Twitter

Twitter

How I Got a $10,000 Grant Through Twitter Outreach

Author: Michelle Ioannou, Career Advice

Yes, you read that correctly, I received a $10,000 grant for the nonprofit I work for solely from Twitter outreach.

How did I do it? I connected with people. Yes, that’s all. And yes, that was it.

Social media is meant to be social, it’s right there in the title. Not only should you respond to people who tweet at you, but you should start conversations with others as well. If you see someone tweeting about something applicable to your professional field or your interests, simply respond to their tweet. Show them you know what you’re talking about, show them you have an interest in the things they’re talking about, and show them that your missions are aligned. You truly never know what connections they have, and that’s how it worked out for me!

Yes, this can be like finding a diamond in the rough. It can sound tedious. And yes, it can take an aggressive outreach campaign in order to see results. I dedicated a couple of hours each day solely to reaching out to those on Twitter who were tweeting with similar hashtags that my nonprofit was using. It can sound like a lot, I know. But, I can also tell you firsthand that you can see results, and that it works.

All I did was tweet at someone with a bit of information on my company (within 140 characters, of course), and a bit of incentive for him to help us — a give-get, so to say. And it worked. The person responded. They were interested in us and the work we were doing. And this person just so happened to know a foundation that donated $10,000 to us. This then turned into another $10,000 six months later. And then another $10,000. And so on and so forth, you get the picture.

These thousands of dollars all came from a simple tweet. From connecting with someone on Twitter, and showing him a nonprofit he’s never heard of before — but one that falls directly in line with his mission. 

Social media is truly a powerful tool. It connects us with people in a way that we have never connected with people before. And we need to take advantage of that, because there’s so many opportunities out there on the web, you just need to find them.

Don’t be afraid to directly tweet at someone. Worst case scenario? They don’t answer. Best case scenario? You may just have someone fall in love with your nonprofit/business/brand so much, they want to help fund it, or know someone who does.

For Politicians, Unintentionally Funny is the Best Kind of Funny

Author: #NAMB Guest Author, Current Events/Politics

When politicians don’t have handlers — and even sometimes when they do — they have a tendency to tweet unintentionally funny and/or ridiculous things. And with the millions of users on Twitter, the comments on those tweets (and the reaction on cable news networks) make them into total catastrophes.

Here are some of the best, starting with our (shudders and cries a little) President, Donald Trump.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

There’s so much wrong with this tweet. For one, the taco bowl Trump is eating isn’t even made at Trump Tower Grill. Second, the fact that he tweeted this while boasting about wanting to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the country — while deporting hundreds of thousands of Hispanics from the country — is absurd. Then of course there’s his “I love Hispanics!” finale. Come on, dude.

Up next…

 

Anthony Weiner 

Weiner, who went from being a disgraced New York City congressman to a disgraced candidate for New York City mayor (because of lewd sexts both times), weighed in when Hillary Clinton famously told Donald Trump to delete his twitter account during the race for president.

“Too late for some of us,” Weiner tweeted.

Okay, maybe this doesn’t fit into the “unintentionally funny” descriptor. But coming from Weiner, it really might have been just an admission that he had done himself in. And it was hysterical.

And next…

Hillary Clinton

In 2015, Hillary Clinton’s account retweeted a story — writing “guilty as charged” — that said her campaign was powered by pizza, and that analysis proved it. However, when viewing the retweet on mobile, it said her campaign was powered by…

pizza, anal… 

The word analysis was cut off, giving us one of the most hysterical and ridiculous retweets of all-time.

And finally…

 

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders said lots of great things during his campaign for the democratic presidential nomination. And he did it all with honesty, courage and conviction.

Once, though, he did it from behind a podium that was shaped like a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. And this was the result:

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Thank you for that, Bernie.

How I Got Paid Writing Opportunities Just From Twitter

Author: Michelle Ioannou, Career Advice

Ah, Twitter. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing. We’ve already spoken about Twitter accounts you should be following, especially if you’re in the job hunt. We’ve spoken about the necessity of keeping your social media channels clean, especially if you’re in the job hunt.

Now let’s chat about how Twitter can get you some paid gigs — including what I did to get mine.

Follow those in the field you’re looking into
I was following a freelance writer who had tweeted about a paid freelance writing opportunity with a new up and coming website. I responded back to her, gave her my email address, and the rest is history. Within a month I was one of the contributing writers. And yes, getting paid.

Don’t be afraid to tweet at or respond to people
If it wasn’t for the fact that I had responded to the above mentioned tweet, I wouldn’t have received this opportunity, especially as it was my first freelance writing gig. But, because I took initiative, and because I wasn’t scared of rejection, I responded, got the job, and started building up my portfolio.

Promote yourself
How did I get my second paid writing gig? I promoted the articles and blog posts I had already written. The editor of another blog saw my stuff, and reached out to me about writing for him as well. He saw how proactive I was in sharing my posts with my followers, and how it showed how passionate I was about writing, and he wanted me on his team. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was actively tweeting out my articles, he wouldn’t have seen my writing potential, and recruited me.

I got my name out there
I interacted with others on Twitter, and gained a support group so to say; these people became loyal readers of my writing, regardless of the genre or topic. I am extremely grateful for these friends I have made on social, many of whom have followed me from blog to blog and watched my freelance writing bloom.

Network, network, network
Many people associate networking with in-person events; however, social media is a fantastic place to network with people as well. Engage in conversation with them. Follow people. Join Twitter chats. You never know who you can meet on social media, and you never know what connections or opportunities they may have for you.

