Is Twitter Driving You Insane?

July 9, 2009

twitter-bird-wallpaperSo I realize that I have not been tweeting as much as I should be and even more so I have not been reading other peoples tweets as much as I should be. To be honest, the whole Twitter world is rather overwhelming. I feel that many people are joining just because everyone else is, but there not using it to their advantage because they don’t know how. I have been knee deep in twitter for the last several months and I am still trying to figure it all out. So if your just starting out and you feel like your lost in a labyrinth, don’t worry your not alone.

Since the world of Social Media, especially Twitter, is all about communicating, connecting and helping; I figured I would share what I have learned so far and help all of you beginners out there get started. Hopefully my Ten Tips for Twitter will bring you a little sanity in a rather insane world.

TEN TIPS FOR TWITTER:

1. Get a twitter background. This will make your twitter account standout. Whether your profile is for business or personal it will add that special touch. You can do this by going here : Twitter Backgrounds

2. When tweeting make sure you shorten any links to articles or posts that you want to share by using a url shortening application. There are literally dozens out there, but for simplicity we are just going to recommend one bit.ly. You have probably seen these letters all over twitter or other letters similar to it. The purpose for shortening is so that the link is small enough to fit inside the 140 character maximum. Also using this will allow you to track who clicks on your link and how much traffic you receive. Its pretty awesome.

3. This one may seem obvious, but you won’t believe the hundreds of people who don’t have a twitterdefault_profile_bigger profile picture. Too often I see a brown box with little circles. Please upload a picture already, the whole point of Social Media is to connect with PEOPLE.

4. Read other tweets. I know I am guilty of tweeting over and over again without giving other peoples tweets the time of day. So give them the time of day. I am sure it will come back to you in some way, think Karma : )

5. Don’t let Twitter run your life. Set aside some time each morning say 30 minutes when your still sipping on that latte from Starbucks and tweet something useful, interesting and inspiring. Then spend the next 25 minutes reading other peoples tweets. Once your 30 minutes is up, just STOP.

6. Re-tweet. This simply means to re-tweet something someone else said because you liked it. It helps spread their tweet to hundreds of more people each time. Re-tweeting says, “Hey, I am paying attention and I like what you have to say.” It means your getting involved.

7. Find someone new to follow each day. The only way your connections will grow is if you continue to aa9e06714c2752b2a2c740c8ee4e6464connect. Don’t connect with just anybody, unless you are just looking for random friends. Instead do a friend search for either people or companies you want to support or follow. Throw in some people or companies you don’t support as well for good measure. This just broadens your horizons on whats being tweeted and gets you out of your bubble.

8. Participate in #followfriday. This is where you tweet a recommendation for others to follow on Friday. Basically your Tweet will look something like this … ” Happy #followfriday, I recommend @coreimpactinc for all of their great insight into the world of social media” … simple enough right? Watch out for other peoples #followfriday tweets and make sure you follow someone else’s recommendation. You can make a more direct tweet by visiting the #followfriday website.

9. For those serious about Twitter, join Tweetdeck. This is an all encompassing site that basically brings Twitter to a whole new level of crazy. However, once you get the hang of it you will become a Twitter pro in a matter of minutes.

10. Do you own an iphone, blackberry or pda? Then download the appropriate Twitter app for your cell phone. This makes tweeting a breeze. You can do it at the grocery store, on the way to the gym or while you get your hair done. Since you never leave home without your cell, now you’ll never leave home without Twitter. This makes those random, thought-provoking ideas come to life. Instead of writing them down on receipt you found on the floor of your car that probably has old gum stuck inside, tweet it out for the whole world to read.

At this point your probably thinking… how did we ever survive without Twitter?

Happy Tweeting

Written by Melissa Perea


I am starting a new business and I need a website…

July 7, 2009

Even with the economy slowing down and businesses closing there are still new companies opening up left and right. With every new company that opens, there is a new owner who is presented with the question… “Do I need a website?” The answer is unequivocally YES. However, with that being said more questions are pondered such as How much do I spend? or Who is a good AXF001038designer? and What capabilities should it have? This obviously puts a lot of stress and pressure on each individual and even more important its a huge expense that most businesses starting off cannot afford.

So what do you do? Well, the answer is simple… start a BLOG. Many people misunderstand the purpose and use of a blog and blow it off as a personal online journal that only narcissistic, computer geeks keep to talk about their feelings. Which may be true to an extent, but it definitely isn’t its only use. Blogs these days are free, easy and can be up and running in a matter of minutes. No matter what you do or sell every company should have some sort of web presence and the easiest way to start is by getting a blog.

I suggest you go to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of “The Huffington Post: Complete Guide to Blogging”. It’s a great book that will help you get pointed in the right direction. It’s easy to read and more importantly its fun to read. It’s not as dry as a user manual, but still it is jam-packed with helpful information. This will help you sort out your preconceived and probably incorrect notions of what blogging means.stress

With that being said, Do you think you need a website?… the answer now should obviously be no.  The money, time and energy it takes to build a website will leave you wishing you never started your company in the first place. So smile and shake off a little of that website stress and go spend a part of your marketing budget buying those really cool, high gloss, super expensive business cards. In the end, they will probably bring in more business then that overly priced, static website that took 6 months to build and is outdated before it even goes live on the web.

Written by Melissa Perea


Free Social Media Marketing For Business Workshop

June 16, 2009
Social Media

Social Media

Learn what your business needs to know NOW about Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter! Join us for a Free Social Media Marketing Workshop on June 26th, from 8:30am to 10:30am at the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce. Registration is at 8:00am and seating is limited to the first 20 people who rsvp. You can reserve your seat now by calling 540 – 937- 7445 or by visiting:

https://www.regonline.com/63380_746416J

During the workshop you will learn:

  1. What is the difference between a website and a blog and whether you need one, or the other, or both.
  2. Why Social Media Marketing isn’t just about the cool tools, but all the relationships and business strategies and how to connect the dots
  3. How to implement “systems” for your business.
  4. How to double your referrals using Social Media Marketing.

When you walk out the door, you will have the knowledge and tools necessary to dramatically increase you and your business’s internet presence through SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING!


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.