Put in "Twitter Time Out" for Excessive Tweeting! Really!
Oh yeah! This is a badge of honor if ever I created one myself. Let me explain…
I’m a bit chatty… I was never the girl to get in trouble for talking in class, oh no! I was a very well-behaved student. This is the first time that I can remember getting “in trouble” – we’ll call it “Twitter Trouble” for ‘talking’.
It was “The Big Call” with Alex Mandossian and the pre-kick-off party of sorts for the 2009-2010 Teleseminar Secrets season. Last year was the first time I took the class and it has changed my business. (go to TaraRecommendsAlex.com here for those details)
What was so cool was that not only did I learn all these amazing skills for my business, but I could interact and ‘meet’ other students on Twitter as long as I used the #tss hash tag. (That’s how I could find them.)
Well on December 3rd, I was having a great time talking to everyone! Such a great time apparently, that I was told I was shut down for “Excessive Tweeting” and to “check back in a few hours”. HUH? Sounds like social discrimination! Just because I’m a fast tweeter with a circle of friends I’m done!
At first, it was quite stressful. But I had an alternate account – as @MarianSparks said, “no one puts baby in a corner!” and Twitter can try and put me in time out but it wasn’t going to stick! 
Now I’m so enjoying sharing the story! I’m beaming with pride! This is fabulous! I think one other person got put in time out too – I’ll have to confirm that with @NewThoughts.
I decided to make a badge, start a club and revel in my ability to out-tweet Twitter. (the rule, it seems, is no more than 150 tweets an hour…)
Feel free to DM me on Twitter if you ever get put in “Twitter Time Out” – you can put the badge on your website or blog and if you ask nice, I’ll send you a button. I’ll also put you on the list of club members.
Here’s to connecting and turning lemons into lemonade! (The lemon being “Twitter Time Out” and lemonade being my “club”)
EXCESSIVE TWEET CLUB ROSTER
@ArtistTaraReed (founding member)
@NewThoughts
@KimBeasley
And here’s a video of my dad’s reaction to my mischief…
The Art Licensing Trade Show Season is about to begin…
It’s that time of year again folks! I want to mount my virtual horse and ride through the cyber-streets shouting like Paul Revere, “The art licensing trade shows are coming! The art licensing trade shows are coming!”
SO… are you going?
Here’s what is coming up and links to the sites:
Atlanta Gift Show – License & Design Section Jan. 8 – 12, 2010 Atlanta, GA
CHA – License & Design January 24 – 27, 2010 Anaheim, CA
SURTEX May 16 – 18, 2010 New York, NY
Licensing Expo June 8-10, 2010 Las Vegas, NV
All four of these shows are catering to artists who license their art, at different times, in different ways and different locations. Only you can decide which will be the best fit for you and your business.
I am sticking with SURTEX again this year (this will be my 6th year here, 7th year exhibiting anywhere) and as I sent off my second payment installment this week I reflected on how scary year 1 was.
I had no idea if what I was doing was the right thing to do. There weren’t any blogs (that I’m aware of) to turn to for help. My friend and I just ponied up cash, took our best guess and jumped in.
Did I make back the money I spent from deals I got at that first show? Absolutely not. But I went into it with the intention to be committed to investing in exhibiting for at least 2-3 years before deciding if I’d continue or stop. (Obviously I’ve continued.)
I’ve learned a thing or two along the way…
Like, don’t put so much on the walls of your booth that a person can’t see the trees for the forest. Bigger is better. The goal of your walls is to get manufacturers to pause so you can strike up a conversation.
And don’t eat or talk on your cell phone in your booth if at all possible. And if you HAVE to, duck and hide and eat quickly!
If you are exhibiting at a show and want to learn more detailed information to make your investment in exhibiting pay off, check out my eBook and the Trade Show Tactics teleseminar replay from a live call I did last year. The cost is minimal compared to the cost of a booth and travel – I’m told it’s well worth every penny! But just like the shows, only you can decide if it is for you… CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Here’s to a successful and low-stress show season!
– Tara
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