5 Twitter Tips for Entrepreneurs

March 15, 2010

By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au

Leading up to the launch of a new site, I’m researching everything about the power of social media. Before I catapulted myself into the Twitterverse, I confess I cynically suspected it would be full of people updating me about their breakfast, their political views or be a series of automated marketing pitches.

Well, I was right, and it’s actually fantastic. The power of Twitter is that you can authentically and personably connect with people on the same wavelength. And I love that it’s a platform with fast, 140 character, very digestible pieces of information.

As I get to know people personally, including their breakfast menu, I get a sense of how I can help them and actually build a community of ‘real Tweeple’. Those tweeple might be interested in what I have to say, or have information that is helpful for my own personal and professional growth. Even though I’m not a fan of automated tweeting, I still appreciate the efficient sharing of information by the rich source of tweeple I have met during my 140 character visits to the Twitterverse. And I firmly believe that the quality of your Twitter followers is the key, not the quantity.

5 Twitter Lessons I’ve learnt:

Give to Get

Like most venues in life, on Twitter you need to give to receive value. This means:

  • Tweet personable information about yourself that is relevant or has synergy for some of your followers. You can keep this non-identifying but still real. For example @SuziDafnis discloses with a picture that she has a penchant for terrifyingly high heels “Just said no to temptation… I can always change my mind. http://twitpic.com/178vfu
  • Tweet links to interesting blogs and news articles. They don’t need to be all your own.
  • Re-tweet the tweets you find funny, useful or informative.
  • Keep your self-serving links to a minimum but share the ones you are proud of such as your latest blogpost, or in my case recently: “A link to my 5min pres on why there needs to be more emotional intelligence in school http://bit.ly/b6aTzI #ignite”

Read the #FFs With Interest

On Twitter, #FF stands for Follow (on) Friday. Tweeters post Twitter identities of people they think are worth following. Usually this means they’ll be people of interest to you too. Click on their profiles, read their short description and latest tweets and if you’re interested, follow them.

The power of Twitter is that you can authentically and personably connect with people on the same wavelength.

Re-Edit Your Short Profile

The short profile, limited to 160 characters is what people read when thinking about following you. I’ve amended mine many times and I confess it’s still a work in progress. Be informative, personal and disclose your personal style. If you have feedback on mine, I would really appreciate it. Currently it’s “Publish Parenting Info- Raising Children with Emotional Intelligence. A happy child makes a world of difference. Mum of 3 boys. No, they’re not always happy.” What do you think?

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You

I have totally stolen this line from Andrew Harvey at Ignite - the least I can do is share a link to his presentation. Tweeters develop their online brand by taking a quick photo with their mobile phone. This ranges from a sunrise to a pet rabbit or in @SuziDafnis’ case, a dangerous set of heels! A service you can use for this is Twitpic.

Use a Browser to Avoid Twitter Overload

Twitter can suck you in. If you want to scan through the important stuff quickly, download a Twitter browser to manage your lists of Tweeters. I use Tweetdeck but there are many others. Here are a few to check out: UberTwitter, HootSuite and Seesmic.

Hope that’s useful to you – I’m loving the learning that comes with my entrepreneur’s journey – see you out there in the Twitterverse.


Yvette Vignando | www.happychild.com.au

Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.au

Yvette is pursuing her passion - to take action that helps children develop great social and emotional skills as a foundation for a happy and successful life. Formerly a lawyer and then successful executive coach specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Yvette was encouraged by her experience of MentorNet to launch her business - a website for parents that publishes practical and engaging information about raising children with emotional intelligence. Yvette looks forward to sharing the challenges and successes of her experience as she navigates her way through the adventures of launching a website, and tackles online sales and marketing, an evolving business plan, and the growing universe of social media. Yvette hopes that by following her personal and professional development as an entrepreneur you will also be inspired to follow your passions.

