Random follow #227 - @Implementnz

Back in the day (like years and years ago) social media was all about creating a brand.  That is having an online personality that you could use to sell yourself and your services to others who may be interested in them.  While it was a good idea and probably worked really well in other countries - I am not sure that idea struck a chord with New Zealand.  Some people did it well, some did not.  Todays tweeter - @Implementnz is one of the people who both figured  it out but also continues to do it even better today.

Shona is based out of the beautiful region of Taranaki.  A district of contrast with the mountain and the
ocean.  Dairy farming and the harvesting of natural gas go side by side.  And the Taranaki region adds much value to the New Zealand economy.  And its within that economy that Shona is able to work as a consultant and coach.

And like the region she comes from Shona is also a person of contrasts.  Her twitter account is that perfect mix of both the personal and interactive mixed in with the inspirational and the encouraging aspects of business.

So here's a wee look at how her timeline goes -

"Conversation, conversation, conversation, business, photo, conversation, conversation....  repeat."

Seriously thats what the @Implementnz timeline looks like.  A mixture of genuine conversation mixed in with some business, add a sprinkle of good humour to taste and thats the recipe right there.  What her tweets really look like is a bit more like this - 

"Going to be a wardrobe challenge tomorrow. Forecast low in NP is 4 degrees and high 14."

"Weekend project- fixing an old table I bought yesterday. Have sanded, stained top to even out colour, applied first coat of varnish #pleased"  <-- the personal

"Plans for a seminar in New Plymouth on Personal confidence in your career and business http://on.fb.me/1aaxksH " <-- and the business.

Shona is a really interactive, highly engaging and also enlightening tweeter.  She is a very active user of social media and is only ever a tweet away of you're looking for a reply. Thats one of the great characteristics of regional people.  They can easily switch between the corporate world into their gumboots without hardly having to think about it.  Its just easy.

And easy is the best way to describe @Implementnz.  You can follow at any time and pick up on the essential aspects of her character - well grounded and down to earth, comfortable talking to pretty much anyone, plenty of encouraging and happy things to say and there's always another project on the go to keep her busy.

If you're like me and prefer a multi-dimensional, feet on the ground, all round pleasant tweeter and you've been looking for one for a while to follow, then go no further than @Implementnz.

Random follow #157 - @andydower

Tweeters in New Zealand apparently flock together like birds of a feather.  Well maybe not quite that closely but it seems like there are pockets of twitter users scattered all over the place.  And some towns in New Zealand have more than their fair share.  The Taranaki region is the perfect example of this.

There are SO many great twitter peeps from the 'Naki and @andydower is another one!  Andy is a great example of a random kiwi tweeter.  With almost 1,000 tweets under his belt and 68 followers he's not making big waves in social media.  But that doesn't matter.  Because what he does do is tweet some pretty cool stuff.  Especially about sport and New Plymouth.

Andy is a dad who has 3 boys whom he is raising with love.  And its really impressive that in his twitter bio he outs it out there.  Plus he loves a few other things - like coffee, sport and cooking.  I am hoping that there is one very lucky person out there who gets to reap the rewards of these interests.

He doesn't give too much away about who he is or what is happening in his every day life but occasionally he opens the door just a smidgen to let you in catch a glimpse of his life.  Such as -

"Parking for the test match has reached our house already People must be getting excited early. 6 degrees and dropping. Huddle together peeps".  It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out he means New Plymouth.

"Got to go to bed, bugger!"  He stays up past his bedtime?

"Rugby, cricket and F1 to watch tonight and the kids have lost the Sky remote AGAIN, AAAAUUUUURRRGHH!"  Boys, sports and television can be trouble!

"Danger Mouse #ClassicTV"  The man has taste!

@andydower is a twitter account under construction.  Now that he's almost got the first thousand tweets out of the way he's practically a local.  So I encourage you to call over to his place and say hi.  If you like what you see then why not give him a follow?  He's a great guy.  

Over and out.

Random follow #87 - @AndyBedfordOne

A persons twitter avatar can often times tell you a lot about the person and their personality.  If that is true for today's random tweeter then this blog post better be a good one.  Or else.  Why do I say that?  Well Andy has the single most staunch twitter avatar I have seen yet.  If the TV production company that make Sons Of Anarchy need a new actor I am pretty sure his twitter photo will at least get him an audition.

And with a tweet like this I am pretty sure I am on the right track " I'm guna start with The Sopranos soon, first gotta knock Sins of Anarchy off".

