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.
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Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.auYvette 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.
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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
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.
The free version is sufficient for me to be able to check the traffic on our blog and website easily.
While I also have TweetDeck and Twitterific, Tweetie is the one that I find easiest to use to track Twitter conversations and add tweets.
This is very cool. What’s App is an iphone to iphone messenger without text/SMS costs.
Gorillacam - Great added functionality for your iphone camera
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.
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.
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)].
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.
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!
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 - 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
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,
Additional Resources
South by South West Festival (I’m going. Hope you’ll be there too.)
Do you make these Top 11 mistakes with your social media? #30DSM - Day 28: 30 Days of Social Media
October 28, 2009
Social media can be seriously profitable for your business. “It’s the secret low cost marketing weapon used by the leading entrepreneurs. But, it can go horribly wrong if you make these mistakes…” explains today’s 30 Days of Social Media contributor, Meredith Collins. She identifies 11 mistakes that you don’t want to make.
Mistake #1. Trying to sell something. Although it might seem counter intuitive, if you try to pitch something too soon you are bound for disaster. Social Media is like a big party. You wouldn’t walk into a party and start selling everyone your products. You would spend time to make friends and get to know people. You would share some things about yourself and have conversations with people who were on your wavelength. Social Media is relationship and referral marketing amplified – so use this as a PR machine, not a straight sales tool.
Do you make these Top 11 mistakes with your social media?
Mistake #2. Lack of consistency. If you decide to use Social Media then commit consistent time to the process of using it. Dependent upon your strategy, you may need to ”tweet” daily or ”blog”/”post” every few days or weekly. Whatever the strategy, consistency is key and you must devise a plan and stick to it. Your target market needs consistency and reliability – your commitment and visibility speaks volumes about your business.
Mistake #3. Wrong place wrong market. Choose your social media sites well. Be strategic about which sites you use and where your target market is looking. A local business may not be using the same social media as a specialised, niche or global business. This is not about throwing balls in the air and hoping they will land correctly – it is a powerful relationship marketing tool.
Mistake #4. Joining too many Social Sites. I always say to clients ”don’t do four sites badly – you are better off doing one really well”. Be strategic about which sites you use, add value and manage them well. The big sites are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Plaxo and Wordpress, and depending upon your business, article marketing might be very effective.
Mistake #5 Failing to ’add value’ for your market. Value for your target market is the rule in Social Media – and ”surprising value” is the way to go. Social media is all about relationships and positioning yourself as an expert – so put more value in your posts, articles, audio (podcast) files, videos and recommendations and offer surprising value – enough value that your target market remembers you and wants to engage with you.
Mistake #6 Focusing on promotion over content. This ties in with Mistake #5 – if you don’t push out good content, there is no perceived value. Promotion can come later and even disguised as content when you have a market who wants what you have got. ”Do” Social Media well and the money will come.
Mistake #7 Making contentious or argumentative statements. Contentious statements may attract attention, but they may also lose your audience. Condescending or argumentative topics are unlikely to work in the long term. Just think of that argumentative person in the office…. don’t go there.
Mistake #8 Taking instead of giving. Remember Social Media is about relationships first. Give value, give suggestions, give value, give advice, give ideas, give news give possibilities, give gratitude and do not take relentlessly. One of my biggest joint ventures came after some “giving”. GIVE = Give Influence Very Easily – give first and you will never be second.
Mistake #9 Not joining groups. The premise of Web2.0 and Social Media is community – sharing and expertise. Be seen within groups that are of interest, add value to you and to which you can add value for others. Position yourself and share your expertise. No one ever made it to the top being a Lone Ranger and contribution and mixing is important if you want to make it in Social Media.
Mistake #10 Don’t shun face to face events. Face to face networking is still a significant way to connect and the connection can continue online. Others are far more likely to recommend you, continue to network online and follow you in the Social Media spaces, once they have met you. You will learn from others, expand your own circle and be able to offer significant value to those with whom you come in contact. This is where we add some value for you.
Mistake #11 Having incomplete Social Media profiles. You cannot maximise your work opportunities with an incomplete Resume. Neither can you maximise your connections, potential client interest or business opportunities with incomplete profiles. Ensure that your profiles are complete and get to the point and offer information your market wants. Enlist the help of experts to get you set up correctly in the first instance. Create the best impression you can.