Phone: 02 9889 0999
Email: yvette@happychild.com.au
Website: www.happychild.com.au
Twitter: www.twitter.com/yvettevignando
LinkedIn: View her Public Profile
Member Profile: See Yvette’s Member Profile

Tips for successful blogging, from Problogger Darren Rowse

March 13, 2010

Day 1 at the South by South West festival and Aussie Darren Rowse (@problogger and problogger.net) took the Day Stage to talk about his book (which is about to be released in 2nd edition) and gave some great tips for successful blogging.

A few minutes into his presentation the room was evacuated when a (false) alarm went off but we were back 20minutes later to hear his great tips again.

I managed to catch up with him quickly and invited him to give some of his strategies for successful blogging.

In summary:

  1. Be as useful as you can.
  2. Enhance the lives of others.
  3. Produce content that others want to share.
  4. Put yourself out there and promote your content.
    • Where are your readers gathering online?
  5. Interact with your audience as much as you can.
    • Ask questions, start debates, engage with people, highlight your readers’ blogs.
  6. Capture people’s details (not just RSS) then you can email them update, drive traffic and promote product to them later.
  7. Look at the style you write in and experiment in different voices e.g. humorous, technical, use of video - readers will respond well to some but not others - and helps your style and voice evolve.
Thanks Darren!
Suzi
PS here are a few of the tweets from his presentation. A few more good tips contained within:
  • Simple tips can work really well - writing for beginners is really powerful. What do you know that’s simple but important #sxsw @problogger
  • Think a successful blog is an overnight thing? @problogger suggests 2yrs of building foundations
  • Write content that solves problems.
  • More posts is more doorways to your blog.
  • Promotion: You can’t just build it and they will come - you need to promote your content, seed the content to the web.

PLUS:

10 Questions You Should Always Ask at an Interview

February 24, 2010

by Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment.

Whilst interviews are by no means the only screening tool available when considering potential new hires, they still form an important part of the selection process and for most companies are still the screening and selection tool of choice.

So how do you get the most from your interviews and ensure that despite the unreliability they can be fraught with, they generate the information you need before appointing your next hire?

Make sure that some of the key information which is vital to the success of the future placement is not missed.

By incorporating the following 10 questions into your interview, in combination with your other questions regarding skills, availability and organisational fit, you will make sure that some of the key information which is vital to the success of the future placement is not missed:

1. Why did you apply for this position? Seems simple but it will give you great insight into the motivations of the individual and the real reasons they have applied for the role.

2. What salary and benefits are you looking for in your next role? Finding this information out before you disclose what you are offering is so important! Many applicants will accept a lower than expected salary only to try and negotiate higher within their first few months on the job. In addition if your target is well below theirs, they will be more likely to continue seeking a better paying role and accept yours as a stop gap. Conversely they may be seeking less than you were prepared to offer and you may be able to secure a fantastic new hire for a little less than you expected.

3. Why did you leave your last role (and all previous roles)? By asking this question for every single position on their resume you get a great insight into their motivations for moving between previous roles, and can assess whether this may be an issue for you.

4. If I was to ask your previous managers to describe you at work what would they say? The best thing about this question is that you can check the truth of their responses through your reference checks.

5. What was the best job you ever had and why? This question allows you to explore what they really like in their role and workplace.

6. Which was your lest favourite role and why? Conversely this will highlight things that may be problematic for them in your role.

7. What happened during this time? By identifying time gaps in resumes and questioning them you may uncover hidden, but very important information that an applicant would not have otherwise disclosed.

8. What do you know about our company? Understanding how much research they have done displays their true level of interest and enthusiasm.

9. What are the 3 most important things for you in the company you are going to join and/or the position you are going to take on? This again provides you with insights into their desires and motivations. Despite all the benefits you may be able to offer, if your role and company do not offer the key elements they are seeking in a role, the employment relationship may never work.

10. What questions do you have for me? Giving applicants chances to ask questions of you about the role and the company gives them a chance to confirm their interest and suitability for the role, which in the end will also help you to make the right decision.


Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint Recruitment

Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint Recruitment

Kristy-Lee Johnston is the Director of Footprint Recruitment, a Central Coast based Recruitment and HR agency which is run by locals, for locals.
Kristy’s background includes 10 years in Recruitment, as well as 10+ years in a broad range of other customer facing sectors. She possesses Post Graduate qualifications in Psychology, as well as a Masters in Human Resource Management. Kristy is passionate about bringing something unique to the recruitment sector in her local area and wants to see all businesses make the most successful staffing decisions they can.

Phone: 02 4367 5500
Email: kristy@footprintrecruitment.com.au
Website: www.footprintrecruitment.com.au
Twitter: www.twitter.com/footprintcc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/footprintrecruitment
LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/kristyleejohnston
Member Profile: See Kristy’s Member Profile

Let your passion drive your actions this year

January 4, 2010

How do you bring your passion to work, and keep it there? We spend a lot of time in our businesses. For many it’s our primary focus. But what do you do when the passion leaves? How do you bring your passion to your work and keep it there? Janet Bray Attwood, author of The New York Times bestseller - the Passion Test shares strategies in this interview.

I read Janet’s book - The Passion Test - two years ago and the ‘test’ is a way to keep me on track with keeping passion in my business and my life. It’s a simple but powerful process that you can use to ensure that your actions are driven by your passion and that you make each day alive with what you love.

Janet Attwood | The Passion Test

Janet Attwood | The Passion Test

In this interview we discuss:

- Why clarity about your passion helps you create exactly what you want
- The role of passion in team engagement
- Why connection to your passion is an important ingredient to business and personal success

Enjoy this interview with Janet Attwood.

Join the Australian Businesswomen’s Network community to get monthly podcasts with inspiring businesswomen.

My Top 9 iPhone Social Media Applications for 2009

December 30, 2009

There are probably a dozen iphone apps that I use regularly. Some are standard and functional e.g. Google Maps (a humdinger when I get lost in the city or need to get directions while overseas), Voicememo (often used to record messages to remind myself to do things) and the weather application.

While I have some fun apps e.g. Shazam (song recognition) and  Check Please (for calculating tips when travelling in the US), most of the apps I use enhance or enable my social media activity.

The applications allow me to post to my blog (and respond to comments), tweet, check my web stats, record an audio blog, instant message my contacts, create a video and post it with one click, add photos to my social networks - to name just a few options.

Here are 9 of my favourite social media related apps. They are not in order. All are in the itunes Applications store but I have included below links to the developers websites. Most apps are free, but a couple have a small (and worthwhile) fee.

AudioBoo - Create and share audio easily

AudioBoo - Create and share audio easily

Audioboo

This is an iphone audioblogging application. You record a message (up to 5 mins) and host it on the Audioboo site with the click of an icon. You can then use the embed code in blog posts or in statuses on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s a post where I’ve used the AudioBoo app during our 30 Days of Social Media program.

Analytics

The free version is sufficient for me to be able to check the traffic on our blog and website easily.

Tweetie

While I also have TweetDeck and Twitterific, Tweetie is the one that I find easiest to use to track Twitter conversations and add tweets.

What’s App

This is very cool. What’s App is an iphone to iphone messenger without text/SMS costs.

Gorilla - Great added functionality for your iphone camera

Gorillacam - Great added functionality for your iphone camera

Gorillacam

Just started using this app. Adds great functionality to your iphone camera. Paparazzi (3shot) option, self-timer, time lapse as well as a ‘press anywhere’ option overcomes some of the frustrations of using an iphone camera. Team it with a Gorillapod (a mini tripod for your iphone) and you have a pretty cool camera.

Facebook

You’ve probably got this if you’re on Facebook. It’s improved and easy to use to update status and stay up with news. Could use a little more functionality.

