GoVolsTweets.com

Yesterday marked the one week birthday of GoVolsTweets.com. During this first week, I’ve been privileged to see “tweets” pass across the home page from the likes of Coach Kiffin, Eric Berry, Candace Parker, Allan Houston, Leonard Little and a host of other past and present Volunteers.

1st Season on Twitter (Click to view)

I’ve also enjoyed tracking and commenting on the growing Big Orange Frenzy as the Vol Nation prepares for this Saturday. It’s apparent that sports and Twitter, or more specifically UT Football and Twitter, offers fans a new and exciting way to interact with their favorite team and players. It has been said elsewhere, and I agree: This will be the first college football season on Twitter. Given this milestone, I’m providing this Fan’s Guide to the First UT Football Season on Twitter.

IT’S TIME – For Football AND Twitter!!!

IT'S TIME!!! (Click to View)

Coach Kiffin has been helping us prepare for UT Football by telling us that, “IT’S TIME!!!” Likewise, this year has seen Twitter take center stage as the hottest new communication medium since email and cell phones. Everywhere you look, people are talking about Twitter. Last year’s blank stares are being replaced by millions of mainstream web users opting to give the popular micro-blogging service a try.

Will you be a “Follower” or an “Active User”?
There are generally two types of users on Twitter: “Followers” who mainly consume information on Twitter, and “active users” who contribute to the overall community. While it’s certainly okay if you want to be merely a follower, I can say that you’ll get much more out of Twitter the more actively you use it.

The Sports Fan’s Twitter Advantage
As you might suspect, active users of Twitter are more likely to stick with the service. Whereas “followers” are more likely to enthusiastically start using Twitter only to abandon their account after a short period of time.

However, as a sports fan, you have a potential advantage over the average first-time Twitter user. The vast majority of people trying out the service create accounts merely out of curiosity. They may throw out a couple of “tweets” but quickly lose interest. Furthermore, Twitter is uninteresting if you’re all alone on there.

On the other hand, “tweeting” with friends lets you take advantage of the best that the social web has to offer. This is where being a sports fan gives you a leg up on transitioning into the world of Twitter.

If you’re coming to Twitter to share in some friendly banter with other football fans, you’ve come to the right place. Twitter is the perfect medium for connecting you with Vol fans far and wide. Rather than replacing real-world relationships, Twitter is best used to supplement and augment them. Your conversations don’t have to end when you’re apart, rather you can share memorable moments, humor, news and more, 140 characters at a time.

Kiffin rallies the Vol Nation (Click to View)

Ever found yourself away from Big Orange Country wishing you had someone who could celebrate with you over that big play? Simply send out a “tweet” to your followers. Or, as we’ve seen this week, it’s a lot of fun to share in the anticipation with Vol fans all across the nation as we await the dawn of the Lane Kiffin era. What’s more, adding to the fun is the fact that Coach Kiffin himself (@LaneKiffinUT) is a part of our community, occasionally taking the time to “tweet” out rallying cries to the Vol Nation.

How to be a part of this UT Football Season on Twitter

Twitter is a very “organic” environment. The beauty of the service is its simplicity. Rather than applying a rigid set of rules on how to use it, it’s best to have the Twitter zeitgeist in mind as you read and send out tweets. Twitter is a community for receiving and contributing. To that end, keep these principles in mind as you start using Twitter:

Enjoy dipping in and out of the conversation.
Unlike your email inbox with a list of unread emails waiting to be processed, Twitter is meant to be a continuous stream of conversation that you can dip in and out of at your leisure. If you’re finding Twitter overwhelming or distracting, simply take a break and come back to it when it fits into your schedule.

Be social.
Read a tweet that you like? Be sure to “retweet” it, or “@” reply to the author. Oh, and don’t just do that with tweets from Lane Kiffin and Eric Berry. Those guys will be pretty busy the next several months. In the meantime, spread some “tweet-love” with your other friends and people that you discover on Twitter.

Keep at it.
Developing your own “Twitter voice” takes time. It takes a while to get comfortable with Twitter’s communication style if you’ve never tried it before. Just remember: All of us on Twitter have been there before.

As the Anticipation Builds, Twitter Fans the Flames

GO BIG ORANGE! (Click to View)

Eric Berry has commented that, “There is a feeling of greater anticipation for this opener with the new coaching staff here than in my past two years.” Elsewhere, fans have said this is the “most anticipated season in Tennessee football history.” While I’m not given to such hyperbole, I will say that there is a Big Orange Frenzy brewing in anticipation of tomorrow’s kickoff.

Starting this website along with @GoVolsTweets on Twitter has given me my own opportunity to take part in and contribute to the frenzy. Each day I’ve kept an eye on Twitter searches for “Go Vols,” “LaneKiffinUT” and “eberry14″ to name a few. With all the tweets I’ve seen and commented on it’s obvious that the Vol Nation is alive and well on Twitter.

It’s my hope that this site will be a fun resource for all Vol fans wanting to keep up with “tweets” from their favorite UT players, coaches and administration. To my 50+ followers who have come on board during this first week: Thanks for helping me get things started, and don’t forget to recommend @GoVolsTweets to your friends.

Like all Vol fans, I can’t wait for kickoff tomorrow. I hope my efforts here have added to your enjoyment and anticipation of UT Football.

Until next time, GO VOLS!!! IT’S TIME!!!