Meredith Collins | Video Social Marketing
Meredith Collins is the founder of Video Social Marketing, an organisation which specialises in teaching business owners and entrepreneurs how to leverage the awesome power of video and social media for your business. For more great articles, resources, tips and training programs on Social Media for Business go to www.videosocialmarketing.net
TODAY’S TASK
Are you making any of these mistakes? Which one(s)? How will you change your strategy as a result of identifying these mistakes?
Until tomorrow,
Suzi
The Blue Print to Video Social Marketing eBook
3 ways to generate leads through social media #30DSM - Day 26: 30 Days of Social Media
October 26, 2009
How can you use social media to attract prospects to your business? Assuming you’re offering a sound product, a compelling offer, and are talking to the right customer, social media tools make generating leads inexpensive and time-efficient.
In today’s 30 Days of Social Media lesson Clare Lancaster gives you three ways to generate leads through social media.
Take a look.
3 ways to generate leads through social media
by Clare Lancaster
Social media is an effective way to generate leads for your service-based business. You can build your reputation within your industry, connect with potential customers and strategic partners and use it to drive traffic to your website.
Here are three ways to use social media to generate leads.
Build your reputation
Participating in social media – through online networking, blogging and rich media – can help you build your reputation within your industry.
Building your reputation online has three great benefits – your credibility goes up, people perceive your business to be successful and a level of trust is established.
How do you start? Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise by providing useful content, helping people with questions and recommendations and commenting on blogs within your industry.
Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise by providing useful content
Build relationships
Social networking online allows you to build solid relationships that can result in lead generation for your business.
Start talking to people in complimentary industries, help them out by referring client enquiries and you could just find yourself in a strategic partnership.
Social networks like Twitter. have broken down traditional barriers to thought leaders – find out who they are, add them to your network and start a conversation. Building solid relationships with influencers and other authorities can result in a boost to your business.
Twitter also allows you to connect directly with media professionals – building relationships with individuals and proving them with information they need could return media opportunities to promote your business.
Always remember when building relationships – it’s all about giving, not taking.
Attract website visitors
There’s a variety of ways to use social networking to attract visitors to your website. Here are two techniques.
- Use social networks to distribute your content by posting a link to your Twitter or Facebook profiles and adding content distribution buttons to your web page (e.g. Tweetmeme). The first step here is to create content worth distributing – if it’s not good, no one will want to pass it on to their network.
- Create a landing page for your social media profiles. People will click on your website link in your profile to find out more information about you. Make the most of their interest with a dedicated landing page that explains what you do - how you can help that person and provide a call to action detailing what they should do next.
Clare Lancaster - Dot Marketing
Clare Lancaster - Dot Marketing
Clare Lancaster is the founder of Dot Marketing an online strategy and marketing consultancy and has been working on the Internet since 2001. She writes a business and online marketing blog for small business owners and has recently launched www.twitterguide.com.au.
Visit www.clarelancaster.com.au to find out more or follow her on Twitter.
TODAY’S TASK
Generating a new lead can be as simple as picking up some new followers on Twitter. The key (with leads of any type) is that they be relevant and possible clients. If there is a higher than 0% chance that they may be interested in your products or services, then they are a valuable lead.
What is your area of thought leadership? Post a Tweet today providing valuable content (a link to a newsletter, an article on your website, some information that tells people what you do) and offer people an opportunity to find out more about you.
Suzi’s Note: Leads are people too
Generating leads is only one part of the sales equation. Having umpteen followers and a database of thousands is only valuable if you can continue to build value into the relationships in order to, at some point, have some financial exchange with that lead (either directly or indirectly). Remember leads are people, not just names.
Developing compelling products in the social context #30DSM - Day 24: 30 Days of Social Media
October 24, 2009
How can social media help you create your next product? In today’s post Denise Tung shows us how to research ideas, validate our concepts and launch our latest, greatest venture.
Developing compelling products in the social context
by Denise Tung
We’ve learned at length about the benefits of Twitter as an information network for communities of interest (my personal RSS feed of choice!). Twitter continues to innovate in this arena with the trailing of Twitter Lists to improve the organisation of such information within communities.