Dragon Dictation

This app provides voice recognition on your iphone. You can record and translate sound and then send to mail or txt. Great for quick memos.  [I have to share this as it made for a good laugh. When I was first using it I was speaking slowly saying "This is Suzi". The translation was coming up as "This is Crazy"… so I guess it needs a little practise to get it working write (or a feined US accent may help)].

Animoto

Select from pics on your iphone, choose a soundtrack from Animoto’s library and click a button - and you have a professional customised video, for free. Fun for holidays and capturing special moments.

FaceMic for Facebook

This is a new one for me and was recommended by Facebook maven Mari Smith. It allows me to record a message and post it to a friend’s Facebook page. Great for birthday messages.

BONUS - CAUSE IT’S WORTH MENTIONING!

CrushIt

You may have heard of Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV fame.The story goes that he turned a $5 million dollar business into a $50 million and has created fame and fortune online through his video blog. His book - Crush It - has been created as an app that is a vook (a video book). At the start of each chapter you get to see and hear Gary and then you can read the book Kindle-style within the app. It’s a great way for any author to deliver their content and I can see applications for many educators and content creators.

As I said earlier, these are just a few of the tools that help me manage and create social media content and which allow me to keep up with the conversations that I choose to be a part of - while I’m ‘on the go’. (Of course that is today… apps are being created so quickly some of these may be replaced by newer/better ones… in which case I’ll be sure to post any new discoveries.)

Got a great iphone app to share? I’d love to hear about it.

Best wishes,

Suzi

My Top 5 Books for 2009

December 27, 2009

When you see the list of my top five books for 2009 you’re bound to notice a pattern. I’ve had a bit of a one-track-mind this year. Most of 2009 I studied online communities, technology and social media.

I don’t know exactly how many books I’ve read this year, but many of them have been on similar subjects. I immersed myself in podcasts (more on that in a few days), courses (both online and live) and especially books — as I endeavoured to learn and implement as much as possible about the changing online landscape. My goal: To master the ability to connect and work with my online community of business women - and to use what I learn as I implement the new information to pass on to the community skills and tools that they can use to run their businesses better.

Now… for the list.  If you’re working on building an online community, want to better communicate within your social networks, want practical ways to build your social capital, then I recommend these titles.

I’ve included Amazon links below so you can read up further on the books. Dear Australian Readers: Don’t write to tell me I should order from Aussie retailers - I’m yet to find Aussie bookstores that satisfy my book needs, who delivery quickly and inexpensively and who have the books that I need, when I need them.

The Whuffie Factor - Tara Hunt

After hearing Tara Hunt speak at the South by South West festival in Austin I ordered this book (which was released in July). It’s about how to build your social capital. The author offers a no-nonsense guild to how what grows and what diminishes your online reputation and how to educate and empower your connection. (Here’s a post I wrote about this book when it was first released.)

Trust Agents

Trust Agents

Trust Agents - Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust - Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

This one is terrific. The authors describe trust and the most important currency today. I’ve listed to the audio book (which is read by both authors) and am yet to devour the printed version. How to build trust, maintain a good reputation, build relationships online, what breaks trust and what empowers trust.

Free - the Future of a RadicalPrice - Chris Anderson

In the digital marketplace, the most effective price is no price at all, argues Anderson (The Long Tail). Great examples of companies using ‘free’ to build big businesses. The concept can be a hard one to accept and to see the application in you own business, even harder BUT get it and you can transform an industry and your business.

Crowdsourcing - Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business - Jeff Howe

How is collaboration (and the ease by which you can crowdsource using socialmedia) changing the face of business and product/business development? How to harness the power of the crowd. Great examples.

One of the many 'Dummies' book on my shelves

One of the many 'Dummies' book on my shelves

Facebook for Dummies - Leah Pearlman and Carolyn Abram

I love the “Dummies” books. I’ve purchased a number of the social media/tech titles (including ones on Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, SEO, You Tube, Blogging) because they are easy to follow and the authors walk you through many aspects of using social media tools or both business and personal outcomes. In this one you’ll learn how to optimise your profile, promote your business, create a business page - it touches the main aspects you need to master to get results with Facebook.

