I Was Interviewed By Strait Times For Twitter

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I must say I had a really good experience last week. After blogging about how I have been using Twitter, I am surprised to be contacted by one of Strait Times (a local newspaper in Singapore) technology editor for an interview on how I am ranked as #5 top Twitterers in Singapore.

source: Strait Times

It was kinda of good exposure and I have never thought of using Twitter can get me an interview from Strait Times.

It was like free press release for me and I am really thankful for the editor, Weizhen for giving me such an opportunity.

The coverage was very little compared to our local top twitter Xavier. It was about 4 lines long in the newspaper.

Of the other three top Twitterers, one is a social worker and two, Internet marketers.

Social worker and avid blogger John Yeo, with 5,676 followers, said he joined Twitter mainly to share blogging tips.

Source: last few lines in Strait Times article

Many friends asked me if I was disappointed. I guess not as it was really a good and pleasant experience to go through. How many of us get to be interviewed by the press for being in the field of internet marketing?

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My history of Twittering is I started last year around June I think. It was till December 08 that I got serious in Twitter as most of my close friends (such as Dana Willhoit and Peggy Baron) in the internet marketing arena are using Twitter to share tips as well as to build a community of followers.

So realising I am in the blogging arena, I asked myself “Why not I share blogging tips too?”

I love Twitter also because it is micro-blogging. It allows you to blog in a sentence or two on what you are doing or what you want to say.

In a way, it encourages you to make what you want to say sweet and short.

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Back to the interview, there were many questions posed by the editor such as:
1. how has Twitter benefited me?
2. why do I used Twitter?
3. what is the comparison between facebook and Twitter?
4. do I consider my using of Twitter an addiction?
5. how do I build my followers?

There were many more questions and the whole interview lasted for about 45 minutes over the phone and I shared ideas from blogging to internet marketing and so on.

In conclusion, it was really a wonderful interview as it gives me an avenue to share my view. Published or not, I think it does not really matter. :p

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To end off, to succeed in Twitter, you have to:
1. provide great value Tweets (or short posts) that benefit your followers
2. interact with your followers by responding to their questions or remarks

When I mentioned great value stuff, they can be resource links, tips, freebies, prizes for contests and so on.

Remember you are dealing with human beings. Always remember to add a personal touch in whatever response you give.

To read more about blogging tips and business mindset, Follow me at https://twitter.com/john_yeo

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If you want to read more about my Twitter success story as featured in Peggy Baron’s Twitter Success Stories compilation, you can visit Twitsuccess

Here’s the list of marketers/businesses who have contributed their Twitter stories:

Felicia Slattery
John Taylor
Bev Clement
Willie Crawford
Craig Ballantyne
Beverly Mahone (BabyBoomerBev)
**John Yeo (jhongren)
Paulette Ensign
Connie Ragen Green
Thom Scott
Heidi Richards Mooney
Dana Willhoit
James Francis
Sean Malarkey
Jack Bastide
The Coffee Groundz
Peggy Baron

Link: Twitsuccess