The notion of communities and social networks however is a much bigger playing field than just Twitter. Entrepreneurs in this day and age have a limitless amount of free/low cost online tools that can potentially deliver value to businesses, big or small across a range of disciplines. This post will focus on these tools that support your Product Development activities.
Twitter Communities
By typical product development stages, you have:
1. Ideas generation: in this phase, product, process or service related concepts are created in an unstructured, at times macro level. On generating ideas, the social sphere is a wealth of information that can help seed your idea from the get go. The likes of Social Mention can help you search through the web for conversations and opinions on a certain topic (my previous post talks about its merits further).
In terms of keeping track of your ideas, there is ideas management software such as Spigot that enables ideas to be captured from internal folks as well as customers in the one spot. These same tools have also raised the bar in sophistication, allowing businesses to rank, assess and prioritise ideas in a collaborative manner with key stakeholders such as customers, partners and employees.
2. Concept validation:
Aside from formal approach of investing in ideas management software, existing communities in social networks such as Twitter, FriendFeed and identi.ca , is the easiest and quickest way of validating your concept (all done confidentially, of course!).
But before you start DM’ing your followers (followees!) with your latest idea, be sure that your community: 1. Represents your business’ target market or customer segment; and 2. Is happy to provide you with good feedback on your idea. (Ideally this group would be the same group of people who you can test the final product or service on during the test/market launch phase.)
3. Development phase:
Kicking off development requires some orchestration amongst various functions (even if it’s you doing all these on your own!). If you’re like me, you would want to be clear about whether you will hit your target launch date along the way. Project management tools such as Basecamp help you set and allocate tasks, track progress against milestones via a secure online environment.
4. Test and Launch:
Refining the final product is also important in the process of maximising appeal and ultimately sales and revenue. You can return to the same group of people from the validation phase and use traditional phone calls and emails to undertake this step.
Emerging beneath the cracks is potentially a complimentary approach to customer interaction: Google Wave holds a lot of promise in tapping into your customer base to refine and improve your product offering. I can confidently say this as Google is currently using it to refine Wave itself!
Which then leaves us at market launch, but that’s for another day!
Denise Tung | Media Monitors
Denise works at Media Monitors as head of Product Development and has a new love for everything social media. Prior to this she worked in the telecommunications industry for over 8 years where she designed and launched 2 ‘Australia’ first’ services: Voice over IP for business at Singtel Optus and 3G mobile based Broadband product for residential customers at Virgin Mobile. She has also presented at mobile communications based conferences, including the 2007 IMS Asia and the 2007 Fixed Mobile Convergence Alliance funded by British Telecom. She’s a self confessed workaholic who loves her 2 year old daughter (a lot), prefers to microblog than blog and occasionally teaches Cycle and BodyAttack at the gym.
Contact Denise here:
- Twitter: twitter.com/schmediachick
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/denisetung
- Blog: schmediachick.wordpress.com
TODAY’s TASK
Check out the links in this post. Denise has provided some great online resources. (I’m still discovering Google Wave, so if you’re having a good experience using it, let us know.)
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY - How to get targeted Twitter followers #30DSM - Day 23: 30 Days of Social Media
October 23, 2009
Twitter is about the quality of followers and not the quantity.
Success on Twitter is about more than getting lots of followers. Who is following you is more important that how many people are following you. How do you get targeted followers?
Today’s 30 Days of Social Media lesson is from Sarah Prout and explains just how to do that.
Twitter is about the quality of followers and not the quantity. The truth is that a vast proportion of people that have thousands of followers have used automated systems that seek to get their numbers up quickly without regard for the type of followers they are attracting. It’s far more beneficial to have 2000 targeted followers than 20k filled with spammers, bots and random people from around the globe.
When I wrote The Twitter Success Blueprint (ebook) I had experimented with dozens of techniques; from following everyone in the hope they’d follow me back – to adding everyone that was following high-profile people on Twitter. This did not work. It was only when I discovered the power of key words to program into my automation software that I started to get better results.
I see this as a three-step process and an excellent habit to form early on to avoid having to clean up your tweet stream on a massive scale.
