Julia Roy, A Digital Girl

The Top Foursquare User List

I discovered from a post on Techcrunch today that I am ranked #8 on the newly released Top Foursquare User list by Osnapz. When I saw that I was within the top 10 "most friended" users on on Foursquare I was definitely surprised because Foursquare to date hasn't provided friend count stats on user profiles. They measure and display a lot of other statistics on user profiles like number of check-in's, badges, mayorships, etc., but not friends. I was never sure why they didn't show a friend count on profiles, but I imagine it is because they wanted to encourage and reward users for their participation rather than popularity (which is what Twitter does by only displaying following and follower stats on user profiles rather than any kind of real engagement metric).

With that said, since I started on Foursquare I have had a few debates with other Foursquare users about the fact that I accept every Foursquare invite I receive, no matter if I know who they are or not. I always understood the argument against accepting friend requests from people you don't know. Foursquare is a platform for users to inform their friends where they are hanging out and compete with each other for the most number badges, which signifies who is the most adventurous out of the group.

Although I respect why most people restrict their Foursquare network to real life friends, I've always looked at it differently. I like to use Foursquare when I am out socializing and crusin' around NYC as a way to help me connect in real life, with both the people I know very well, and people I don't know well at all (yet). When investing so much time into digital relationships, it's a unique opportunity to be able to tell my close friends where I am at, and at the same time unexpectedly meet others that I likely would have never connected or had a real life conversation with. 

Also, as Foursquare expands to more cities and countries, the opportunity when traveling to meetup with and learn from your Foursquare friends who live there can make an unknown city a friendly, local experience. As soon as you switch cities on Foursquare, you can see what the locals are doing and where the most checked-in hangouts are.

I've had lots of people tell me that sharing my location publicly, with people that are practically strangers, is weird and creepy. But they also said similar things about Twitter in the beginning, and look what Twitter has done to change the way millions of people connect, communicate and learn from each other. And although at first it feels awkward, there is nothing better than turning a stranger into a friend.

American Express Twitter Case Study

I was one of the lucky attendees at the American Express sold-out Jon Bon Jovi unplugged exclusive cardmember show last night. American Express was nice enough to extend a ticket to me last minute and after hearing how they sold the rest of the tickets, I was inspired and impressed.

The first and only link to purchase tickets was posted exclusively on the @AmericanExpress Twitter account and they were able to sell out the show 1 day. The tickets were $50 with all proceeds benefiting City Harvest via the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

Everyone in the audience (roughly 500 people) were tweeting, snapping TwitPic photos and spreading the word about the event while they were there. Excellent use of Twitter to promote and sell out an exclusive event, as well as spread the word about the brand. I had a blast and think American Express has created a great case study of how to offer something special to your fans and followers, donate to a great cause and create enthusiastic and positive conversation around your brand using the power of social networks. 

Bom Dia Brazil

A Brazilian journalist interning in NYC for the largest TV network in Latin America, GloboTV, reached out to me unexpectedly last week and asked if I would be interested in discussing my experiences with Twitter and Foursquare as it relates to establishing virtual, and real life friends. The best part of the whole thing is that my the interview is translated into Portuguese, and I can't help but how awesome it is. The segment aired yesterday on GloboTV's Bom Dia Brazil morning TV show, but you can watch the video below (my part is 1:35seconds in) and read the accompanying article in either Portuguese or translated into English. I bet you can guess how I found out yesterday that the segment had run earlier that morning in Brazil. Yup, a rare Brazilian tweetie bird flew all the way from Latin America to NYC to give me the good news. ;) 

When we discuss social networking and its ability to drive more real life networking, it's important to remember that the synergy between online and offline interaction is an essential component of what this whole social networking thing is ultimately about.  You have to get out there and give quality face time to make your digital relationships stronger. Meet more people and solidify your digital relationships into something more tangible and memorable.

My Big Announcement

I made a significant change in my professional career recently and wanted to take this opportunity to share some big news with everyone.  

I left my position at Undercurrent last month. Despite my departure, I have the utmost respect for Undercurrent. I am confident they will continue to do great things in the digital space. I am also incredibly grateful to have been able to work with such innovative thinkers and forward-thinking clients, giving me the opportunity to learn, grow, and become the digital diva I am today. I thank Undercurrent for the last two amazing years, and I look forward to the future in which I will apply the knowledge and skill I gained at Undercurrent to new challenges and opportunities.

Ok, now moving on to my big announcement. I recently joined Coach, Inc. in its nascent Global Web and Digital Media department, as Senior Manager of New Media. I am very excited to share this news with everyone, as I am elated to have the opportunity to work with a top- notch brand alongside the smart, driven, and motivated people at Coach. As I articulated in my previous post, the luxury fashion industry faces some significant challenges in regards to social media. Coach is ready to tackle those challenges, engage with their loyal fans, and create unique experiences online for their consumers, and I could not be more excited to help spearhead those initiatives.

The future is bright and surely fashionable. ;)

Follow Coach on Twitter, Join Coach on Facebook

Twitter Dressed Me Today

I had a very important meeting last week and I needed to go shopping for the perfect outfit. I was pretty stressed out about finding the right outfit, therefore everything I tried on I felt unsure about. What kind of "look" should I go for? Does this skirt match this top? And does this dress look as big on me as it feels? I wanted to make the right choice and so I decided to bring Twitter along for some expert follower advice.

