Status and microblogging SOP

Hello, Fedora Activists! We are a group of students from Allegheny College who have dedicated ourselves to promoting Fedora by using Twitter. We created this Wiki page in order to encourage others to promote Fedora using Twitter, and it will be edited regularly with updates, links, and etiquette on how to successfully operate a Fedora's Twitter account.

Promoting Fedora by using Twitter

Our Goal. . .

To promote Fedora 13 using a Twitter account in order to expand its community and inform others of its awesomeness.

Why should we use Twitter?

• Twitter

1. Twitter is effective at reaching large audiences
2. We are capable of giving many updates on Fedora 13 throughout the day, keeping followers posted in the process
3. It allows Fedora to reach an untapped, less technically interested group of users

http://twitter.com/Fedora_Project

Case Studies of Twitter success

NAKEDPizza The company, started in New Orleans, is attempting to make healthy pizza in an effort to battle obesity in the United States. When they were getting started in 2006, they decided that sending out the typical newsletters that other franchises send would be too costly, almost $3000 a year. They decided to use Twitter as a free alternative to the print advertising, Twitter has since become one of the biggest parts of the business, and is even used in their store allowing customers to sign up and begin following the company when they pick up pizza.

Etsy This online market place where users can sell handmade goods as grown immensely since its birth in 2005. They set up a Twitter account early in their existence however, it was underutilized. That all changed when the company began to watch what their followers were saying on their Twitter accounts, and how they were promoting the use of Etsy. The people at Etsy believed, "Our community always comes up with great ideas." This got their community more involved with the company, and thus led directly to their expansion.

Applications of the Case Studies

Like NAKEDPizza, Fedora is trying to provide change in a market already dominated by larger companies with different ideals. Using Twitter would allow Fedora to save money in marketing, while still getting their name out there and gaining more followers to the Fedora community. Etsy also directly applies to how Twitter can help Fedora. The Fedora community is always involved in the technical side of things but, what if there was a different type of follower on that could help with the less technical applications of Fedora. That is what Twitter can bring to Fedora. Like the Etsy community, the Fedora community can come up with great ideas that can help improve and advertise world wide.

Getting Started

1. Sign up on Twitter

This is where you choose your username or any other name you will be known by on Twitter.

1. Fill in your information

Ways to Use Twitter

Get Feedback Twitter can be used to gain alternative ideas for the Fedora Project website, advertising, and products in general from the community. This connect Fedora more with their followers and can also help the Fedora Project work more effectively.

Direct Traffic Twitter can also be used to direct people to the Fedora Project website. If a Twitter follower in unfamiliar with Fedora, they can be pointed to the website to find more information. This will attract,hopefully, more Fedora users, specifically the new type of user we have been talking about that is less technically inclined and merely wants to use Fedora because it is a cool, easily accessible operating system.

News Fedora can link news stories that are interesting to the Project and to Fedora followers on Twitter. This can raise awareness to how popular Fedora is becoming, and how it is being talked about in the public eye.

Management Twitter can be used as a company intranet, much like IRC. However, Twitter can be even more effective because it allows workers who are in the field, without a computer or internet access to keep the company and their project groups up to date on what is going on. Being able to use Twitter by phone makes it especially intriguing, because it will allow Fedora members to constantly update the followers on the projects being worked on.

Events Finally Twitter can be used to update followers on special events in the Fedora community. New product launch? Tweet it so people can get excited. Any special day or moment for the Fedora Project can instantly be shared with all of the people interested, and make the event even bigger, and more special. Getting people excited about special Fedora events can increase popularity of the product, because follower will feel involved.