- Block all spam/bots without question. Any time you see a spammy fraudster pop up in your tweet stream you should click the block button. It shows support that Twitter is a platform for authentic communication only.
- Find and follow people within your niche. Use keywords and follow hashtags (#) that relate to your specific industry.
- Engage with as many people as possible. This might seem a little impossible, but try and take an interest in what other people are doing. Ask questions, compliment people and open the door to build a sense of community. The people that aren’t interested will naturally disappear.
I recently did some Twitter coaching for a small group of entrepreneurs. They seemed amazed that I contradicted everything that they had been taught about social media so far. Sometimes I feel a slight sense of trepidation when I have to tell them that they’re going about things the wrong way and that hiding behind a company façade will not provide the results they desire.
I always manage to get them to see the importance of authentic connection on Twitter and how relationship building is the key. There is no way you can achieve this without adding a personal touch and showing the humanized aspect to the marketing model of social media.
When coaching, I like to use amazing examples of vibrant people on Twitter that have achieved awesome results. People like Gary Vaynerchuck (@garyvee) have created so much attention with social media just for being present and active. He’s a prime example of how to maximize active engagement. His fun and outgoing personality on Twitter and Facebook has cemented his corporate brand directly from his excellent personal branding.
Too many people out there in the Twitterverse fantasize about tweeting out a link (sometimes repeatedly) and it converting into PayPal sales. The truth is that if there is no personal connection then there is no sale, web traffic or buzz surrounding your brand and business. Above all, Twitter is about engaging your followers and generating enough curiosity to build your reputation and drive traffic to your site. This packs more of a punch if your followers are targeted and you’ve actively maintained a level of quality.
A friend of mine is about to release a service called Twit Cleaner. Twit Cleaner downloads your friends list, then analyses them all for sketchy behavior (spammers, bots, dead accounts..) And yes, the scan is completely free. Once they’ve found the dodgy users, @TheTwitCleaner will DM you a report so you can see who you’d like removed. For a small fee Twit Cleaner will automatically unfollow them, or you can do it manually. Of course, anyone you don’t want unfollowed, they’ll leave (shy friends, helpful bots etc).
I personally think this service is amazing and very innovative. It supports and promotes authenticity and will be an invaluable resource to people that wish to clean up their tweet streams and generate genuine business connections once and for all.
Sarah Prout - Sprout Publishing
Sarah Prout is the founder of SPROUT PUBLISHING, award-winning entrepreneur, author, publisher, business coach, online socialite and mother of 2 little darlings.
The highly anticipated eCourse is soon to be released called SPROUT BUZZ. It’s a PUBLISHING BOOTCAMP with step-by-step tasks to flaunt your business, raise your profile and boost your brand in just 30 days!
TODAY’S TASK
Find and follow some people within your niche. Use keywords that relate to your industry as well as #hashtags to see what conversations are going on right now.
Until tomorrrow,
Suzi
Is your online presence sabotaging your business brand? #30DSM - Day 21: 30 Days of Social Media
October 21, 2009
Is your online presence sabotaging your business brand?
It’s so easy to set up an online profile these days that it also becomes easy (especially if you’re using a lot of social media tools) to develop brand inconsistency as you populate multiple online spaces with your company information.
While this mistake may not ‘make or break’ your effectiveness online having a cohesive online presence can only help to advance your marketing and branding efforts across the web.
Australian Businesswomen’s Network member Cat Matson of Alito is today’s 30 Days of Social Media contributor. In this post she provides us with some easy ways to keep our brand consistent.
[At the bottom of this post you'll find additional ideas and ways to be proactive in securing your brand congruence.]
How to Manage Your Online Brand - Consistency and Congruence
by Cat Matson
Do you have a Facebook profile? LinkedIn? Do you use Twitter, have a blog or a website or use other social networking platforms, like the ABN’s online communities? Do you use email stationery or signatures with tag-lines or links to various profiles?
If I looked at each of those profiles today, would they present a consistent, congruent message of who you are? Would they support the marketing message you broadcast when you’ve got your ‘Business Owner’ hat on? Or do they work against you?
