I have been a part of a Twitter group since a few months. It’s about all things related to Social Media, Marketing and Customer Service that is open to everyone. It is a real unique group or tribe as the members in it like to call it. If you’re a part of it, you may know what I mean. If you don’t yet know what it is, you’re about to find out about it. I am going to go through how I found out about it, what it is and how it’s been changing in the recent months.
What is #UsGuys?
This is the most popular question on the stream. And the hardest question to answer too. It’s just too hard to answer that in 140 words. We often point new users to a few posts by other members to give them an idea of what the stream is about. But I think you have to experience it to know what it is. We talk about the Social Media news,techniques, and tools. Everyone has a voice which isn’t ignored. No matter what you say, you’ll get a reply by someone who sees it. It takes a day to actually get it because it is a 24×7 group and there’s always someone but there are peak hours when the activity is at its highest.
Who are they?
People in the group are those who work or are interested in Social Media, Marketing and related professions. What is unique about this #UsGuys is that you get to meet and talk to people who are influential and whom you actually can’t approach easily. It provides you with something common between you and the other person which makes the initial conversation easy with anyone. I have met many influential and really helpful people on the stream ho have always encouraged me in what I have done. They help each other out when they can too.
How it all started?
#UsGuys was founded by five people who are Cristian Gonzales, Tom Moradpour, Jason Mikula, Patrick Prothe, and Chase Adams. You can read about how it started here on Chase’s website (link) as I can’t explain it any better.
So is it just Social Media?
Well we do tend to focus more on Social Media but anything and everything is welcome. We often talk about what’s a movie worth watching over weekends, we talk about food, sometimes we go really off topic and make fun of each other at times too! That’s why we prefer being called a tribe and not a group. It’s a real fun experience too. Try to log on to the stream in the morning and you’ll get your overdose of virtual #coffee.
What’s a tribe without a tribal bell!
The tribal bell is something like a tradition for new comers. If we’ve rung this for you then you’re sucked into the group and wont ever think about leaving it. You may wonder what you have to do to get the bell to ring for you or who has the right to ring it. I had these questions too. As time went by I learnt that there were no rules. That is whats the charm of this group. If someone notices you engaging with people and you are new, you deserve the bell cause you’re doing it right. Invoking the bell is easy too. Add the #ringthetribalbell hashtag with the #usguys hashtag and add in a few active stream users and don’t forget to mention who’s it for either!
Is it just Twitter?
#UsGuys may have started out on Twitter but is not limited to 140 words. We have are on all the major Social Networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook too. Just give anyone on the stream a shout out if you need the links to them. We also have a the Official Website in the works too. The tribe members have had many real meetups globally as we gain more members.
My Experience
I can tell keep telling you how awesome the tribe really is but here’s my experience. I started out in early January, I was minding my business on twitter and talking to a few friends. I noticed Jill Clark (@clark_jill) often used the hashtag and one day out of curiosity asked her what it was and she got me into it. It was a bumpy ride cause it was hard to grasp so many people talking about something you’re not used to. Slowly I started talking to everyone. I was there when the morning #coffee rounds first took place and know why they got popular too*. Aside from talking I met a lot of new people who I eventually worked with and helped out. What I treasure most are the people I’ve met on the stream. Everyone has their own special skill and they all would share it when someone needed help. I’ve worked on some really big projects which would’ve never took place if I never met the people I’ve met in the stream. #UsGuys made twitter a fun place for me and if you’re a part of it the tribe and reading this, I thank you and everyone in it.
Its Evolving
As time goes by, new people join the group and try to leave their mark in it. Nothing ever stays the same, we all know that. We do have issues in the stream over time but we resolve them too. There are many people who check the stream when they can to keep things going in the right direction. People have noticed changes in the stream recently, some say the streams dying out while some think the essence of the stream has faded. I strongly disagree with such comments and I think the stream is evolving into something bigger and better. Sean McGinnis predicted that this would happen as time goes by in one of his blog posts about #UsGuys here. I’ve seen many people back out and quit the stream over it. I really think they need to think out of the box and realize what they are a part of.
I really love this place on Twitter and hope to be a part of it in the coming years. The stream has always been open and rules free, and I wish it would stay that way too. Thanks for reading through my post and would appreciate any comments on how you feel towards #UsGuys, and if you agree or disagree with anything here.
