BaseballArt.com is building a community of baseball artists and fans through social media.

In the past month, I’ve been extremely busy with Cornell Gallery (my custom framing business located in Pleasantville) and with the development of BaseballArt.com — something I’ve dreamed about doing for more than a decade, but am finally getting the chance to make things happen. The launch of the Baseball Art Facebook page has been hugely successful — as more than 400 fans have signed on in the first three weeks. Among the current fans are some of the world’s best and most well-known baseball artists, the son of a Hall of Fame Major Leaguer, a former Major League pitcher, art publishers, museum and gallery directors, and a few hundred baseball art fans. There is also a Baseball Art group on Linkedin, as well as a Baseball Art Twitter account.

On the Westchester social media front, things continue to roll along. Facebook, Twitter and blog/website use among Westchester-area businesses and individuals continues to grow — and there is a corresponding growth in the social media consulting business. Numerous small and medium sized firms are emerging in this niche to help address the needs of individuals and businesses as they attempt to navigate the waters of this fast-evolving phenomenon. In the coming weeks, I plan to interview the principles of as many of these firms as possible for an upcoming article. The article will provide essential information about each of these businesses, including their philosophies, services offered, and a link to their respective websites. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to have your business included in this article.

Well, with that said, it’s time for me to get back to work. Check back Friday for the interview with Anthony, and then make sure to visit TwitterProfessor at least once a week. Thanks.

Update – Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 - 12:10 a.m. — As of this update, the event is fully booked. All 80 spots have been taken less than six days after the event was announced.

PLEASANTVILLE – There’s something brewing in Pleasantville — and I’m not talking about beer or coffee. What’s brewing is social media — and next Thursday’s big event at the Jacob Burns Film Center Media Arts Lab will take social media in the Westchester, NY area to the next level.

The Jacob Burns Film Center's Media Arts Lab © 2009 David Lamb Photography

The event is the 3rd Westchester TweetUp to be held January 21, from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Jacob Burns Film Center’s newest gem, the Media Arts Lab located at 405 Manville Road in Pleasantville.

Just one day after the event was announced, half of the event’s 80 available spaces have been taken. The first two Westchester TweetUps (held at POUR Cafe and Wine Bar in Mount Kisco) were booked to capacity. Much of the on-line buzz surrounding this 3rd event has been about the event’s acclaimed speaker, David Mathison, author of Be the Media.

Mathison is the host of a succesful radio show – recent guests include Seth Godin, Michelle Shocked and guitarist Chuck Leavell – and he has delivered addresses at many prestigious venues, including Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the University of Missouri, the School of Journalism, and the United Nations.

Mathison will speak about ways individuals and organizations can harness social media to “reach an audience that only a few years ago was reserved for the multi-billion dollar media conglomerates.”

Attendees must RSVP for the event using Twitvite. A modest $10 admission charge will entitle them to food and drinks, networking with some of the Westchester area’s most forward-thinking people, and the value of Mathison’s keynote address. Guests will also be offered a tour of the Media Arts Lab’s spectacular facility, and they will go home with a gift bag.

The Westchester TweetUps have been organized by Westchester140 – a group of six that came together after meeting through Twitter. Westchester140 thanks the Jacob Burns Film Center for making the venue available for this event completely free of charge. The group also thanks David Mathison for donating his time and expertise to this event.

Pleasantville’s Sundance Deli is donating delicious appetizers for attendees and Flour and Sun Cupcake Bakery is donating mouth-watering desserts. Guests will also be able to sample beer from Pleasantville’s Captain Lawrence Brewery and wine from Mt. Kisco’s POUR.

Comments work in several ways, and produce both expected and unexpected results.

1. Provides Feedback – A well-written comment provides valuable and appreciated feedback to the author of the article.
2. Encourages Author to Clarify – Comments often result in a response that further clarifies the author’s position on an issue. It allows readers a chance to present a viewpoint that differs from that of the author.
3. Gets Others Involved – Your comment may spark an interesting (and entertaining) dialog between the author and other readers. It’s not uncommon for this “conversation” to be even more interesting and engaging than the original article.
4. Provides a Way to Get to Know the Author – Comments often lead to a dialog and that  is a great way of “getting to know” the author, which can come in handy further down the road.
5. Gives You a Chance to Promote Yourself – Comments are a great place to leave links to something relevant that you may be working on. This is not the place for blatant self-promotion, but if your links are helpful and relevant, they are usually appreciated.
6. May Lead to More Followers and Fans – If you include your Twitter handle or Facebook page, a well-written comment often leads to followers or fans. And these are people who already share some of your interests, and are usually more involved and engaged than the average social media participant.
7. Improves Your Presence in Search – Your comments will also frequently rank surprisingly well in a Google-search of your name or for one or more of the terms you write about.