The thing I find most exciting about online marketing is how effectively I can build relationships. In the ‘old’ days, I would attend networking functions, meet a handful of people and then, in order to build on the relationship, I would need to meet face-to-face or find other ways to ’stay in touch’. But with online marketing, particularly the new social networking platforms, I can engage in meaningful, everyday conversations with people I would otherwise not get the chance to.
However, just as with ‘traditional’ marketing, if you want it to be effective, your message needs to be consistent. It’s not about necessarily saying the same words in each context, rather you need to present a consistent ‘voice’.
Here are my fundamental ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’.
Do:
- Be yourself
- Be aware of how public the online space really is
- Use your real name in social networking platforms
- Clarify your purpose for using a particular online platform and learn the etiquette for that platform. From that foundation, engage appropriately for the context.
- Review your foundational marketing pieces - website, blog, paper-based collateral, business cards - do they present a united front?
Don’t:
- Use some abstract user name in social networking sites that could be misconstrued as a login for a porn site or alternate reality game
- Use a photo that doesn’t match your desired image
- Throw together a website or blog that doesn’t live up to your professional image - a site that detracts from your brand image does more damage than no site at all
- Use online tactics that don’t ’sit’ well with you
Online networking is really just ‘traditional’ networking in hyper-drive - but it’s still all about connections, engagement, relationships and trust. And to do that you need to be genuine and authentic.
Cat Matson | Alito
Cat works with dynamic, savvy, funky and entrepreneurial business women, helping them align their strategy and marketing with their actions and therefore results. She is particularly excited about using Web 2.0 strategies to accelerate marketing results.
Website: www.alito.com.au
Email: cat@alito.com.au
Twitter: twitter.com/catmatson
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR ONLINE BRAND
GRAB YOUR SPACE. PROTECT YOUR NAME.
Identity theft of a different kind can occur online as people register usernames that are perhaps not their own, in order to make the most of search traffic.
Whether you’re using them yet or not, grab your brand URLS on all the key social media spaces. Position placeholders and even redirect spaces to your site if you’re not yet ready to use them, but best to grab your company names and brands while they are available. You can also grab names that contain keywords that are relevant to your industry.
For example the Australian Businesswomen’s Network has the Twitter names MentoringWomen and also WomenNetworking. While we don’t tweet from these names, they are placeholders that direct visits back to our main account(s).
Women Networking is a placeholder for the Australian Businesswomen's Network
SOME PLACES TO RESERVE YOUR BRANDS
- Twitter (Grab your user name - usually your identity - as well as company brand names)
- Facebook (Grab your user name - usually your identity - as well as company brand names for Groups and Pages.)
- LinkedIn (Reserver your user name and group names.)
- YouTube (Reserve your own name and your Channel.)
- Ning (Reserve a name that you may use in the future.)
Have I missed some? Add them to Comments below.
TODAY’S TASK
- Do an online presence audit. Do you need to bring some of your online branding more into line with your corporate brand?
- Do you need to reserve your name on some of the more public online spaces that you may choose to play in in the future?
While you may choose to park these names for now, it means that you ‘own’ them and direct them to your active online spaces.
Until tomorrow,
Suzi
Using Social Networks to Find Networking Groups- #30DSM - Day 15: 30 Days of Social Media
October 15, 2009
Social networks are a great place to find groups with whom to network face-to-face, as well as online. But, how do you find networks and networkers relevant to your needs?
Today’s lesson is from Brooke Simmons, Managing Director of Pursuit Communications.
Pursuit Communications is a public relations agency based on the Central Coast of NSW. We service clients of varying size and in many locations. The majority of these clients have been secured, largely, through networking.
We believe that location shouldn’t be a boundary as to how far your network and networking capabilities extend; in fact we encourage our clients to network outside of their regular circles because we’ve seen the results for ourselves – it works! With this in mind we thought it was timely to blog about the importance of networking and some great examples of networks that we’ve come across.
Twitter is a great place to start networking. Simply search using tools such as: Who Should I Follow, Just Tweet It and Who’s Talkin for terms that are relevant to your industry, much as you would with a Google search.
Twitter is a great place to start networking.
Search for Networks and Networkers
Terms such as “Networking”, “Sydney” [or your own location] or “Businesswomen” will all start you off in the right direction. Look at who follows these Twitter users and whom they’re following and follow suit. Before you know it you’ll have the base of a great network foundation.
