This post originally appeared on SalesforceBen, but has been superceeded by time. I therefore present the original as part of my archives. There were pictures, but these have disappeared along with Twitter’s street cred!
Recently, I introduced a friend into the world of Salesforce. They’d heard a lot about it, and wanted to spend the next couple of months getting some Trailhead trails under their belt to see if it’s right for them.
Then I added: “But, to really understand Salesforce you need to be on Twitter”. “Huh?” was the response. Let me explain! Now I’m going to tell you my tips for getting started within the Salesforce Ohana ‘Twittersphere’, including who you should follow, and what you should pay attention to.
Thanks to @SteveMoForce for elevating this conversation and for the great conversation this morning. In addition to our mutual passion for the Trailblazer community, we found out we have a mutual passion for making pasta https://t.co/MYHcb2HnCH
— Bret Taylor (@btaylor) August 4, 2018
Above: a defining tweet from last year, when Salesforce admitted they need to do much better!
Salesforce is more than a Software Platform
There’s a culture around Salesforce which is so much more than just technology, and Twitter shines a light on this in all its glory.
Where else can you see corporate leaders managing their own accounts and sharing the causes and passions that inspire them? Senior product owners requesting feedback on their latest ideas? Long-standing members of the community openly calling out when the system is no longer delivering and meeting their expectations? And all this being responded to, and debated in a constructive fashion, in public?
Successful weeks begin with a #pause to determine your top #priority and then to align your time accordingly. Carrying this reminder with me! pic.twitter.com/VYIe73epyI
— Success With Less (@successwithless) September 9, 2019
You can also get fed a constant diet of best practice, insights into what people are struggling with (it’s not just you), and be boosted by seeing trainees turn into experienced pros, all with the support of others.
It’s been a year since our last #SpeakerAcademy and we’ve spent time listening to students, rewriting our curriculum & expanding our footprint. Sessions begin next Tuesday. Sign up below if you want to hone your public speaking and abstract writing skills! https://t.co/MjIdoAi3rV pic.twitter.com/jsPSEJ7Vsd
— Jodi Wagner (@jmwagner) October 7, 2019
Social media has its detractors, but Salesforce swings the balance; whether you want to just dip in or get more involved, the Salesforce Ohana is a positive stream of joy to help, support, engage and inspire you.
Your Starter Pack: My 6 Quick Twitter Tips
When I was planning this article, I expected that most of the people I would recommend would be from the community, but it turns out that some are from Salesforce themselves. The only explanation I can give is that because Salesforce encourages its staff to be authentic; you see the stories that inspire them to keep on doing what they do. But this is only half of the story. Here’s some tips to make it relevant to you.
- Follow members (and especially leaders) of your community: this includes your local Community Group’s twitter account itself; this will give you the richness, sense of belonging and local context that my list above can’t cover.
- Follow heroes: when you meet a presenter you really like, or enjoy reading someone’s blog, follow them too. You like their content, so get that deeper perspective on what makes them tick.
- Introduce a newbie: introduce someone new to the Ohana, follow them on Twitter and see them flower and shine over time.
- Pen Pals: stay connected with those you meet on your travels, it will give you a broader perspective on the world.
- Content = Covered: in your Twitter feed, if you see someone’s content you like being retweeted on a regular basis, follow that person directly. This will mean you see more of their content.
- Trust Twitter: in all honesty, Twitter’s algorithms are pretty good. If Twitter suggests someone to you, have a look at their Twitter stream and see if it’s of interest. After all, there’s a reason why it’s being suggested.
Who to Follow
So, without much further ado, these are my recommendation of some of the best people to follow:
- @techforecastis. I’ve no idea how Mark Adcock does it, but this is your one stop shop for all things Salesforce. He doesn’t write so much, but he does follow lots of other people and constantly keeps up a stream of news, other people’s views, and all the best practice and new features on Salesforce.
- @Benioff. Co-CEO of Salesforce. If you like Salesforce, a chunk of it is due to his leadership. Some tweets will be about Salesforce, and some about the causes he is passionate about (such as the one below).
“This can’t possibly be the outcome you and I want, to have crazy lies pumped into the water supply that corrupt the most important decisions we make together.” Aaron Sorkin https://t.co/KeFYFuAoO8
— Scott Galloway (@profgalloway) October 31, 2019
- @ValaAfshar. As my husband says, “He likes lists”. Not to be dismissed, these will help keep everything in perspective for you.
- @bdeloryn. I might be biased here, but if you like hearing inspirational tales of what is currently going on in the community, this is the lady for you. As Director of Community Team Marketing, she showcases some of the best.
- @MikeGerholdt. The original Admin Evangelist at Salesforce.
11 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/uQdQRtSoDe
— (@MikeGerholdt) October 16, 2019
- @ArchLadies. Want to extend your Salesforce journey, either now or in the future. Keep your eyes on Ladies be Architects because when you’re ready, give you’ll already have some ideas about what this journey will involve.
- @littleiglooo. If you like the cast of your Salesforce characters and have fallen in love with them, then Astro’s mum is a must to follow!
- @successwithless. Don’t overdo it. Karen Mangia is there to help support you, and regularly remind you of this, and to help you focus on what’s important.
- @orgconfessions. We go here to absolve our sins and remind ourselves that saying “No” is best practice, if you want to avoid (lots of) pain later on.
https://t.co/7pgJVDPz3z #255 (read to the end) pic.twitter.com/NfMXqEtIi7
— ian gotts (@iangotts) September 6, 2019
- @ValidationFools. Well, you’ve got to have some fun…
Developer and Marketing Cloud Twitterati are also available (more expert recommendations coming soon).
Also, take a look at the Salesforce MVP Twitter List. Salesforce MVPs those singled out by Salesforce for their exceptional contribution to the community and tehir commitment to helping others succeed. This list brings together all their Twitter handles, so you can easily have a look at their content and then click “Follow” on any of these that you want to see more often in your timeline.
Summary: Wait, there’s more!
I currently follow around 200 people. When writing up this article what I really noticed that this was a mix of local, national and international people and organisations. As you get into Twitter and follow more people over time, your timeline will become a unique mixture – representing your interests; it also means that there can’t be a single guide tailored just for you, so you’ll need to work on it to produce the best results. We’re all different, and that’s to be celebrated!
Here’s a few thoughts I wanted to throw in before you go. …
(1) Do you suddenly find yourself in need of some branded clothing? Then there’s a charitable answer for you @shirtforce.
(2) Speaking of answers, if you do start posting and mention #AskForce then a volunteer from the community will come to your rescue. In fact there’s many more useful hashtags that you can include or search for, but that’s perhaps for another blog.
(3) When you do sign up for a Twitter account, make sure you choose a personalised “twitter handle” and not a random text string or number, and add your picture. You never know when someone will want to reach out to you over Twitter, and having a name you remember will make things much easier (luckily you can change your twitter handle later on too). For more tips on how to manage your “personal brand” have a quick google, or wait for the next blog!
With particular thanks to
@SalesforceBen, @ChrisieMarshall, @ChrisEmmett, @EliK82, @JustynaAnnaK, @LucyMazalon, @RobSalesforce, @Sergeyer, @TesoraV and everyone who responded to this thread.
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