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It was during the summer of 2006 when I sat down with my first McRib. Over the next two weeks, I ate at McDonald’s seven times, downing eight rib-resembling sandwiches (I clearly wasn’t having the best day on one of those visits). Despite the obsession, the McRib hasn’t crossed my mind often in the four years that have passed. Until ten days ago as I was browsing my Twitter feed …

McDonald's confirms the McRib's triumphant return on its official Twitter account.

The McRib will be gracing menus in less than two weeks and fans have wasted no time leveraging digital media to celebrate its resurrection. There’s the handy McRib Locator to map sightings, @McRibWatch on Twitter for real-time updates while on the hunt, and more than 200 Facebook groups dedicated in some way to the elusive sandwich – all unofficial. All this for a sandwich available for a limited time “because people get tired of it,” according to the McDonald’s U.S. president.

Parables of cross-country travel and sandwich-smuggling have framed the sandwich as a cult product, appealing to a cadre of obsessive fans with most consumers left to smirk (or gag). However, in an era of heightened word of mouth and social media broadcast, a growing group of McRib fans is finding its voice. While McDonald’s’ most infamous sandwich has a history of online success spurred by farewell tours and a “Save the McRib” campaign, this is the first opportunity social media users nationwide have had to be vocal.

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Is this how you engage your social networks?

As a digital strategist and frequent blogger, I spend a lot of time engaging with friends and brands while facing a computer screen or holding a mobile phone.  Always seeking new ways to connect, I’ve discovered tweetups as a great way to connect with influencers, yet make more of an impression than an online interaction.

What’s a tweetup?  A tweetup is an in person event where brands or individuals who share a common interest get together.  Usually, tweetup participants are active on Twitter, but that is by no means a requirement.

As a tweetup enthusiast and a creator of tweetups myself, I’ve seen what works well and what does not achieve the desired result.  For those considering tweetups as a means to connect with a key audience, I ask - is a tweetup the right forum for your brand or cause?

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