140 Characters: A style guide for the short form - Dom Sagolla

I haven’t yet finished this one but it’s definitely already worthy of being on this list. As relevant for status updates in Facebook and LinkedIn, the book covers basic grammar, creating your own style, writing for best effect using Twitter and other short-form vehicles.

If you have any book recommendations you’d like to share, I’d be happy to hear from you.

AUDIO VS PRINT BOOKS

I’ve been an audio book listener of a couple of years, but more so this year partly because I don’t want to wait (I can start the book now - I don’t need to wait to get the physical copy) and partly because of convenience (I can consume the material when I’m walking or driving).

These days I buy most books in both audio and printed version. The audio gets listened to pretty quickly. The printed version ends up more like a workbook with highlights, post-it notes stuck through it and as an easy to follow reference for implementation of the principles contained in the book.

To Kindle or Not to Kindle?

I haven’t bought a Kindle yet. I have the iphone app version of it and may get one (but I’m yet to be convinced of the extra benefits…. Right now I’m using my iphone to read/listen to the vook Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk (get the vook in the Apple Apps store). The iphone is plenty big enough for me to read on. Also, with the Apple tablet (hopefully) not too far away, I’ll be interested to see if that creeps into the same territory as Kindle.

Best wishes,

Suzi

Additional Resources

Tara Hunt on Twitter

Chris Brogan on Twitter

Chris Anderson on Twitter

South by South West Festival (I’m going. Hope you’ll be there too.)

Free tool to get your business going from Good to Great

December 18, 2009

In his business bestseller Good to Great, Jim Collins recommends you start a “Stop Doing” list.

“Those who built the good-to-great companies… made as much use of ’stop doing’ lists as ‘to do’ lists. They displayed a remarkable discipline to unplug all sorts of extraneous junk.” he explains.

A SMALL GIFT TO HELP YOU DETERMINE YOUR TODOs and DONT’s

We’ve put together an easy-to-use 2010 Action Plan which itemises things to Stop, Start and Continue in 2010. Just print out and use to make your list of To Dos and To Dont’s!

Your 2010 Plan. What to Start, Stop and Continue

What to Start
What are you ready to create and make a start on?
What products and services? What behaviours and ways of being?What activities?

What to Stop
What is not working? What is draining your energy and not producing what you want? Better to cut off a loser and ride a winner. There’s limitless options available to you at any point, so decide what is not worth your time and energy and Stop.

What to Continue
What is ‘growing legs’ but needs more attention? What did you try this year and have success with? Can you do more of it in the new year?

We’ve used this system her are the Australian Businesswomen’s Network to determine what projects, products and programs we should start, continue and stop. It’s a very simple concept, but it works to focus energy.

I hope you’ll enjoy using it.

Suzi

Good to Great author recommends a STOP DOING list

Corporate Gift Ideas from our Members! Discounts and bonuses.

December 10, 2009

It’s that time of year. Time to shop for gifts to say thanks and show your appreciationto those who have supported you this year.

We are committed to making things easier for you in business - and this year we decided to also make it easy for you to buy gifts for Christmas. We asked our partners and members just like you to put together some specials for you for Christmas

Here is a fantastic list of 42 Christmas offers and specials from member-to-member. Save on active wear, marketing services, web design, cupcakes, children’s books, makeup, paper products, even fashion styling. You save AND you help another woman in business and fellow member. See all the specials here and Happy Shopping!

Not a member? Join now and save.

Fruit Hampers - Great (lowcal) gift ideas. Save 10% with code ABN.

Fruit Hampers - Great (lowcal) gift ideas. Save 10% with code ABN.

10% off laptop bags and accessories. Use code ABN.

10% off laptop bags and accessories. Use code ABN.

