Jerusalem hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours & events. Helping since 2008

Social media is getting more sociable in Jerusalem. As the tweetup phenomenon grows in popularity, more and more Jerusalemites are getting up from their computers and meeting their virtual friends and business contacts face-to-face. This week, Jerusalem's Inbal Hotel is getting in on the action, with a tweetup with jazz and drinks in the hotel courtyard on Thursday night, September 2nd. A tweetup, for those whose vocabulary has not kept speed with the ever-changing world of social media, is an event where people who generally communicate with each other on micro-blogging platform Twitter, come together to meet in person in a social setting.

One of the most prominent faces in Jerusalem's social media community, Charlie Kalech of J-Town Productions, a Jerusalem web design and marketing agency, explains to GoJerusalem.com that Jerusalem's vibrant Twitter scene has much to gain from an event like this. "The great power of social media platforms like Twitter comes out when they are reinforced by real-world events," he says. "Online networking is just the beginning for real-world relationships. This works especially well for Twitter and business, since Twitter users tend to be older and more focused on particular interests.... These conversations can then lead to friendships and collaborations. It is truly surprising how strong these relationships can be."
 

As a brand, the Inbal is leading Jerusalem's hotel industry into the social networking age, with a lively Facebook page, an influential Twitter account and a firm grasp of the role social media is beginning to play in branding. It's the only hotel to maintain active "conversations" with users on platforms like TripAdvisor and Foursquare, and in June, the hotel spearheaded real-world integration to these efforts, with a successful Facebook Fan Friday event in June, where the Hotel's Facebook fans were given free access to the hotel pool. The tweetup is, therefore, a natural next step for the hotel.

Ruth Waiman, the mastermind behind the Inbal's social media presences, tells GoJerusalem.com that "Jerusalem's Twitter community is very much a close-knit group, and we communicate and share ideas a lot, both online and off. I've met lots of people from various organizations through Twitter. By arranging a tweetup, we can meet face to face - a tweetup makes the network closer."

Waiman believes that "The success of Facebook Fan Friday and the feedback we've received on both Facebook and Twitter have definitely encouraged us to arrange further social-media events, events that bring our online friends offline," she says.

Indeed, according to Waiman, the tweetup is just the tip of the iceberg as the Inbal continues to develop social media-branded hospitality in Jerusalem. "We are currently working on developing a blog which will include posts from guests, different tips and ideas from our in-house staff. It will be vibrant and exciting, continuing the work we are doing with social media like Twitter and Facebook and the relationships that we've developed online." The Inbal is also lined up to host SphinnConn Israel, a leading web marketing expo, in January 2011.

Pinny Orzach, The Inbal's online marketing manager agrees that there's a great future for the hotel's online community of fans and followers. "We are just excited with how much further this can and will be developed," he says.