The big importance of small interations on twitter and in real life

@get_hoodzpah #gettinbizy
THE BIG IMPORTANCE OF
SMALL INTERACTIONS
Laguna College of Art + Design
Professional Practices
Fall 2014

SMALL INTERACTIONS
Twitter

SMALL INTERACTIONS | Twitter
Twitter Is The Cheat Code
Right now you don’t know anyone but your teachers and
other students. You need to start making friends in the
design community to build recognizability; but how?
Interviews, AIGA Events, networking meet-ups… these are
all good ways, but there is a shortcut that you need to be
taking advantage of! Twitter.

The Design World Is Very Small
Designers and influencers who’d be hard to meet in real
life because they are important, busy or geographically
not near you, are personally active on Twitter and directly
accessible. The design scene on Twitter is a much smaller
and more accessible world than the real world one. Use it
as a segue.

No Gatekeepers!
On Twitter there are no secretaries to hinder you
from talking to the people you want to meet. No
need for friend-of-friend introductions. Just you and
your wits. If you can interact with them in a
personal, engaging way, you could get noticed
much easier than by competing for attention in their
email inbox or by a cold call.

They Spill The Beans.
You want to know how the design greats work?
Want to know what programs they’re using? Want
all the secrets? Most designers are posting all this
and more on Twitter.

Personal Anecdote:
I’ve been reading and loving Little White Lies magazine for
years. I’ve always wanted to get on their radar to possibly
do illustrations for them. The other day I gave them a
follow and replied to one of their tweets, praising them for
their new release in a witty way. Not only did they respond
back, they followed back! After years of trying to figure out
who to talk to to get in touch with these people I am now
on their radar and one degree closer to them and their
awesomeness, in whatever capacity.

That being said…
!
Don’t Be A Bar Fly
There’s a difference between interacting and harassing. If
you get into Twitter just looking to connect for your own
benefit or to spam people for work, you will get shut down.
Play it cool. Don’t come off as aggressive or desperate.

Appreciate peers and influencers
They’re not just a means to an end. Genuinely interact with
your network because being insincere and self serving is
one of the biggest turn-offs on social media. Twitter is
meant to be “social”, not a hard sell, or a stoic pitch
interview.

Twitter is the modern cocktail party
It’s a who’s who guest list and if you can stand out and
contribute interesting conversation then you’ll be a hit at
the party. However, if you only talk about yourself or don’t
talk at all and creepily stand alone by the snacks, you won’t
get invited to other parties.

So we’ve got some tips for you…

Shorten your links using bit.ly
140 characters is a small window to get your point across.
Don’t spend 2/3 of it with a long link.

Link to your website in your profile, and visa
versa, link to your Twitter from your website.

Use hashtags correctly
It will help people find you based on content/topics they
want to hear about. Tweets with hashtags get 2x more
engagement.

Include links to your topics if it applies.

Use images. Tweets with images are proven to
have 2x higher engagement rates.

Don’t just promote yourself
Pepper self promotion in with funny stories, pop culture
observations, links to interesting articles, and plugs for
other people’s projects or new product releases you dig.

You get what you give
Respond to other people’s tweets. Favorite them. Retweet
when applicable.

Be careful of the follower/following ratio:
If you’re following 3,201 people but only have 94 followers,
people will be hesitant to follow you back. It may sound
gamey, but it’s true. You always want your followers to be
higher than your following. It makes you seem like a
tastemaker.

Use Lists
If you want to follow news organizations, or design outlets
etc, consider adding them to a list instead of following
them. It’s the best cheat way to keep up with people
without upping your following number.

Keep your ears open to the world around you.
Not only will you hear some hilarious stuff from strangers,
but you all are surrounded by talented friends. If your
friend or teacher says something inspired, quote and tag
them. That’s you creating helpful content and promoting
your network. If you promote them they’re more likely to
want to promote you back.

