Holidays, hashtags, and the Herkimer: The birth of #tweetcrawl

What do you get when you combine Twitter, holiday drinking, and a few dozen geeks in Minneapolis? Answer: #TweetCrawl!

This is a fine example of how social media can be used to build a community. And it was really great to be a part of this one. Here’s how it went down…

December 25th, 2009 – Erica and Tracy came up with the hashtag, #tweetcrawl,  to accompany their tweets about not heading out to the bars and instead staying at home to enjoy a little holiday beverage. Turns out a lot of people in the Twin Cities were doing the same thing and joined in on the conversation. Before we knew it, about 20+ people were participating in #tweetcrawl. People were sharing what their drink of choice was, posting pictures of them and their beverage, and engaging in some very hilarious conversation. It was so geeky. And so great.

A snapshot of the #tweetcrawl conversation

So then the conversation progressed to organizing an IRL (“In real life” for you non-techies) #tweetcrawl gathering the next day (which also happened to be my birthday). Fast forward to…

December 26, 2009 – About 15 or so participants from the previous night rendezvoused in Uptown at The Herkimer to continue the geeky conversations in person as well as meet new people. The cool thing? Most of us didn’t know each other prior to Twitter. I walked away with some new friends and a greater appreciation for the awesome community that is developing here in the Twin Cities. I was also very glad to have spent part of my birthday with so many nice, intelligent, and hysterical people. Starting off another year of existence making new connections may sound a little nerdy to some, but for me it was completely fitting.

Me and Desarae at The Herkimer for #tweetcrawl

What was missing from this whole thing? Participation from The Herkimer. Granted, this event was put together very last minute. But had The Herkimer had a Twitter account, they could have reamed the benefits of so much free publicity and actually participated in the conversation surrounding their brewery. A missed opportunity if you ask me. And a reminder why it is so important for businesses to be tuned into social media.

At the rate the #tweetcrawl following grew in just a couple of days, it will be interesting to see how this catches on with more people and restaurants in the Twin Cities. It would be smart for establishments to reach out to groups like this and try to incorporate their business. Invite #tweetcrawl to your bar. Offer some specials. Then see how that puts butts in seats. Not to mention tons of chatter surrounding your business. Oh, the power of Twitter…

Have you participated in a hashtag conversation that grew to something more? Led to face-to-face connections? Helped gain exposure for your business? Please share!