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About Owen
I’m a blogger/tweeter/technology freak with a passion for finding out what’s new and getting my hands on it. My day job keeps me busy talking to organisations how to make best use of technology, people and processes, so I keep my hands dirty by coding, blogging and building websites in the evenings.
How did you first find out about Twitter?
I really don’t remember how I got into Twitter. Like all things, someone mentioned it to me, so I went to investigate what it was all about. I don’t think I got hooked right away, probably because I wasn’t following people interesting enough, but soon I started playing with their API and getting into the thick of it, now it’s an indispensable tool.
What do you tweet about?
I tweet about many things. Mostly about things I’m reading, and I think others might be interested in what I’ve found. I also tweet so friends know what I’m doing and to keep pointers I might need to go back to in the future. I love Googling a question and finding that I had blogged or tweeted the answer some time earlier.
How has Twitter changed your life?
I guess it’s made me more aware. More aware of what others are doing, and more aware of the impact people’s actions have on each other. I’ve actually stopped reading RSS feeds now and Twitter has become my main source of ideas, news and even inspiration. I guess another way of looking at it is Twitter has improved my ability to assimilate what’s going on around me and moved it up to a completely new level.
Why did you sign up for Sponsored Tweets?
I think the primary reason was professional curiosity. I’m always keeping an eye on New Media and am particularly interested in how organisations are leveraging different avenues to engage with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders; whether it’s to gain competitive advantage, or just to catch up with their competitors. I’ve been following Izea for some time now (right back from the early PayPerPost days) and have always taken an active part in their community and this was no exception. I’m quite keen to see how this will develop; Izea has a track record of bringing innovative solutions to market and building a community around them, and if Sponsored Tweets takes off in a similar way it should be a fun ride.
What is one piece of advice you would give to our advertisers?
Keep it real. Don’t be afraid to engage honestly with your community. If your product is awesome, people will appreciate the relationship and spread the word about how great you are. If your product sucks, well, it’s better to find out up front and focus your efforts on improving it. Twitter gives you access to a community who are happy to share their knowledge and findings with each other. Don’t shun them, embrace them. Finally, if you’re on Twitter, shout to the world about it. Use a widget ( example http://tweetburn.com/tools/tweetroll/ ) to show off your presence and invite others to join.
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