SCHWARTZ CROSSROADS

Twitter PR Possible at Microsoft TechEd

I was standing outside the entrance to the main expo hall at Microsoft TechEd last Monday night when I noticed the board. Staffers at high tech PR companies typically pay close attention to any stimuli at tradeshows-- be it publications, billboards, box trucks, etc. For the most part, activities are standard.

Inserts into tradeshow bags. Decaled sports cars. Free t-shirts.

But what caught my eye on "the board" at TechEd was different. Part of the screen showed a continuous stream of tweets, all with the hashtag #TechEd. Not to lose the chance to help create visibility for my client at the show, ScriptLogic, I pulled out my iPhone and tweeted about the company's activity that night at their booth and included the hashtag. Sure enough it popped up on the big screen.

Suprisingly, Twitter is still a relatively new tool to Microsoft TechEd attendees. That said, all of the IT security clients we represent at Schwartz have some sort of Twitter strategy. For IT security, every second matters. When there is news of an IT security vulnerability or a breach, the industry wants to know yesterday and is hardwired to respond.

The same sense of urgency doesn't exist in other industries. But the board at TechEd showed how Twitter can have other equally impactful uses for community building. In essence, Microsoft TechEd is a yearly gathering for the Microsoft community. The enthusiasm on the tradeshow floor was visceral; these developers and IT opps are passionate about their work and about how Microsoft platforms can help them.

The ongoing Twitter feed on the board showed the attendees how powerful Twitter could be to communicate within a group. It was suddenly common to see attendees posting their observations, including the best evening receptions and I was proud to post ScriptLogic's win for Best of TechEd Award in one category, as well.

Even if a given company's strategy is merely to monitor and engage in a limited fashion, all technology companies need a strategy for Twitter. Across Schwartz's technology PR and cleantech PR programs, Twitter is a key channel to reach a variety of audiences. And our programs evaluate how that channel reaches strategic audiences and develop creative ideas for using the channel.