A new social-media 'think tank' for LI

Have you been to a "tweet-up" lately?

Many of you probably haven't, but now you have the opportunity. With all the social media businesses on Long Island, it was inevitable that someone would start a social media organization.

And that person was Hilary Topper, founder of Melville-based HJMT Public Relations Inc. Topper has formed Social Media Association Inc., and part of what the 50 members do at meetings -- they've had only a few since establishing themselves a few weeks ago -- is hold tweet-ups.

"There's a conversation" at the meeting, Topper said. "But everybody has their iPhones, and everybody will tweet" about the conversation.

Topper said that over a year ago she organized some social media meetings and later affiliated with a national organization, but she decided more recently to dissolve that affiliation and form the new group.

Sueanne Shirzay, owner of killersocial.com, a consulting company in Lido Beach, is a board member of the new association.

"We call this a think tank that will allow people to understand what social media will do for businesses," Shirzay said.

Stuart Walton, owner of an office building at 145 Melville Rd., where Topper's company is located, lets the group meet free of charge in a downstairs area, Topper said.

Membership is $100 a year, and the next meeting is June 15.

Guest speaker will be Ken Braun, founder of Web and mobile-app development company Lounge Lizard of Patchogue and Manhattan, who recently started a social networking site for men.