So go ahead — give it a try. Resolve not to keep your comments to yourself in 2010.

Then I saw a post made by Walter Olson’s @Midwestchester account, and I was intrigued. It read:

RT @MarkFranzoso Time lapse video of our crews putting on a new roof in Westchester: http://tinyurl.com/yhejfoa

The link led to a YouTube video that Franzoso had made of one of his roofing crews doing a complete roofing job — but by speeding up the video, Franzoso managed to condense the entire process to a mere 5 minutes and 13 seconds.

The video was one of the best pieces of social media marketing I saw from a Westchester-area company during the 2009 calendar year. Unfortunately, the effort did not achieve the results it should have. The video had only received about 60 views as of  December 31, mainly because it never got much of a launch.

I predict that this video will achieve 10 times that number of views in the first month of 2010, possibly much more. Furthermore, this is exactly the type of low-cost marketing that businesses should be looking for as they attempt to leverage social media to promote theiir businesses.

What was the best piece of social media marketing you saw from a Westchester-area business in 2009? Enter your thoughts in the comments section and let the dialog begin.

Tomorrow morning (Monday, December 21, 2009) at 6 am, Blythedale Children’s Hospital will be rocking and rolling as 95.5  WPLJ FM holds its 18th Annual Holiday Broadcast Concert and Fundraiser. Featured music performers include stars Rob Thomas, Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz. 

An interesting development on the social media front is the news that Blythedale will utilize a live Twitter feed leading up to and during the concert to help publicize and promote both the concert and auction components of the event. A 60-inch flatscreen will be used to display tweets to those attending the event.  Those listening to the concert on the radio will be able to interact with the @Blythedale Twitter account throughout the fundraiser.

Blythedale has been one of a handful of non-profits in Westchester County, NY to fully utilize Twitter to help communicate its organizational story. Director of Public Relations Connie Cornell launched the account in May 2009, and has used Twitter as a place to post child safety tips, publicize links to hospital news, and encourage people to visit the hospital’s website, along with other interesting and useful information. The @Blythedale Twitter account currently has 1127 followers.

“Twitter has proven itself to be a valuable resource that we have been able to integrate into our larger public relations and communications strategy, said Cornell. “We have been able to use it to connect with others in our local community who are interested in what Blythedale has to offer. At the same time, we have been able to reach out to people in other parts of the country and beyond. Not bad for a free communications application.”

Cornell was an attendee at the 1st Westchester TweetUp held at POUR Cafe and Wine Bar in Mount Kisco in October. The TweetUp, organized by Westchester140, was the first-ever full-blown Twitter event in the Westchester area, and resulted in Blythedale acquiring dozens of local influential followers. She plans to continue attending similar events to promote her organization in the future, including the 3rd Westchester TweetUp planned for the third week of January.

The concert, which is Blythedale’s largest fundraiser of the year, will be broadcast on 95.5 WPLJ FM and hosted by WPLJ’s Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill.  The concert is the final show of the year for the “Scott & Todd in the Morning Show”. While the concert is an invitation-only event, the public can participate by supporting the Hospital in advance of the broadcast or during the Radiothon by any one of the following ways:

• Donate to Blythedale Children’s Hospital by calling 914-592-7138 ext. 304
• Listen to the WPLJ broadcast from 6 -10 am, and call 914-592-1643 to bid on the auction items or to make a gift
• Bid online at the WPLJ website  for auction items that include rock-and-roll and sports memorabilia
• Donations can also be made online by visiting www.blythedale.org
• Follow Blythedale on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on the live auction.

“The Annual Holiday Concert has become a wonderful tradition here at Blythedale and is always a memorable event for the children as well as our staff,” said Larry Levine, President and CEO of Blythedale Children’s Hospital. “Over the years, the concert has featured some of the country’s best-known recording artists and we are so grateful to them for donating their time and talents for this very special occasion.”

In years past, the popular fundraiser has drawn such star power as Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, John Mayer, Vanessa Williams, Cyndi Lauper, Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, Tony Bennett, Barenaked Ladies, Jewel, Meatloaf, Pat Monahan & Band, Jason Mraz, Natalie Merchant, Meat Loaf, Elliot Yamin, Jose Feliciano, Darlene Love, Debbie Gibson, Bobby Helms and many more.

I’ve learned a great deal over the past eight months — writing columns and articles for this site, and attempting to catalyze the progress of social media in the Westchester area and beyond. One of the most important things I’ve learned is just how unpredictable things can be when one wanders into uncharted territory.