But to counter that strong introduction it is also my belief that Andy is an incredibly great guy.  Just call it a hunch that I have.  What I do know is that he has a very sharp wit and he isn't afraid to call something for what it is.  Such as "Sweet mullet being worn by the lady cashier @zenergynz #Picton #businessinthefront #partyintheback"

He usually resides in the heart of Taranaki but according to a number of his recent tweets he has been covering the length and breadth of this fine country of ours.  But there is no place quite like home "Went to spend money in ol' New Plymouth town, but totally disappointed in retailers lack of stock & high prices, online shopping here I come"

He is also pretty cool in that he likes to post pictures of the thing he sees and the places he goes.  I have yet to see any of the usual type instagram cat, what I am having for breakfast update or any of the other mainstream stuff that flows through your timeline. What you do find are pics from all over NZ.  And there are some mighty fine photos that he takes too.

He calls a straight shot and knows exactly what he wants.  "Is 8.45am too early to drink? #cruisingontheinterislander"

He has an ear for fine music and an eye for great art.  Especially anything that is out of the ordinary or exceptionally appealing.

(Sidebar - What I really like about his twitter profile is that @AndyBedfordOne's twitter background is the movie that inspired my choice of twitter avatar.  People often ask me why I chose my twitter avatar and the answer to that question is on Andys page.  Go have a look you should be able to figure it out.)

To close this out I think its fair to say that if you're a friend of the man you're a friend for life.  And he'll have your back - always.

Random follow #72 - @kaponga01

"You take the man out of the 'Naki but you can't take the 'Naki out of the man"

Never a truer word has ever been spoken
About the tweeter known as @kaponga01.
He is amber and black through and through
And enjoys nothing more than the sun

He is the boss of a company
That just happens to be based in Auckland
And when you're the boss there are some skills that you need
And you need to make sure you are talking


A married man is Jared is he
And a good man always has lots of supporters
The values he brings from the Taranaki
Are one's that he'll pass on to his daughters

A man of the outdoors he likes to go out
"Early morning starts allow for early afternoon fishing!"
And when he gets home he lets us all know
How he got on by his tweeting

"Tomorrow can't come soon! #longweek"
Means he really looks forward to his weekends
And finding balance in life is some necessary  advice
And so is "Another successful day gathering Paua"

He doesn't tweet all that often
But he does when he has something to say

"Getting ready for a flight around Mt Taranaki can't wait!!"
Is one brilliant way to spend a day

Come follow a good bloke who tweets and who fishes
Who will charn abd cajole you with his presence
And enrich your timeline with his thoughts about fanily
"Great week ended with fishing,sun,beach,family,friends, BBQ, drinks and lots if very cool presents."

Random follow #65 - #kiwinomad08

Everybody has a story.   Some stories are local and involve people accomplishing great things in their own backyard.  Other peoples stories involve them heading off to international places both attempting and achieving great things.  Today''s tweeter falls into the latter category.

@KiwiNomad08 is an explorer of places.  Not just the local country side but international places as well.  Being an explorer is an art.  It takes a combination of skill, persistence and a keen eye for the little details to pull it all together.  And no exploration is complete if no one knows you've done it.  Yes - you did complete the exploration so in a literal sense it did happen.  But there is some value, some mystery, some connection that occurs when others hear the stories, see the pictures and become both inspired and enthused to go out and engage in their own explorations.

Why do I like @KiwiNomad08 as a tweeter?  Because she has an amazing blog.  And she tweets in a conversational manner.  Some tweeters will give you one tweet in reply.  But Kiwi will carry on a twitter conversation with you for as long as you need or as long as the conversation stays interesting.

But being an explorer is just one aspect to Kiwi's life.  She is also a teacher of children.  Which is one of the most important functions or callings any person can have.  It takes a lot of resilience, patience and caring to be able to manage day in and day the learning needs of an ever changing and diverse range of children.  Parents know that no two children are alike - even from the same parents.  So just imagine what a teacher goes through trying to both teach as well as bring out the best in every child that is placed in their care.

I haven't been following @KiwiNomad08 for very long at all so there isn't too much more that I can say about her.  I can tell you that she went to France and Spain and a whole lot of exploring there.  And if you head over to her blog you can read up on some of the amazing adventures that she had while she was there.

My final and closing comment is this - she lives in the MANAWATU!!!   Yes - Kiwi is the first random kiwi tweeter who lives in the Ragitikei district (sort of)!  So there you go.  I really recommend checking out @KiwiNomad08 and even if you decide not to follow her as a tweeter then her blog is worth adding to your reading list.

random follow #47 - @sonyacole

There must be something secret in the water that people from Taranaki drink.  They have beautiful skin, fine personalities and all round really lovely people.  Today's random kiwi tweeter absolutely ticks all three of those boxes.

@SonyaCole is a very lovely lady.  One particular characteristic you will pick up straight away is that she is a lady of style.  Her current twitter profile photo I believe captures her essence nicely.  The red hair piece nicely offsets the darker tomes of her dress.  So here you find a lady of both substance and style.  Panache and positivity.

