Featured Tweeter @SplinterGirl

Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Twitter Name: @SplinterGirl
Twitter Bio: VP-Finance for Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc. – an award-winning timber frame company that designs, fabricates, and erects timber structures nationwide.
Company Name:  Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc.
City/State: Lititz, PA
Main Website: www.lancotf.com
Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/pZ7OsC 
Admin Name:  Amy Good
LinkedIN Profile:  linkedin.com/in/amygood
Klout Score: 63
Followers: 2,171
Following:Follower Ratio: 0.89

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

January 6, 2o09

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

As of late (last month or so), twitter.com has not been loading properly on my computer. Some pages don’t load all the way and I’m forced to log in every time I pull up the website, which is a major time sucker.

I was able to delete cookies and browser history to correct the problem. As with any technology, I guess it takes tweaking every now and then.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

I tweet generally in chunks of time, depending on my day and what I need to accomplish. On a usual day, I’m on in the morning for about 15 to 30 minutes, again late morning, early afternoon, and before I leave for home. Often throughout the day it is for 5 minutes or just to take a break from paperwork. I rarely tweet on the weekends or in the evenings.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

I’d recommend that people start slow and reach out to get a follower or two, generally within the construction industry (if that’s your niche) or even in the design/architecture industry. Follow this handful of people, make conversation, and, by all means, don’t just keep posting links about your business and what you sell. I liken it to jumping up and down on the street corner with one of those sandwich boards.

Be authentic, decide what you want your twitter presence to look like, and review that thought process to make sure that your social media presence is going to match that of the culture of your company. Ask other people what software programs they use. Once you have several followers, it is best to use a software program. I prefer TweetDeck, but know several that use HootSuite and various other programs. You will find them to be much more user friendly in that you can make columns and keep things in better order overall.

Twitter can get very loud if you allow it to. Honestly, the best recommendation would be that whatever you say online stays online…forever. Don’t complain about clients, don’t be overly negative, and don’t post personal issues that should be kept between you and your counselor.

Do be friendly, do follow up, and do repost links from other users (with proper props, of course). Are you going to mess up and post something stupid once in awhile? Absolutely. Just apologize and move on. Mostly, use your best judgment and you’ll be just fine.

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

Hmmm….I don’t really have one to be honest.  I use them to be funny, usually.  I should really use #timberframe more often, though.  You’ll find I often do expressions or actions with a “*” on either side.

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

I guess I don’t really have a mentor. I do watch people like Bob Borson (@bobborson) pretty closely. All in all, most of it is just gut reaction to what I would like to see.

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

Again, @bobborson, but I’d also recommend @BuilderLink, as they are working hard to network builders and suppliers across the nation. And, if you aren’t following @birminghampoint, @SLSconstruction, @buildingmoxie, @ginnypowell, @brendaslynn, @cupboards, and @talv58 you should be. They are some of my favorites.

Additional Comments:

You might want to check out a webinar I did in conjunction with Builder Link. It is basically a primer on using Twitter for the Construction Industry. It was my first webinar and I’m sure it can or should be improved upon.

More Featured Tweeters

6 thoughts on “Featured Tweeter @SplinterGirl

  1. John Poole

    Great bio, Amy! I remember very well your BuilderLink webinar. It was just a little over a year ago. Yet everything you covered in that webinar was excellent, and still very relevant a year later. Any one new to Twitter or social media should download it for some great pointers. And you’ve been one of my best friends in the Twittersphere for some time now. You rock, Splinter Girl! So glad to have you as a fellow traveler on this journey! ~John

    Reply

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