When I first got a taste of Twitter back in March, I was convinced that the free 140-character microblogging service was going to quickly turn our world of commerce on its end. I was amazed that something could be so simple and complex at the same time. I was certain that everyone else would instantly see the same vision as me.

Well, as I have documented, it wasn’t that easy. While the Twitter pioneers – of whom there are many — continue to blaze a trail, there are many more who are either unimpressed by Twitter, or actually speak of it with great disdain.

Lately, though, I’ve seen signs that we’re headed for a big shift in the right direction. The Westchester Twitter community is growing in leaps and bounds, and has attracted some of the area’s most talented, intelligent, and forward-thinking individuals. I don’t want to inflate any egos, but check out @JSKorn or @RickWolff if you’d like to see how I believe Twitter was meant to be used. Twitter (combined with other forms of social media) has provided a forum for those with a story to communicate.

Last month, more than 50 people attended the 2nd Westchester TweetUp at Mount Kisco’s POUR Cafe and Wine Bar. It was the second-straight TweetUp at POUR booked to capacity, and it was brimming with networking, business strategizing, socializing and idea sharing.

The TweetUps, which have been organized by Westchester140 (I am one of the six members – click on the link to Westchester140’s Facebook page to learn more about the group) have certainly contributed to the increasing speed of Twitter’s growth in Westchester – but it is the quality of the members of this community who really deserve credit for the transformation taking place.

Twitter users like @JSKorn, @StacyKnows, @RickWolff and @GoodDirt. Whether you agree with them or not, they are providing content worth examining. Accounts like @EverythingJulie, @PeterBarossi, @ArtbyNatalya, @LizNunan and @MichaelBalkind. You might only reply to their posts occasionally, but the content they provide adds something to your day.  There are many more, and I encourage you to mention other worthy accounts in the comments section of this blog. I will check out your all of your suggestions.

I only spend few minutes at a time on Twitter – a few times a day. It’s enough to get an idea of what some of my online friends are up to, and to benefit from the content they have decided is worthy of posting. In turn, I try to contribute to the cause by making posts that provide value to my followers.

Over the next month or so, I will find myself fully immersed in Twitter as I attempt to tackle four Twitter challenges at the same time. Follow my progress on Twitter and feel free to help me out with any ideas or suggestions you may have.

My four Twitter endeavors for the next four to six weeks are:

1) Make the 3rd Westchester TweetUp a smashing success — As a member of Westchester140, I intend to help organize the 3rd Westchester TweetUp — an event that will be held in mid to late January 2010. My personal goal is to help make the 3rd Westchester TweetUp the best yet on every level (and after the two held at Anthony Colasacco’s POUR, that is a very lofty goal). I would like to see an event that brings Twitter in Westchester into the mainstream — and paves the way for Twitter to be a potential useful tool for every individual, business and organization. Feel free to dialog with me and the other members of Westchester140 as we work toward this goal.

2) Help make the 18th Annual 95.5 WPLJ Holiday Spectacular Broadcast to Benefit Blythedale Children’s Hospital the best ever – I have volunteered to assist Blythedale Children’s Hospital (my wife Connie Cornell works for Blythedale as Director of Public Relations) with their fund-raising auction in the weeks leading up to their holiday concert December 21. The auction is already up on WPLJ’s website, and auction proceeds are to benefit @Blythedale. I will be running the live Twitter feed for the auction on the morning of the event, December 21 from 6 am to 10 am.  I have seen many of the incredible services Blythedale Children’s Hospital provides and I can assure you that Blythedale is an organization deserving community support. My goal is to use Twitter to spread the word about the auction. I would love to hear suggestions, and especially get your help telling others about the incredible work Blythedale does, and encouraging others to participate in the charity auction.

3) Highlight the activities and contributions being made in social media by Westchester-area individuals, businesses and organizations through the TwitterProfessor website — Because of some recent developments in my retail picture framing business (I relocated the business late last month and have been scrambling to get organized in my new space), I have been unable to keep up with all the great stories going on around me. I intend to catch up with these stories before January comes to a close. If you would like to share info I could use in this space, please hit me up @Cornell140.

4) Apply the social media principals I’ve learned to my business, and then share and exchange the results with others to keep the ball rolling – The best way to learn is to try things you think will work, and then evaluate. Take what works, and build on it. Share your results with others, and learn from their trials (and errors). We have an infinity of possibilities in front of us, and we are in a position to lead others in this exciting new field. It’s an amazing opportunity and a weighty responsibility. Again, please don’t hesitate to send me an @message on Twitter or a comment on this blog. You can even call me on the phone at 914-741-1203.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section, and I will continue the dialogue. Thanks for participating!

