests.  #MeetMdiaChat will allow you to learn more about their content and ask specific questions you have about getting a story placed with them and other curiosities you may have. So don't be that next ignored e-mail, unanswered phone message or embarrassing case study on the Bad Pitch Blog. Attend, ask, listen, learn.

Join  #MeetMdiaChat 

with 

Carmen Natschke 

@DecoratingDiva 

Friday, April 2nd,  1:00 - 1:30PM EST

Stay tuned on Twitter following #MeetMdiaChat and on my blog for more details and news on upcoming chats.  #MeetMdiaChat will run once a month with different media guests. (Got two lined up already!)  If you're a journalist, blogger, editor, or freelance writer who wants to participate, or have a suggestion on who you'd like to meet on #MeetMdiaChat, leave a comment or email me at laura@lauranewmanpr.com.
Tweet to you soon!

About Decorating Diva

The Decorating Diva, LLC covers interior design, the decorative arts and architecture throughout the year.  In addition, each month The Decorating Diva, LLC dedicates a series of articles to a specific topic related to design, decorative arts or architecture.

The Decorating Diva.com is listed in the top one percent of all websites tracked by ALEXA and Technorati; has a monthly audience reach of 40,000 (Nov 2009) and is regularly quoted in industry publications as the source for design trends and eco-savvy design.