Look for jobs on Twitter
Twitter has become a common place for job openings to be posted — full-time jobs, part-time jobs and freelance opportunities. Again, follow thought leaders. Look at applicable hashtags. Follow the organization or blogs you want to contribute to. Spend some time each day searching, and you will find opportunities.

Be appropriate, and show you know your stuff
We’ve already discussed both of these, so I won’t get too much into it again. Just always be sure to think to yourself, if I was in charge of hiring, would I hire me?

It May Be Tempting Not to, But Keep Your Social Media Clean

Author: Michelle Ioannou, Career Advice

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover? Well, hiring managers and recruiters will 100% judge you by your social media pages, which is why you need to keep them clean.

It’s tempting, especially if you are still in college, to Instagram that picture of you doing a kegstand or dancing on that bar. But… don’t. Post a smiling picture of you and your group of friends instead. You may be unhappy about it at first, but when you land that job in a year or so, you won’t regret your decision.

Let’s be real. Everyone has a social presence nowadays. And job recruiters know that. They will look at your online presence. Think about it from the perspective of if you were a recruiter — if you looked at your social media pages, would you hire you? If the answer is no, it’s time to clean up those social pages.

Don’t curse.
Honestly, is there really a reason for you to be dropping the F-bomb casually? I’m sure you can make your point, and vocalize your anger and disappointment, assuming it’s appropriate, in many other ways or with many other words. If you’re cursing in an online public forum, where everyone can see you, how would the company you’re applying for know you won’t casually drop inappropriate language when speaking with clients? Plus, these future clients can always Google you… leading them right to seeing your use of curse words.

Don’t post inappropriate photos. 
As alluded to above, especially while you’re in college, it’s extremely tempting to show off that great party you were at. But you can show it off — in a much cleaner way that doesn’t show that you’re partaking in underage drinking! Post a great picture of you and your bestie, or of you and your significant other. Do not post that picture of you chugging a beer, especially if you are not yet of age. What company wants a partier as an employee?

Engage with thought leaders in your field.
What type of field are you looking to go into? Find thought leaders of that field on social media and follow them. And of course, find the company you’re looking to work for on social media (remember: some companies let you have a glimpse at your potential workplace via Snapchat), and follow them as well. Look for hiring managers and directors on social media. Follow them and engage with them. If they shared a great article about the company, share it or respond to them. Show them how interested you are in the work they’re doing.

Show that you know what you’re talking about. 
The beauty of social media? You are the one who decides what it is that you’re sharing. Use this to your advantage by branding yourself as an expert in the field. Show the thought leaders in your field and the employees of the company you want to work for that you know what you’re talking about. Share things about what’s happening in your field. Show off your knowledge. Let it be evident that you’re staying on top of the happenings in the field.

Don’t engage in online fights or rants.
Millennials, we are all adults or young adults by this point. There is absolutely no reason to get into a fight in a public forum. If someone picks a fight with you, ignore it, or address it privately. Additionally, do not rant online about your last job, or getting a rejection from a job. This is a huge turn off for a future employer. How would they know you’re not just going to do the same thing about their company?

If you’re in the midst of the job hunt, keep your social media clean. It’s critical. Maybe take a look at your privacy settings and think as to whether or not your social media channels need to be public. Once you get the job you want, you can revamp and change things — obviously, always being smart and responsible about it, and knowing what your company will be okay with, and not okay with.

Don’t let social media be the reason why you don’t get that job. Let it be part of the reason that you do.

Trump Twitter

Donald Trump is a Contradiction, Just Like His Tweets

Author: #NAMB Guest Author, Current Events/Politics

Calling Donald Trump a contradiction would be one of the nicer ways to describe someone whose existence, not to mention current standing as President of the United States, makes many people emotionally distraught.

But along with President Trump’s contradictory and often gibberish-filled verbal remarks are his tweets.

Here are some of the most galling…

Trump bashes protesters and then praises them

 

First, the contradiction. Trump’s first tweet suggested that the protests were offensive because no one has the right to speak out over the results of an election. His next tweet, less than two hours later, said peaceful protests are a “hallmark” of our democracy — the same democracy he had just criticized.

Just as scary as the tweets is the fact that Trump seemingly has two personalities or someone physically taking his phone and correcting his mistakes. Which is worse?

No one has more respect for women?

Here’s a lovely tweet from Trump from 2012:

After many sexist remarks while campaigning, including comments made toward reporter Megyn Kelly claiming her period impacting her demeanor, Trump said no one has more respect for women than he does. Really? It would seem that someone who uses a tweet to criticize a woman’s appearance (not to mention all of the other horrific comments he’s made about women) has a lot of work to do when it comes to respect for women. And that brings us to…

Perverts shouldn’t hold office

Trump’s campaign was thought to be done in when video emerged of him saying he would forcibly touch women, going as far as to say he would “grab ’em by the pussy.” He was also accused of rape by his ex-wife, accused of statutory rape by another woman and accused of walking through dressing rooms filled with teenage girls during his beauty pageants and staring at them in various states of undress. Trump also reportedly once cornered a reporter and propositioned her for sex. But he thinks sexual perverts shouldn’t be able to hold public office.

Anthony Weiner disgraced himself by sexting multiple women while married. Trump? He’s done far worse. But thanks for the wisdom, Donald!

Anyway, this list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Trump’s VP, Mike Pence.

Speaking of that Muslim Ban…

Hey, Mike Pence, what do you think of potentially banning Muslims from entering the country?

Wow. What a level-headed and firm statement. Wait. What’s that? The Trump administration, with the full support of Pence, attempted to implement a travel ban that would target Muslims based solely on their religion?

I’m shocked.

 

Disclaimer: The political views presented in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Not Another Millennial Blog.