Twitter is the most rapidly adopted communication tool in history, going from zero to ten million users in just over two years. On Twitter, word can spread faster than wildfire. Companies no longer have the option of ignoring the conversation. Unlike other hot social media spaces, Twitterville is dominated by professionals, not students. And despite its size, it still feels like a small town. Twitter allows people to interact much the way they do face-to-face, honestly and authentically. One minute, you’re com- plaining about the weather with local friends, the next, you’re talking shop with a colleague based halfway across the globe. No matter where you’re from or what you do for a living, you will find conversations on Twitter that are valuable. Despite the millions of people joining the site, you’ll quickly find the ones who can make a difference to you. Social media writer Shel Israel shares revealing stories of Twitterville residents, from CEOs to the student who became the first to report the devastation of the Szechuan earthquake; from visionaries trying to raise money for a cause to citizen journalists who outshine traditional media companies. Israel introduces you to trailblazers such as: · Frank Eliason, who used Twitter to reverse Comcast’s blemished customer service reputation · Bill Fergus, who was on the team at Henry Ford Medical Center during the first “live tweeted” surgery · Scott Monty, social media officer for Ford, who held off a mob of misinformed Ranger fans and averted a PR crisis · Connie Reece, who used Twitter to raise tens of thousands of dollars for cancer patients in need · The Coffee Groundz, a Houston-area coffee shop that uses Twitter to pack the tables (and fight off Starbucks) Twitterville features many true stories as dramatic as these. But it also recounts those of ordinary businesspeople who use Twitter to get closer to their customers. And it explains how global neighborhoods will make geography increasingly irrelevant. It even explains why people sometimes really do care what you had for lunch.

There was no labor involved in choosing the title of the book. The title came long before the writing began. I feel strongly that the Lord inspired the title. About a month or more later the writing began to take form. A Splash of Sunshine will indicate something bright, beautiful, charming, inviting, healing, or fun. It will knock out darkness instantly in the real world. There are no dark doldrums within this book. This little village was named Twitterville because of all the cunning little creatures twittering about, or using their twittering voices to communicate, sometimes in secret code. The village includes some inside and outside capers that cause giggles to rise from your belly. They are precious and adorable creatures full of vim and vigor, helping us to forget our troubles. Entering Twitterville provides quick relief to anxiety and fear. The air is pure and the village is charming as the stories unfold. This book has maintained strict ethical and moral codes, so the very young can have it read to them but develops interesting characters enough to make it entertaining and inspirational for adults as well. It's warm, safe, good, educational, and kind. The love shown between siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, and neighbors is exemplary. They happily spread helpfulness, acceptance of one another, and friendship to newcomers on the block. There are several reflections in the book centering on detailed descriptions of specific seasons of nature in hopes that they will inspire deeper appreciation for each season represented. The poems within this book create a sense of wonder and enlightenment, or give way to helping you remember your own similar personal experiences. They are tender and warm, fun and exciting-- some in storytelling form. God bless you!

Social media holds great potential benefits for schools reaching out to our communities, preparing our teachers, and connecting with our kids. In this short text, the authors examine how enterprising schools are using social media tools to provide customized professional development for teachers and to transform communication practices with staff, students, parents, and other stakeholders.

Beard and McNayr introduce thousands of years of tweets, from Adam's first tweet through the beginnings of the modern world to major events of the recent past, in this smart and creative take on the twitter phenomenon. Full color throughout.

The hidden patterns behind the way we make decisions Several recent books, from Blink to Freakonomics to Predictably Irrational, have examined how people make choices. But none explain why different people have such different styles of decision making—and why those styles seem consistent across many contexts. For instance, why is a gambler always a gambler, whether at work, on the highway, or in a voting booth? Scott de Marchi and James T. Hamilton present a new theory about how we decide, based on an extensive survey of more than thirty thousand subjects. They show that each of us possesses six core traits that shape every decision, from what to have for lunch to where to invest. We go with “the usual” way of deciding whenever there’s a trade-off between current and future happiness, when facing the risk of a bad outcome, or when a choice might hurt other people. We’re also consistent about how much information we want and how much we care about the opinions of others. Readers can determine their own decision-making profile with a test in the book. Once they understand the six core traits, they’ll have a big advantage in their marketing campaigns, management strategies, investments, and many other contexts.

The ultimate guide to branding and building your business in the era of the Social Web—revised and updated with a Foreword by Ashton Kutcher Engage! thoroughly examines the social media landscape and how to effectively use social media to succeed in business—one network and one tool at a time. It leads you through the detailed and specific steps required for conceptualizing, implementing, managing, and measuring a social media program. The result is the ability to increase visibility, build communities of loyal brand enthusiasts, and increase profits. Covering everything you need to know about social media marketing and the rise of the new social consumer, Engage! shows you how to create effective strategies based on proven examples and earn buy-in from your marketing teams. Even better, you'll learn how to measure success and ROI. Introduces you to the psychology, behavior, and influence of the new social consumer Shows how to define and measure the success of your social media campaigns for the short and long term Features an inspiring Foreword by actor Ashton Kutcher, who has more than 5 million followers on Twitter Revised paperback edition brings the book completely up to date to stay ahead of the lightning fast world of social media Today, no business can afford to ignore the social media revolution. If you're not using social media to reach out to your customers and the people who influence them, who is?