I occasionally let it slip to people that a set of images comes to mind when I think of the various social networks. I find these mental visuals helpful when I’m trying to decide how to best position a message, post, or strategy to fit each network.

My esteemed colleague Leslie thought my (possibly overactive) imagination might offer some insights into one of the ways we strategize for each network. Do you do something similar? If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below! Meanwhile, here are my musings:

Image courtesy of CNET

Twitter to me feels like an open-air market in a public square (specifically, I imagine the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy!). Although the image of Twitter being like a cocktail party is evidently a popular one, I personally envision every Twitter user as having a table in the circle of the town square. Most people have left their tables and are in the middle, milling around and observing news, information and opinions the other tables are broadcasting. Sometimes a group of loyal fans congregate around a specific table, studying its flyers and conversing with its merchant and each other; and some even pick up the leaflets and help distribute them amongst the crowd (those would be retweets!). And sometimes the whole square starts to buzz with common news and shared experiences (those would be the trending topics and #hashtags). Continue reading →