Introduce Yourself
Introduce yourself when you start following someone and tell them why you’re following them - something along the lines of “Hi I found you through networking women site I’m looking to network with like minded people. Hope to share some great tweets with you soon.” – which is exactly 140 characters will start you off on the right foot.
Remember, networking should never be about $$$. You shouldn’t try and flog your product or business too heavily. A slowly-slowly approach is often best with Twitter. Just as in real-life networking on Twitter should be a place where ideas are encouraged, shared and embraced.
Examples of good online groups
One example of a networking group with its foundations firmly in Twitter-sphere is Central Coast Biz. Based on the NSW Central Coast, a majority of its members can be found on Twitter. CC Biz – “is run by small businesses for small businesses.” Their aim is to encourage business on the NSW Central Coast to support one another and help grow the local economy. They encourage people to come “offline” and meet at regular intervals at various locations around the NSW Central Coast.
CC Biz appreciates that some people may not be comfortable with large groups or meeting a group of “unknowns” which is why their functions are designed to provide guests with the opportunity to network in an informal setting.
TweetupMellers is a Melbourne based networking group which is supported by its followers on Twitter and is a great example of an “offline” event which builds its base “online”. Based in Melbourne the group claims they are “Just another place to connect yet over a few vinos, nibbles and a belly full of laughs – in real time-physical time! We all know the power of twitter in lead gen, personal branding and networking so combine this with tweetupmellers and shaaazam – add another power marketing strategy to the business model!”
Further afield, another Twitter-based networking group, PRinks is a new addition to the networking circle. Aimed at anyone who works within the communications industry this networking group seems to have found a niche with Gen Y who is ever embracing social media.
I first heard about PRinks was via @GemCrowley, a fellow PR practitioner and 1/2 of the power-source behind PRinks - @rogerchristie is the other 1/2! The idea was simple use the “online” world to create an “offline” world activity.
The idea behind PRinks is simple, “Come join us for a great chance to catch up with friends, meet new people, have a good chat, share ideas and enjoy a drink or two. ” The first two PRinks were a great success with PRinks number three later this month.
PRinks has maximised the social networking space and created a fan page on Facebook. This is another great place to look for networking groups. Start by heading to the “groups” page on Facebook and looking for industry related groups that are relevant to you.
Start your own group
If you do find the results are lacklustre, why not take the initiative and start your own group. That’s what it’s all about. Right?
Setting up a group on Facebook is ‘easy as pie’. Remember though to limit invitations to those who you think will benefit from an invitation. Try and put yourself in the receivers’ shoes. Would they appreciate an invitation to join this group?
So, what happens when you’re ready to take your networking “offline”?
A lot of groups will allow you to attend the first meeting at no cost and if you’re interested in attending further meetings, they may ask for a small membership fee – which will be well worth the networking and information you’ll receive.
If you are a bit nervous in attending a function alone, why not ask a fellow colleague or Twitter friend to attend with you or if you’re a sole operator – try and find other members prior to the meeting and arrange to meet with them so you’ll at least know someone before you enter the room. You’d be surprised at how many others are nervous and you may just strike a common cord with someone – and potentially some great business or a new friend.
Don’t be limited by your own industry, ask clients to join them at a networking function they go to or if your partner has an opportunity to attend a networking function, ask if you can tag -along – the more you get out the more you’ll get back – ultimately the possibilities are endless!
So, the next time you’re thinking about networking don’t forget about the importance of social networking in real-life networking. Don’t under-estimate the power of an e-mail, blog, Facebook message or Twitter – tweet. As seen through the success of the groups mentioned here– social networking can build a real network of people who could potentially turn a simple meeting into business success.
Related posts:
How to organise a networking TweetUp
TODAY’S TASK
- Search and find a networking group or networkers in your location or industry.
- Do you belong to an online network? Tell us about it?
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
BRAND SPANKING - How to Design your Twitter Presence — #30DSM: Day 10 - 30 Days of Social Media
October 10, 2009
How you present yourself on social networks matters. Your online presence should, ideally, be consistent with your offline branding - and the ‘voice’ of your presence on social networks in line with how you want to be perceived professionally. Social networks allow you a level of customisation that can ensure that the look/feel of your brand is in tact.