While I was shopping I'd try on an outfit, snap a pic in the mirror and post it to Twitpic. I asked for everyone's help – should I go with Option #1, Option #2, Option #3, Option #3 with a different skirt or Option #4. I watched the responses and opinions come pouring in and in the end I chose the pieces that received the most positive feedback. Not only was it really helpful to get the advice of friends while I was still in the store, but it was a ton of fun too! I have to say, you can't argue with the real-time wisdom of the crowds.

And of course, after my meeting, I told everyone that Twitter dressed me today. That got a few chuckles and some confused faces.

Twittering Telluride

I had a wonderful time with my family in Mountain Village and Telluride, CO.  Having spent most of the summer in the hot and dirty New York City, getting out to Telluride was a real treat. The mountains, streams, waterfalls and clean air was a great escape from my normal digital, city life.

The coolest part was how Twitter made my stay an unexpected social networking experience. Once I arrived in Telluride I received an @ reply from two of my Tweeps @jberkowitz (Jim) and @telluridenow (Dennis and Nicole) welcoming me to their city. Because I was connected with them already via Twitter, I was able to meetup with them, get a real tour of the city, and hang with the locals. Without Twitter, this would have never happened. This proves that some of the relationships you nurture through Twitter, do really result in exiting real life encounters and experiences.

Check out the slideshow below. It includes rides on the Telluride Mountain Village Gondola, the city of Telluride, Bridal Veil Falls, Disc golf, trampoline bungee jumping, horseback riding, and overall mountain goodness.

Undercurrent's Social Media Survey

I encourage everyone who works in or around the field of "Social Media" to take this survey created by the agency I work for, Undercurrent. If you handle social media strategy, manage a social media team (internal or external), or conduct social media outreach on behalf of or within a brand, please take 10 minutes to complete the survey.

The objective is to gain a greater understanding of how social media is put in practice by agencies and clients, including: how objectives are defined, how results are measured, who is doing the work, the level of compensation, and what resources are most popular among practitioners.

It's important to get a wide variety of data, so please share and spread this survey. We'll keep the survey open during the month of August. We will be releasing a free report (probably Slideshare) on our findings, along with a free download of the full dataset. We're hoping that what we collect will be beneficial for the entire industry.

Please help us spread the survey by posting the bit.ly link (http://bit.ly/socialmediasurvey) across your social profiles and use the hashtag #smsurvey when tweeting.

How CoTweet Rawks My World

I discuss how CoTweet has really changed the whole way I'm able to use Twitter at the 140 Character Conference in NYC.

My #140conf Panel about "Twitter Celebrity"

Check out me @adventuregirl, @ijustine and @chrisbrogan on our "Twitter Celebrity" panel at the 140 Characters Conference where we discuss what it is like having so many followers, the implications of having a large following, some of the larger challenges we encounter and advice on how to grow a following on Twitter.

1 Year of Photos Taken with My MacBook iSight

It was really fun to put together and post these videos.  To a certain extent, they are representative of the internet life I've been living. The first video is all the pictures taken at the Undercurrent office (about 900 photos) and the second video is every single picture that was stored in my Photo Booth library (over 1400 photos). Like whoa. ;)

Tweet Week Epsode 16

Show Notes

The ladies on The View interview Evan Williams and Biz Stone. Sell your Twitter name for cash with Tweexchange. What the Trend is a site that explains why Hot Trending Topics are on the trending topic list. @veronicaDLcruz needs your help to save her brother's life. (Also, Download Coldplay's new LIVE LeftRightLeftRightLeft performance for FREE)

And If you're interested in seeing 12 seconds of the air piano at the end of the video, I reposted to 12s:

Air Piano on 12seconds.tv

100 Interviews

I took part in the SXSW 100 Interviews project by Derek Overbey (@doverbey) and Morgan Brown (@morganb). You can watch my interview below where I talk PepsiCo, my charity: water auction and how I use Twitter and why I love the Twitter community so much.

Tweet Week Episode 15 FTW!

Hellz yah I recorded and uploaded another Tweet Week. Aren't you proud!

Show Notes

Adam Wilson in the Brain-Computer Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin posts Tweets from his brain. Hugh Jackman on Ryan Seacrest's radio show announced he was donating $50,000 to charity: water and $50,000 to Operation Hope. Tweet Dropping is added to the urban dictionary. The 2009 TIME finalists include the "Twitter Guys." Tony Hawk stashed skateboards all over the world and tweeted their locations. Neilsen Twitter Report says that 60% of new Twitter users do not return the following month.

And this is how I get myself ready for recording....

Preparing to record Tweet Week on 12seconds.tv

Tweet Week is BACK! (Again)

Okay, so I am fully committing myself to posting a new Tweet Week every week again! Yay! Below is my latest episode with show notes. Enjoy!

Show Notes

Twitter viruses are on the loose! Hugh Jackman tweets that he will donate 100K to one individual's favorite non profit organization. Of course, you must convince him why by using 140 characters or less. Aston Kutcher and CNN go at it, and Ashton wins. Pizza Hut is looking for a Twintern. OMG Oprah is on Twitter and will undoubtedly bring soccer moms with her. I also talk about how I am a little annoyed with celebrities on Twitter.

Btw, this is how excited I am that Tweet Week is BACK!

(Click to see image on Flickr)

I'm a Twit!

Thanks to Michael Moreno for creating and sending me this awesomely edited image of myself. I think it is freakin' hilarious and got a real kick out of it when I found it in my inbox. And yes, I am a twit through and through. ;)