Twitter Tweet Smack Quack
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I’m sure a lot of us have heard of twitter, but most don’t have a clue what it is and what’s so great about it.
Twitter is the key that allows you to work you online social network in an automated fashion so that you can continuously build relationships and engage your people while not being chained to a desk or a computer.
Blogging, bookmarking, video, text, photo, and networking in a social sphere are all what we’re exposed to so much these days, yet many of us are resisting adopting and embracing these technologies.
I joined twitter back in April 2009 (see sidebar for my latest tweets). I knew of its existance since early 2008 but never joined because I was still getting my head around all these new social media technologies and figuring out what ways to use utilize them for marketing as well as general communication.
After having used twitter for about three months, I can confidently say it is a total Godsend! In all truth I wish I joined up sooner.
WHAT IS TWITTER?
- It’s a (micro)blog – “micro” because it’s got 140 character limitation.
- It’s public SMS – you can SMS people directly to their twitter accounts which ideally should be hooked up to their cell phones and they can respond to you. You can also follow the conversations of other who peak your interest and others can follow your conversations as well.
- It’s a networking tool - It allows you to follow and connect with new people you want to know more about through people you already know and it allows others the opportunity to connect with you. People you probably would never have connected with through normal circumstances.
- Most of all it’s a mobile synchronization tool for social media. - It allows the sharing of photo, video and text not only in the twitter crowd, but you can set it up to distribute to places like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace – exponentially reaching out to a large network of people simultaneously just by simply pressing the “send” button on your cell phone!
I DON’T HAVE TIME TO LEARN THIS!
I’m a major advocate for social media and here’s why:
It’s a gold mine to meeting new people. Not just for the purposes of business but to enrich your social life as well.
Social media is a TOOL and specifically it’s a MAGNIFIER. Like money and power it will magnify what’s already inside of you. Truth is that social media is here to stay and you will be assimilated. Resistance is futile 
I WANT TO PROTECT MY PRIVACY
I understand that there is a concern of having a balance of privacy and publicity. I also feel that people aren’t exercising comon sense when it comes to the issue of privacy and publicity online and this is where proper education and awareness needs to be brought into the fold.
I’m in the process of developing some material via MessageMastery.com which I’ll be putting out as a gift for all of you laying out the basics to get you going on using these amazing social media tools.
Using social media is just like real life – Its all about extending one’s influence through the building of relationships.
Fact of life: generally people don’t care about you, me or anyone. They care about themselves, and more importantly – what others think of THEM.
In order for us as entrepreneurs, organizational leaders, entertainers, or even as individuals to get people to do stuff, we need to touch a heart before we can ask for a hand. This is where leadership skills and compassion comes into play.
Everyone wants something. They’re trying to get somewhere. When we help someone get to where they want to go – a relationship forms.
When the heart is touched multiple times, those individuals make your their leader/celebrity/etc – obviously we as Muslims don’t attempt to touch the hearts of people to become their leader or celebrity – we do it for the sake of Allah-swt alone, but the natural process is that this is what happens.
The more hearts we touch – the greater our influence becomes – This is social media.
The tools that are out the like – YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, etc – are all there to do just that.
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
I want you to give some of these tools a try. Specifically twitter.
Go ahead to twitter.com and create an account, start following me and we can start sharing ideas with each other right away 
Basil Mohamed Gohar Says: 19.07.09 at 11:21 am
Twitter is no longer the only microblogging service out there. Identica (http://identi.ca) is one quite popular alternative to Twitter that is also compatible with it. The real draw of Identica, though, is their respect for your privacy and freedoms. Additionally, Identica runs on Laconica, which is free & open source software. I personally have not started using Twitter, but I am using Identica for the reasons I’ve outlined above and more.
Brother Says: 20.07.09 at 9:08 am
[Removed upon request of poster]
Basil Mohamed Gohar Says: 20.07.09 at 9:20 am
Brother,
I understand what you mean. I want to assure you that there IS such a thing as true brotherhood, and it does exist solely for the sake of Allaah, and it does exist outside of easy opportunities such as AlMaghrib seminars and whatnot. What makes me sad is that your comment indicates that you really haven’t experienced that before.
What I am about to say is not meant to imply anything, but the fact of the matter is we cannot change others, but we can change ourselves (by the Permission of Allaah). So, ask yourself, and you don’t have to say anything here, “Is there something *I* can do to change this situation?” It doesn’t mean that anything has to be wrong with you, but if you feel you are missing out on something, maybe there is something that is in your capacity to change. I am saying all of this only as a result of your comments.