After the extremely successful 1st Westchester TweetUp held last month at Pour Cafe and Wine Bar in Mount Kisco, it was only a matter of time before Westchester Tweeps would start asking for a second TweetUp.  The organizers of the event (of which I am one) responded to the call, and announced their plans with a Twitvite launched last Friday for the 2nd Westchester TweetUp, to be held November 18 — again at Pour.  And once again, the event has been booked to capacity in less than a week. A waiting list for the event has been created.

Enthusiasm for the TweetUp has been extremely high for several reasons, not the least of which is the atmosphere and hospitality provided by the event’s sponsor Anthony Colasacco. Not only has Colasacco been busy as one of the event’s organizers — he has been actively searching for a way that this event could be used to give something back to the community. Well, earlier this week the organizers agreed that the 2nd Westchester TweetUp could be used to collect donations for the Junior League of Northern Westchester’s Holiday Sharing Drive.

Attendees are being asked to help POUR Cafe and Wine Bar, and the organizing committee (which also consists of Sarah O’Grady, Chris Dessi, Adam Stone and Andy Barovick) to help as many families as possible by bringing with them on November 18 items from the downloadable Holiday Sharing Drive List.

Chris S. Cornell

Speaking to Twitter devotees about the virtues of this free micro-blogging tool is one of the easiest tasks I can imagine. After all, those who are actively using Twitter are the ones who already understand it. On the other hand, one of the most challenging speaking assignments I’ve had is trying to convince those who have never used Twitter that the 140-character blogging platform can produce tangible benefits for their business or organization.

Over the past seven months, I’ve gained a great deal of experience speaking before both types of groups. Wednesday at 5 pm (October 28, 2009) I will be speaking at a Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce meeting, and I suspect the group will be primarily comprised of those who have never used Twitter.

The Challenge: How do I sell the benefits of Twitter to people who are most likely doubtful of its value? How do I get past the glazed expressions? How do I explain something that is so easy to understand by someone who uses it, but so foreign to someone who never has?

The Objective: It occurred to me that I should take a step back, and take a look at the bigger picture. What is the underlying objective in all of this social media stuff? It really has to do with telling an audience a story — the story of a business or organization. And, even more importantly, listening to the responses you get.

The Answer: The answer has more to do with content than anything else. If I can get a business or organization to realize they have a story they need to tell, we’re on the right track. There’s no need to sell a tool like Twitter until there’s recognition that there is a story that needs to be told.

What is Your Story?: What is the message you’d like to communicate to you audience? When it comes to your business, you are the expert. No one knows your business better than you. If you had the attention of your target audience, what would you say? These are questions every business should have had answers to, long before Twitter and Facebook arrived on the scene. Now that these free social media tools are available, businesses can leverage their content to achieve even greater results.

Once a business or organization has a coherent story to tell, taking steps to tell that story will come naturally. If a business posts its articles on a blog regularly, the prospect of using Twitter or Facebook (or other forms of social media) to promote it will make perfect sense. Just make sure to listen to the feedback, respond to it thoughtfully, and let the dialogue begin.

Twitter Professor is not affiliated with Twitter.com. Chris S. Cornell is not actually a professor, but he is helping build local Twitter communities. Follow Chris on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ContentHarvest.  If you have questions or need help with Twitter, give Chris a call at (914) 960-1533. Feel free to add constructive comments, questions or criticisms in the comments section of this blog.

Audience listens as Chappaqua social media expert Chris Dessi speaks at 1st Westchester TweetUp at Pour Cafe and Wine Bar.

The 1st Westchester TweetUp was held last night at POUR Cafe and Wine Bar in Mount Kisco, and by all accounts the event was a smashing success. The nearly 50 attendees, many of whom knew each other only through the online microblogging service Twitter, had the chance to meet and greet while sipping fine wine and sampling mouth-watering appetizers prepared by POUR, and delicious cupcakes provided by Everything LuLu Cake Boutique.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear Chappaqua’s Chris Dessi speak about how individuals and organizations can use numerous forms of free social media tools to engage in dialog with others. Dessi works as Director of Sales for Buddy Media in NYC, and the list of accounts he manges includes large national corporations and professional sports teams, among others.

Each attendee also left with a gift bag, that included certificates, samples and discounts from area organizations and businesses.

Note – You can stay informed about Westchester TweetUp information by searching #WestchesterTweet on Twitter, or by checking this site. The Twtvite.com site is a good resource for looking up those who attended the event (note that not everyone on the list actually attended).