Your 30 Day Social Media Plan - #30DSM - Day 30: 30 Days of Social Media

October 30, 2009

It’s Day 30 of 30 Days of Social Media. We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last month and yet it feels like it would be easy to go for another 30 days of tips and strategies on how to put social media to work for your business.

Today, however, let’s take a look at how we can start to implement some strategy into your social media activity.

Your 30 Day Social Media Plan

Execution and implementation is the key to being successful with any new body of knowledge. No point knowing new stuff and then not doing anything with it. (As a serial student of business I am guilty of learning, learning and more learning. The magic seems to happen when I actually use and share what I have learned.)

I believe that if we focus on ONE area for a whole month, we’ll do better than splitting our energies across the myriad of areas. (Ok, you can sneak two or three areas of focus into your plan, but I suggest you consider putting together a 30 day plan for one area to start.)

Over the last 30 days we’ve looked at:

  • Wikis
  • Twitter strategies
  • Facebook Pages
  • Online Networking
  • RSS (Real Simple Syndication)
  • Promoting events through social media
  • Generating Leads
  • Podcasting
  • Using Video and YouTube
  • Managing Your Online brand
  • and a whole lot more…

So, what ONE area would you like to focus further on for the next month?


YOUR 30 DAY SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN FOR [INSERT YOUR FOCUS AREA HERE]

Here are three steps to take to create a one-page plan for this area:

Step 1:

Choose an area of Social Media to focus on for the next month.

Step 2:

Set your goals and objectives for this area. (Hint: Stay big picture and set some measurable goals that we can look back at in 30 days and celebrate the achievement of.)

Step 3:

Determine what three actions can you take

  • tomorrow
  • next week
  • over 30 days

to get closer to the achievement of your goals for this area of social media.

EXAMPLE

AREA: Facebook Page for My Business

GOALS:

  1. Set up a Facebook page by (date)
  2. Get a vanity URL
  3. Add photos and a video ;-)
  4. Post at least once a week to the page

2. Have 100 fans for the page by the end of the month

3. Integrate my Facebook Page strategy into my business strategy

ACTIONS

Week 1:

  • Post twice to the Notes section:
    • post link to one relevant article
    • post link to one relevant event
  • Advertise/promote the page on my email, on  my website, in a newsletter, through Twitter and other social networks

etc.

Take action. Do it now. Set you goals and schedule the activities that you’ll complete to get to these goals.

Thanks for taking part in 30 Days of Social Media.

Write and tell me what you plan to focus on. I’d love to hear from you and be a part of your journey.

Until then,

Suzi

(I owe thanks to many people for their support with this free program. I’ll write more on that tomorrow!)

How to promote your event through social media – a DIY Guide in three easy steps! #30DSM - Day 29: 30 Days of Social Media

October 29, 2009

Organising an event at the best of times can be a chore. However with the growing appeal of social networking sites this often arduous task can be made a little easier. Brooke Simmons of Pursuit Communications illustrates the steps to promote your event through social networking sites in today’s 30 Days of Social Media lesson.


How to promote your event through social media – a DIY Guide in three easy steps!

by Brooke Simmons

Firstly, you will have to decide if it’s relevant to promote your event through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. If it’s a “soft” product launch - there’s no point in telling the world about it – wait until all the “wrinkles” have been ironed out and then invite the masses. The same can be said for a VIP event: the last thing any organiser needs is a mass of people turning up at an event, which is intended for a select group of people.

Equally there’s no point in organising an event where members of the general public are invited to attend and there are very few people aware of the event in the first place!  If you don’t promote it properly, how will anyone be expected to know?

Cue the social networking site.

These sites offer a range of solutions to track, interact and ultimately control any event you wish to promote.

If you believe there’s an opportunity to promote your event via a social networking site you will firstly need to understand “your audience”.

If you believe there’s an opportunity to promote your event via a social networking site you will firstly need to understand “your audience”.

If you believe there’s an opportunity to promote your event via a social networking site you will firstly need to understand “your audience”.

