Meetings of “Chance”

Pastor Mike Campagna and his family have lived in the Sonora area since 1997. He has been a twitterholic since November 2008. One twitter follower describes him as the “jogging, blogging, tweeting Pastor.” His day job is information technology/social media specialist for Sugar Pine Realty, a local real estate company. (Call: 533-4242 if you’re interested in property in the Mother Lode.) That said, please welcome Pastor Mike.

Good morning. My name is Mike Campagna (affectionately known by some as Pastor Mike).

I’m @aheartforgod on twitter and @blogboy2.

Each of those twitter sites has 50,000+ followers.

In a moment I’m going to offer: 5 tips that’ll help you gain 50,000 followers on Twitter

It’s based on the acronym: Tweet ~ T-W-E-E-T.

But before that I want to tell you my story.

And as were discussing social media and its many uses as it relates to business, government, education, entertainment, etc., I’m going to bringing the perspective from a spiritual side of things and how social media can be used to get out a spiritual message (at least the way I’ve come to use Twitter and Facebook, etc).

I started tweeting in November 2008 (a relatively late date compared to the “gurus”). I’d been blogging since 2005-ish or so, but didn’t really plug in with social media until later.

And let me just say: Social media changed everything. If you know anything about blogging, you know that bloggers can spend years blogging with relatively few readers. (Turn to the person next to you tell ’em, “He meant to say, ‘No readers.'” Go ahead. “He meant to say, ‘No readers.'”) Any bloggers out there? Know what I mean?

Enter on to the scene social media and Twitter in particular. Twitter offers the uncanny ability to reach thousands of potential readers in 140 characters or less.

When traditional journalists were forced to leave the country, Twitter became a window for the world to view hope, heroism, and horror.
It became the assignment desk, the reporter, and the producer. And, because of this, Twitter and its creators are worthy of being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Twitter has been criticised as a time-waster – a way for people to inform their friends about the minutiae of their lives, 140 characters at a time.
But in the past month, 140 characters were enough to shine a light on Iranian oppression and elevate Twitter to the level of change agent.
Even the government of Iran has been forced to utilise the very tool they attempted to squelch to try to hold on to power.
Mark Pfeifle
Former US security adviser, saying the microblogging site was instrumental in helping document the crisis in Iran following the contested presidential election results in June 2009.

http://www.allgreatquotes.com/twitter_quotes.shtml

(Also as @blogboy2. My day job: I do social media for Sugar Pine Realty.)

I’d like to welcome you to our town. I actually live just 4 miles from here. Isn’t that something?

I’m going to talk about “chance” meetings in just a moment. It relates.

I could have never have gone to a twitter conference (let alone share at one).

And so the twitter conference comes to me!

Like I said, I’m @aheartforgod on twitter.

I started tweeting in November 2008, just before twitter took off.

I use twitter to communicate God’s love to others.

Definition of social media “guru”

TWITTER IN THE BIBLE

(Context: A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.)
“Insomniac, I twitter away, mournful as a sparrow in the gutter.” (Psalm 102:7; The Message)

(Context: Hezekiah’s prayer for healing. God answers it.)
“Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove.” (Isaiah 38:14; NAS)
“Like a twittering swallow or a crane, so do I chirp and chatter; I moan like a dove.” (Isaiah 38:14; Amplified)

TWITTER QUOTES

“Whoever said that things have to be useful?” – Evan Williams, Twitter co-founder and CEO (10 Quickie Quotes About Twitter)

TWITTER STATS

Twitter Confirms It Has Passed 200 Million Accounts, 70% of Traffic Now International – readwriteweb.com (April 28, 2011)

The number of people who have registered accounts on Twitter has now surpassed 200 million, a representative of the company said publicly yesterday. Katie Stanton, Twitter’s VP of International Strategy, said at the Guardian Activate conference in New York that there are now more than 200 million Twitter accounts worldwide and more than 70% of all Twitter’s traffic comes from outside the U.S. That means Stanton’s job is very important and whatever her International Strategy is, it seems to be working. Roughly 25% of all tweets come from Japan alone, she said.

Twitter said last month that it was adding just under a half million new accounts per day and its business-facing page says there are 175 million registered users.

5 tips to help you gain 50,000 followers

ACRONYM: T-w-e-e-t

T-ools. Use twitter clients to automate. (http://www.oneforty.com)
W-rite. Combine tweeting with blogging. Write, write and write some more.
E-ngage. Captain Picard’s saying at the end of many episodes of SNG. (for you trekkies out there)
E-ncourage. It’s the foundation of everything I do. Hope is what people need in these challenging times. I try to give it.
T-ime. Allow time for results.

Tip #20: Divine appointments take place even on Twitter. That tweet u send (or schedule at 12:25 am) God has planned 2 meet someone

Tip #21: Most of all (& as a believer) represent Christ with all His compassion, peace & joy. There r so many hurting people in need of Him

Divine appointments. “Chance” meetings (as I mentioned already). Being in the right place at the right time, is another way we say it.

She just “happened” to see the tweet. It just “happened” to catch her eye. The headline: “Two Men with An Appointment with God” and short url next to it just “happened” to be attractive (“sticky”) enough. She clicked.

And contact (click your fingers).

This is my twitter story. A nobody in a nowhere town reaching the world.

When I started blogging somewhere in 2005, no one was reading my blog. Anyone relate? If you’re a blogger, you can.