Start Conversations.
It’s easy to be a reactor in Twitter, but try to actively
engage your network. If you see something in an article
that you talked with a Twitter friend about before, send
them the link or mention it to them to get a convo going
and remind them you care/exist.

Ask Questions.
Want to know of a great local printer? Want to know of
an online sticker vendor? Want to know how people are
dealing with Yosemite update bugs? Ask your network!
It’s a great way to get friends engaged and get real,
useful knowledge.

Grammar and spelling still sort of matter.
Sure, you use acronyms to shorten speech, but don’t look
illiterate. You still have to use ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ correctly.

SMALL INTERACTIONS
How To Write Better Tweets

SMALL INTERACTIONS | How to Write Better Tweets
Relevance is key.
Twitter feeds move fast. So does life. Stay up to date on
news, trends, culture and design-happenings. That way
when the conversation arises, you have something to say.
Relevant people become influencers.

Tweet about great resources as you come
across them.
If you find a great free mockup or a great new
stock photo site that finally offers decent, natural
looking photos, share the link and tag the site’s
Twitter account.

Tweet about things other than design.
Do you watch popular shows that are trending on Twitter?
Then join the conversation. Twitter isn’t just strictly business.
Having interests outside of design is helpful and can connect
you with unique people that can widen your network. If you
know an influencer you follow on Twitter likes “The Walking
Dead” and you watch the latest episode, ask them if they saw
the latest episode and make an interesting comment about it
(no plot spoilers). Find original ways of connecting with users
beyond “hey, I like your work.”

Don’t be a fan, be a peer.
When you just say “hey, I love your work.” You become a
fanboy. When you offer design-centric feedback, you
become a peer. “Great poster! How do you do your amazing
shading technique? I have been using vector textures in
multiplied layers.” This gets a conversation going.

Interaction In Real Life
SMALL INTERACTIONS

Know what you’re working on.
Because when you run into people, they WILL ask you. Have
something specific to say other than “stuff”.
SMALL INTERACTIONS | In Real Life

Know how to explain where you work and what you
do in 3 sentences or less and in an engaging way.
New introductions WILL ask you. It should cover:
Full name. Last names still matter.
Where you work at or if you are freelance.
What you do at that company (or for yourself).

The Evolution of an Introduction

How I introduced myself 4 years ago:
“I’m Amy”

How I introduced myself 2 years ago:
“I’m Amy and my sister and I work at this thing called
Hoodzpah.”

How I introduced myself now:
“Hey, I’m Amy Hood! My twin sister and I run a design
company in Newport Beach called Hoodzpah. We do
branding for start-ups and design-centric small businesses.”

Don’t feel like you’re tooting your own horn.
People are curious!

LISTEN!
When someone is talking don’t scan the room for other
people to talk to. Listen up and ask engaging questions.

Do your homework to ask better questions.
Research the members of a meet-up or event before you
attend. If you know more about your Twitter friends or
influencers and what they’re up to, you’ll have interesting
things to ask them about once you get there.

Don’t feel like you can only talk business.
Sometimes the best way to make a lasting connection is via
interests other than design. TV shows, pop culture, music.
Branch out! Get personal! Note: read your audience. Some
people are very private and may be uncomfortable about too
much information, so look for context clues.

Shyness is often misconstrued as rudeness.
So throw caution to the wind! Go up and say “hi” to someone
if you don’t know anyone. Or at the least, smile! If you see
someone you know, go over and give them a handshake or a
hug. Don’t pretend like you don’t see them. They WILL think
you’re a self-important jerk.

Be less worried about looking stupid and more
worried about missing opportunities.
So many people let insecurity get in the way. No one cares as
much as you think they do. Promise. Say “hi” to that person
you’ve been following on dribbble. Say “hi” to that person
you met last year at the AIGA lecture. Most people don’t bite.

Get Your Tweet On.

The big importance of small interations on twitter and in real life

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