Today’s guest contributor Sarah Prout, found of Sprout Publishing and popular Twitter-er, offers you a checklist of branding tips for your Twitter presence.
There are numerous key elements to consider when flaunting your brand on Twitter. Of course we all know that branding is so much more than a pretty logo and a good colour scheme. It’s about the feeling that’s evoked within the hearts and minds of your target audience. It’s the way your imagery and selected content blend seamlessly to build trust and curiosity for potential clients. It’s a vehicle of expression to convey your business philosophy and also reinforce your presence in the online world. However, if you don’t have a strong brand then you run the risk of getting lost in the crowd.
Here is a checklist to consider for brand proliferation on Twitter:
1. Profile Picture Perfection
Make sure your ‘avatar’ or ‘user pic’ is of your face. Many people make the mistake of using their logo instead of a happy snap of their beautiful mug. Remember that Twitter is about relationship building, so you want to make it as easy as possible for your followers to connect with your smiling face and start to build up a sense of trust immediately. Profile pictures that are of faces have a higher conversion and retention rate for authentic activity on Twitter.
TIP : Choose a happy picture of yourself as a ‘profile pic’ and show that entrepreneurial sparkle in your eyes. It’s magnetic!
2. Bio Boosting
Did you know that there is auto-follow software that can scan your bio and locate you based on key words you choose to use? The best thing you can do is explain what your business is about in your bio and lace it with really nifty key words that mean you’ll get located (and followed) by the right people. For example, as a publisher I use key words like ‘entrepreneur’, ‘author’, ‘business coach’ etc. The key is to weave it so it contains all of your relevant information in the most concise way possible.
TIP : Keep your bio niche relevant and ready for key word automation action from potential clients/followers.
3. Branded Background
Creating a branded background is the best way and ideal platform to give your followers a little more information about your business and the product/services you offer. This is a good opportunity to display your logo or product images and also display links to other sites you belong to such as FaceBook or YouTube. My personal opinion of customized backgrounds has morphed somewhat over the last six months. I think that many people opted for the FREE customizable designs or even paid a designer to create backgrounds for them that aren’t as unique as they should be. I’ve spotted hundreds of backgrounds that are super-generic and in their lack of originality detract from their business branding altogether. I dabbled down the generic template avenue until I created my own super-clean background in Photoshop for a more minimalistic approach.
TIP : Keep it simple. The cleaner and clearer your background the better.
Sarah Prout's customised Twitter background is consistent with her business branding
4. Colour Palette Harmony
It’s a good idea to choose colours for your text, links and background that all match your branding. Consistency is the key so that your trusted followers know what to expect. Make sure your colours will match your website and other social media hang-outs.
TIP : The idea is that you make ALL of your social media platforms branded in the same way so that they look like a natural extension of your home base (your blog, website or online boutique). People want to see consistency of your colour schemes, profile pics and logos everywhere they visit that reinforce their perception of you and your enterprise.
5. Relevant Tweet Action
The content that you pump out into the tweet stream is all part of your branding too. You want to make sure that the links and statements aren’t completely focused in one direction and display somewhat of a balance to keep your followers at least semi-enthralled. For example, you can’t run a strawberry farm and only tweet about croquet. You want to strike a harmonious balance that allows people to connect with a variety of content you are willing to express.
TIP : Try and maintain a ratio of 20% business (links, keyword niche content, blog posts) and 80% connection (personal statements, links, retweets, @ replies).
If you implement these 5 brand-boosting elements then you should have an excellent framework to create success using Twitter for business.
Sarah Prout - Sprout Publishing
Sarah Prout is the founder of SPROUT PUBLISHING, award-winning entrepreneur, author, publisher, business coach, online socialite and mother of 2 little darlings.
The highly anticipated eCourse is soon to be released called SPROUT BUZZ. It’s a PUBLISHING BOOTCAMP with step-by-step tasks to flaunt your business, raise your profile and boost your brand in just 30 days!
TODAY’S TASK
Implement at least one of these 5 brand-boosting elements for Twitter. And, think about how the same principles can apply to your other online profiles e.g. Facebook and LinkedIn.
Until tomorrow,
Suzi