Sonya is a mum, a social media fan, a blogger, an iphone owner (no further comment needed - LOL),  and she owns her own business.  And she is married too.  To whom I have no idea but he is a very lucky chap indeed.  And I am not too sure when Sonya actually manages to find the time to fit in all these different takes in a day but fit them in she does.  Especially the tweeting.  Then again mums to tend to have exceptional time management skills and I'm betting Sonya is no different in this respect.

(Yes - I have 'borrowed' this picture - without permission. 

But only because it is such a lovely photo)

You aren't going to discover or unearth any of the secrets of the universe by reading Sonya's tweets.  What you will find are short and sweet tweets that won't waste your time.  She doesn't waste her words that is for sure.  And to be honest I have looked high and low and I have struggled to find a tweet that used up the 140 character limit.  But she does enjoy engaging with others and keeping in touch with what is happening in the global conversation that is twitter.

One really nice thing that reinforces my view of @SonyaCole being lovely is that she isn't a twitter snob.  She will tweet anyone and everyone in a nice and positive way.  And even her tweets that are about not so fun stuff like insomnia are still a joy to read because you the reader can relate to what she is trying to say.  For example - "That sinking feeling when you wake up during hell TV hour!"

And it appears that the insomnia is not just confined to one day a week but it may actually be a repetitive issue.  And again tv is not helping!  "Kill me now! Watching Proactive ads to avoid evangelists on the other channels! FML"

To conclude I can hand on heart say @SonyaCole is a lovely (attractive and single) woman and mum who is also a social media butterfly. She is kind and thoughtful and like everyone - a little bit of praise and encouragement goes a long way.

To finish I have three recommendations today - 

#1 - follow @SonyaCole on twitter
#2 - check out her beautiful website http://sonyacole.com/
#3 - give credit and praise to someone completely random when you finish reading this.  It will make someone's day.

Random follow #33 - @getbeef

For some companies navigating the sea of social media can be uneasy at times.   And yet for other companies finding the right approach to social media is easy.  @getbeef falls into the category of the latter.  They have an easy tweeting style that is fun and yet professional. 

They give pleasant thanks to people who follow them.  They interact and talk to tweeters who tweet them.  And they also share photos and little tidbits of life down on the farm.  With an occasional update from the tennis for good measure!  What it all comes down to is a very savvy (yet simple) approach to simple media - be present, be happy and communicate.  Easy.

Here is one example -

"Warning.GMB tweets will be brought to you live from #ozopen Centre Court this evening: Row D seat 381. tennis mad! Murray or joker?Brent"

And another -

"Our new range of packaging has just arrived for testing. Very cool. We've never been this excited about a box before!!"

One thing you may not know about beef is that all the good meat gets exported overseas before New Zealanders get to see it.  What @getbeef are doing is allowing average kiwi's to sample and eat the meat that is grown here and yet enjoyed more in foreign restaurants in London, Paris and Dubai.  So how does it work?  They grow the cows, butcher them and send you the meat.  Simple.  No middle men or overseas owned supermarkets adding their percentage on top.  Simply fresh beautiful beef.


So in short @getbeef are a genuine kiwi small town company making their way in the world, growing their business one follower (customer) at a time.  They also have a facebook page if you want to go and look at that too - https://www.facebook.com/greenmeadowsbeef.  And even if you are a vegetarian I can say you'll still enjoy reading their tweets because they publish some beautiful photos as well.

Random follow #26 - @Nakiman

Many good things and many good people come from the various regions of the the West Coast of New Zealand.  Today's person tweets from one of the most resource rich and intense places in the country.  TARANAKI!!!!

@nakiman is from the region but has since made his way south to join all the cool kids in (you guessed it) Wellington.  Peter is a big sports fan and no doubt supports one of the finest rugby teams in New Zealand.  Taranaki.  Taranaki is more than just a place you live.  Its a province, a people and a way of life.

So why follow @nakiman?  Because he can hold a twitter conversation on just about any topic you care to imagine.  I am pretty sure that if the topic is sport he'll be better able to reply but if you try throwing any topic at him I bet you'll get a good reply.

Here's an absolute pearler of a tweet - "I reckon that guy is going home with Andy's Mrs if he loses #auspoen"

or this one - "My cat is a killer, two native flies this morning"

And he is a football fan.  All the best tweeters are football fans!  So in short @nakiman is an all round intelligent tweeter who can be engaged on most subjects known to mankind.  I wonder if he has ever considered being a talk back radio host?

This photo was taken somewhere in the Taranaki region in the 1970's.  

(Editors note - Not much has changed)