1. DECIDE which mix of social media outlets will be suitable for your launch. To do this, think about the networks you keep in all of your social media outlets. LinkedIn is often associated with past-colleagues and current client contacts. Facebook is, for many people, a combination of friends and Twitter can often be a combination of these two. So use your best judgement on which outlet or outlets you’ll use and stick to them. (I recommend using no more than two outlets for promoting any activity – I’ll come to this in a moment.)

Once you have decided on which outlet(s) you’ll use for your event, make sure you use the social networking site sensibly.

2. REMEMBER it’s a social networking site not a place where you can bombard everyone with invitations, reminders and messages about the event. Just with fashion, less is more. What you believe to be a “friendly second, third or fourth reminder” can be interpreted by others as spam.

Once you offer the initial invitation allow people a chance to respond by the specified RSVP date, answer any questions that may be asked in the meantime and only follow up after the RSVP deadline, ensuring you leave enough time between the RSVP date and the event itself to allow for extra details to be added. These could include additional background material, late confirmation of special celebrity guests – that kind of thing. I suggest allowing an additional day for following up RSVPs from a social networking site; some people aren’t as vigilant checking their social networking accounts as they are with their e-mails.

3.  The most important tip I’ll offer is to use THE TOOLS that are available for each social networking site.  Some suggestions are:

  • Link a post about the event to your Linkedin page from your blog – a majority of times you’ll be able to do this through a widget. A cross pollination such as this can often encourage people who may not have regularly visited your blog to do so and vice versa.  A blog entry also allows you to enter more details about your event and give potential attendees a chance to comment on the event.
  • Create an event on Facebook: if you choose, this will allow your attendees to post their images, comments and topics about the event all on one tidy page.
  • Create a “hashtag”  on Twitter for your event so those attending who are Twitter users can comment about the event, track back previous tweets and see what others are tweeting all by searching for a simple “hashtag”. For example for a client event that I have coming up I’ll be using the “hashtag” #ToniaTodmanRoses and #Bluminlaunch. If you’re still confused this site offers a great explanation.
  • Consider looking at Eventbrite for use on social networking sites: it’s easy to use and the site walks you through the whole process.
  • For those people who may not be able to attend due to geographic location, why not consider creating a webcast of the event or inviting people to attend via Skype.

Ultimately use common sense when it comes to organising an event and promoting through social networking site. Don’t create more work for yourself than is needed and use the power of social networking sites to your advantage.

Good luck!


Brooke Simmons | Pursuit Communications

Brooke Simmons | Pursuit Communications

Brooke Simmons - Pursuit Communications

Brooke Simmons has over four years experience within the public relations arena and over ten years experience in the media, most recently she has worked on the following clients - Events by Olivia, Gosford City Council, Talk’N Tours, I Hate Cinderella, Wet Ones, Sassi Sam,  SBNG – Small Business Networking Group Central Coast NSW, Sam’s Beer, Blumin’ & Tonia Todman Roses, Brands on Sale Campbelltown, United Airlines, Lenovo Australian Olympic Torch Relay, Radisson Resort Fiji, Lufthansa Airlines, REED Constructions Australia, Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Autodesk - Australia, Glass Onion Website Design and OZtion Online Auction Site.

In addition to her public relations capabilities Brooke has held the title of Managing Editor for Manchester Unity’s member magazine U Magazine from December 2006 –April 2008.

Prior to her foray in the public relations arena, Brooke has held other roles within the media industry. Previously working at; Silverspan Marketing, Nova 969 FM and Regional Radio Bureau - now known as Regional Radio Works.  As a result Brooke is well versed on the many facets of the media and also holds a great number of media contacts.

She is contactable at the following email address and phone number;
E: brooke@pursuitcommunications.com.au, P: +61 (0) 407 780 710


TODAY’S TASK

Got an event coming up? Post it on one of your social networks today.

Until tomorrow,

Suzi

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