Golfing Legend John Daly Twitters Up a Storm

It was getting late in my neck of the woods. I checked my email one last time to see if there were any alligators lurking there, needing attention before I hit the hay.
Nothing too urgent, so time to put my laptop to bed.

Little did I realize that I was about to get the lesson of my life from golfing legend and 1991 US PGA and 1995 Open Champion, John Daly. Not a golf lesson - but a lesson in the masterful use of social media. Twitter in particular.

I glanced over to TwitRGolfers and there he was - holding court.

For the uninitiated, John Daly has become something of a Twitter phenomenon. He was not the first PGA Pro to get on board with Twitter but now he is playing it like it is another Golfing Major.

What amazed me was the way he was working the room. He must have been holding conversations with at least another half dozen tweeters before I decided to throw in my own comment. I recommended he "grab some fish and chips" from a place I knew around the corner from Wentworth, where he was practicing tomorrow. Yep, pretty silly suggestion - but small talk has never been one of my strengths.

I felt, if this was the best I could contribute to the banter, then my chances of cranking up a conversation with the golfing legend were pretty close to zero.

Not so, the subject of food seemed to grasp his attention.

Whilst this was going on, fellow tweeter and prominent blogger, Andy Brown from St Andrews in Scotland was lining up an encounter with John Daly at the London Club

Not only that, but a few other Tweeters were helping him upload photos to the Net. The tweets were flying back and forth in every direction. He was driving the conversations.

John Daly was having fun last night - we all were.

He was laughing out loud (LOL). At one stage he said "Send some more twitters my way I'm liking the new meets on here"

The Hog jumped in for a fashion discussion with the big man. More silliness.

Others were wishing him well on the European Tour. He is currently in exile from the US Tour after a a slight indiscretion which caused the powers that be to slap a 6 - month ban on him.

So, what was the big lesson in all of this?

For me it reinforced the assertion of wine entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk, who said that Twitter is "word of mouth on steroids". He was dead right.

How many of us are today telling our friends about the one-on-one conversation(s) we had with John Daly? We all had a story to tell. We all touched the hem. We all felt that we had his personal attention - and we had, if only for a few fleeting tweets.

There is no doubt that John Daly used Twitter to grow his fan base last night. In fact he repeats the performance almost on a daily basis. The man is reinventing himself on so many levels. And twitter is one of the most potent, viral marketing weapons in his arsenal. More fans, more eyeballs, more value for the sponsors - everyone wins.

And then the hunger pangs kicked in. At last my inane fish and chip comment was given some context.

John Daly gave up on the camera and went off to grab some dinner.

Hope you enjoyed the steak John. He would no doubt have tweeted about the experience later but it was all too late for me.

Congratulations, John Daly. Your talent extends well beyond the golf course.

You can tweet with John Daly and other leading Tour Players at PGA Tour Player Tweets.

And for golfers who Twitter (and for those who don't :-) come join our dysfunctional little community at TwitRGolfers - Because We are Crazy About Golf.

Tags: aidan, daly, golf, hog, john, montague, the, twitrgolfers, twitter

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Comment by Chris Smith on June 23, 2009 at 5:39pm: I love twitter and use it to talk with friends and to read good motivation. Follow me at http://twitter.com/wedidyoucan

Chris

Comment by Debbie Mahler on June 23, 2009 at 5:28pm: I use twitter to connect with all types of people, engage in political and charitable causes, educate folks about my industry (PC security and Technology), and then promote my blog and business.

Follow me:
@debbiemahler

Comment by Susi Schuele on June 23, 2009 at 5:19pm: To make the most of Twitter, it helps to remember what social networking is really about - and that is relationships. So when you "tweet", you need to remember to post in thirds. 1/3 relational or personal, 1/3 informational, and 1/3 promotional for your business. Twitter is a community of those who want to build relationships and make friends. It's a proven fact that most human beings are more likely to do business with their friends than someone they don't know. If your tweets are only to promote your business and always include a link to your site, chances are you will lose followers. Make sure you lighten up your bio with a little personal note, give your real name in the bio and a valid url for your business. Then engage the community with your wit and wisdom! Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/MVPSusi

Comment by Jessica Elaine Hyde-Cadogan on June 23, 2009 at 5:16pm: Don't really use Twitter yet...gotta get into the swing of it!

Comment by David Pixley on June 23, 2009 at 5:15pm: I don't Patter or Pitter and I NEVER Twitter.

Comment by Harry de Jong on June 23, 2009 at 5:01pm: I do not get twitter on my mobile, so for me it doesn't work. oh yeah, I've tried several times.

Comment by Larry Callis on June 23, 2009 at 4:57pm: Hi folks; see what's cooking in CA and AZ Green Reruralization activities: www.ourgreenconnect.com Larry

Comment by Carol J Case on June 23, 2009 at 4:56pm: I just signed up for Twitter today. Going to the tool page and watch the videos.
http://twitter.com/nontoxic2009

Comment by Lothar Seifert on June 23, 2009 at 4:54pm: Twitter is good, if I find people who are doing equal work.
My Page: Twitter Naundorf

Comment by gladys williams on June 23, 2009 at 4:52pm: i would like to twitter to, for one get intouch with my orange community center and also looking for buiness partners to come aboard for some financial freedom. go to www.marykay.com/98597 i would love to have you on my team.