Sweets and Tweets: FREE cupcakes + Justin Thorp of AddThis on Moving the Needle as Director of Customer Happiness

Attn: Cupcake Lovers

Check out the photo VID of the event by Nakeva Photography.

Come to the final Sweets and Tweets of 2010 for FREE CUPCAKES and to discuss an important topic:

Forget shiny object syndrome. Does the widespread use of social media mean that companies are doing business in a better way by listening more closely to customers?

Justin Thorp is Director of Customer Happiness for DC-based Clearspring's popular AddThis widget. He will talk about his new job title (silly? serious?) and how he tries to "move the needle" (his words) in his role as community manager.

The familiar red AddThis button is now seen by over 1 billion Web users worldwide and is used by the White House, the Dalai Lama, the British Monarchy and millions of other websites to distribute and track digital content. Clearspring was recently named one of 10 D.C. Startups You Need to Know About.

Moving the Needle Using Social Media

"Social media manager puts the wrong spin on what I do," Justin told me. Facebook and Twitter are just tools, he said. As the adoption of social media becomes mainstream "it's about who's using social media to actually move the needle (for business results). That's what I think about and focus on day to day."

His official job as Director of Customer Happiness is to be the public face and voice of Clearspring. 

He listens to mentions of AddThis on the major social networking platforms. And then interacts in such a way that customers (or prospects) are, literally, happier.

He answers questions and solves immediate problems as well as making customers more satisfied over the long-term.

Is this a better way to do business? 

What is a community manager? Does your organization need one if you are "listening" and "interacting" via social media? Is Director of Customer Happiness a better title? Come and discuss, while you eat the AMAZING, dense, delicious cupcakes served up at the very cool Baked and Wired. 

Though only 26, Justin is well-known to DC's tech community. He's been with Clearspring almost three years and previously advised the Library of Congress on Web and blogging strategy. I've known him for just about that long and can say he's the real deal: generous, savvy about all things social media and a connector.

He's also the founder of the active DC Tech group on Facebook.

Thanks to our sponsors

Interested in sponsoring a future Sweets and Tweets? Email Debbie Weil at debbie[dot]weil[at]gmail.com.

Every Sweets and Tweets attendee gets:

Your ticket entitles you to FREE delicious cupcakes (Baked and Wired's declared best in the nation by The Atlantic) plus the chance to rub shoulders - and learn from - those working in DC's innovative tech space.

Sweets and Tweets is a unique cupcake and social media salon produced by author, speaker and consultant Debbie Weil. It features intimate conversation with some of the brightest minds in Washington DC's diverse technology community.

Cupcake photo by Jen Consalvo.

Previous Sweets and Tweets have featured:

- DC's Most Influential Women in Technology

- Tom Peters, bestselling author and business provocateur

- Anil Dash, blogging and tech celeb and founder of Expert Labs

- Mark Drapeau, Microsoft's Director of Innovative Social Engagement

- Mark Walsh, CEO of crowdsourcing startup GeniusRocket

- Andrew P. Wilson, social media manager for U.S. Department of HHS

Please join the Sweets and Tweets Facebook page for mouthwatering photos and news coverage of our events.

Note: tickets are nonrefundable. If you can't attend, give yours to a friend or colleague. It's good karma.