I know, for example, that I had NEVER experienced the kind of Islamic brotherhood until I had met some good brothers at the MSA at my university (not all of them have to be good, by the way – be careful!). These are the ones that are calling you to do good things like pray at the masjid, give up things you are doing that are not good or outright haraam, and maybe even make you feel uncomfortable at first (but only because you [i.e., me] felt awkward about your own lack of fulfilling obligations, etc.), but they persist, kindly, until you get the courage to go with them to the masjid, give up the things they kindly advised you about, and so on. The brotherhood that forms IS for the sake of Allaah, and it is like nothing else. You genuinely care about the person, but that is because they are your brother in Islaam. In the absence of the deen, that just wouldn’t be the same.
So, Brother, I ask Allaah to grant you good companions through whom you’ll get a taste of true Islamic brotherhood.
Brother Says: 20.07.09 at 9:45 am
[removed upon request of poster]
AlBaraa Says: 20.07.09 at 3:22 pm
Interesting thoughts from both of you.
“And with the first bit, that’s interesting. Because everyone is trying to just get good deeds, when they’re nice to you do they ACTUALLY care about you, Or are they just doing it for the reward?”
“Same with all these social networking things. I’ve not had a single comment from them on my profile before. It just looked so embarrassing that I didn’t have any friends (which to be honest I don’t) so I didn’t go on it anymore. I try so hard with them but they just have fun with each other. Sometimes I wonder if this brotherhood thing in today’s world really exists”
@Brother -
Here’s the thing. One can approach life or social media from the role of an “influencee” or from the role of the influencer.
If you wants others to interact with you, perhaps its a great idea to give them a reason to interact. Online, people spend their time to gain information, communicate, or be entertained. Which of these are you giving to the people you want to engage?
The great thing about Islam is that, it teaches the people to care about oneself by caring for others’ well being.
Here’s some foundational marketing principals to becoming a person with influence,
:: 1 ::
we have to open ourselves up to conversation a process which requires us to stop talking and start listening to what others are saying – This entails that we go out and seek it. Whether its the voice of experts or laymen.
After listening, we speak to them personally. It entails responding to feedback, not taking negative feedback we get personally. Giving credit to ideas that others suggested to you.
:: 2 ::
Becoming part of the community we want to serve. Its about relationships. RasulAllah-salAllahu alyhi wasallam was a master at this. Everyone he met felt that he was loved most by rasuAllah.
Think about others as individuals with feelings, interests, interactions, relationships, likes, dislikes, hopes, derams, and struggles. When you do that – others see you as their friend and when you help them in those areas then they listen to you more often. Soon enough they make you their leader (figuratively).
Obviously, as influencers we don’t help people so they make us their leader. We help them so they can benefit and move forward to what THEY want. That’s what makes an influencer different. He makes it a point to be a bit self less.
The purpose that drives the influencer is different from one to the other and it shouldn’t matter what’s driving them. Just know that we Muslims who are shepher’s of our own flocks do it to attain the pleasure of Allah.
Bottom line is - being part of the community means giving them something of real VALUE. Automatically they’ll keep coming back for more.
Anonymous Says: 20.07.09 at 4:58 pm
I agree with your post, but what do you think about having the opposite gender following you on twitter? Does it not just make it that much easier to reply to them and check up on what they’re doing?
Yusuf Says: 20.07.09 at 5:03 pm
Jazakallahukhair for the post Br Belal. You mentioned automation. I plan to play with Hoot suite soon. Is that what you use or do have some top twitter tools you recommend? Also, your background is really nice mashallaah. Is that an original work you made with PS or was there a special background creation tool you used?
AlBaraa Says: 20.07.09 at 9:15 pm
@Anonymous -
When someone follows you, whether that person is a friend, family, foe, male, female, or a squirrel they do it because of some level of value they get from you. I think that’s great. The amount of follows you have is a measure of the amount of influence you can potentially command.
Who YOU follow (or don’t follow) is YOUR choice. Is it easier to respond to someone that you’re following than someone you’re not? Certainly.
Question is –
From your perspective, what sort of relationship are you trying to build with those whom you’re following and those who are following you? The answer to that determines how you respond to individuals.
@Yusuf
RE Automation -
I’ve never used Hoot. The tools I know of that can lend to automation are: Aweber (an autoresponder service) and TwitterFeed where you can schedule your posts via wordpress and it would automatically be tweeted out once it publishes.
RE Background -
I made it in Photoshop. It was inspired by @EricFarewell and @JoelComm.
However, there are a few background creators available online:
- http://freetwitterdesigner.com/
- http://www.twitbacks.com/
- http://www.twitbacks.com/
You might find them useful.
Islamic-Life is now on Twitter! Says: 17.10.09 at 12:58 am
[...] twitter, it can be a great chance to check it out. There is a pretty informative post by a brother here So start following now, InshAllah Islamic-Life (Islamiclife) on Twitter [...]