Posts Tagged ‘Blog Talk Radio’

Social Media and Small Business October 17, 2016

Monday’s blog posts will be recaps of Sunday’s Podcasts, which if you haven’t started following yet, can be found on Blog Talk Radio. Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger – AAU Teen Talk Radio is on every Sunday at 6 p.m.

On October 2nd, my special guest was Nikki Valentine and we talked about the re-launching of her business N.V.Me Designs, click this link to hear the interview.

If you are a small business owner who is just starting out and are looking for ways in which to get customers inside your doors if you are brick and mortar or go online to buy a product or service, you do realize that you must have a presence on social media right?

Current and potential customers are literally walking around with your business in their hands. A few weeks ago, I attended a networking event at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, and everyone there had at least one social media platform in which to connect, most if not all had a Facebook business account which is what we talked about on the Podcast.

Social Media is a numbers game, however, it’s not how many you get, but how many you keep and how many of them take action.

FACEBOOK AND SMALL BUSINESS

Facebook now has 4 million advertisers and it’s being powered by more small businesses trying to reach customers, particularly on their mobile devices.

People are spending more time on their phones, more engagement on their phones, doing more things on their phones, because phones can do more. I remember the brick my hubby gave me as an engagement gift, it weighed about 10 lbs and it was attached to the car, then came the bag phone but all it could do was make and receive calls.

Now mobile phones can do practically anything, conduct searches, give map directions, promote sales, take pictures and record live video. Businesses are beginning to understand that they need to be where people are, and that’s on their mobile device.

Setting up a Facebook Business Page is easy but you must have a personal page first, and there are many sites with instructions , I also have a Slideshare presentation that you can download. Leave a comment below if you would like me to email you a copy

Facebook is where you can virtually hang out with your family and friends but more importantly with your customers and/or potential clients and customers. Facebook is for entertainment so remember the 80/20 rule and don’t post “buy me” posts constantly.

Share content from others in the same niche or industry and remember that what you share is perceived to be what you believe so be very careful when posting because using a “like or share is not an endorsement” disclaimer doesn’t hold water – just don’t post it.

Top 10 Benefits of a Facebook Business Page

Everyone is on Facebook – need I say more?
Increased Exposure to Potential Customers – everyone is on Facebook right?
Gather More Leads – gather leads in the form of email addresses — so you can contact them outside of Facebook. Promotion of contests, giveaways through newsletters
Facebook business page costs you exactly $0. – but you don’t own it so start a blog!
Insights and analytics – you can see where your audience is coming from (likes, reach, page views, engagement, shares, performance, etc.)
Build Brand Loyalty – if you consistently provide valuable and entertaining content, your followers will stay loyal and share your message, product or service
Increase Your Web Traffic – social media platforms are the wheels that drive the vehicle to your website or blog and eventually to your store or service
Boost SEO – Search Engine Optimization – being found online – Google me
Be Mobile Ready – Facebook is already built to be mobile friendly, so take advantage of it. Facebook page on a mobile device it shows users:

Hours of operation – Address – Reviews – Phone number to call directly from the Facebook mobile app

Check in on Your Competition! – Facebook makes suggestions based on competition in my area in my same (or a similar) niche. Choose pages by clicking “Watch Page” or search for pages in the search box.

TWITTER AND SMALL BUSINESS

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, Twitter is by far my favorite social media platform. Why – well for one, it’s quick, it’s happening right now in real time and I love hashtags.

I liken FB to the friends you had in high school and Twitter are the friends you wish you had in high school. It’s where the cool kids hang out and if you ever been retweeted, liked or followed by a celeb then you know how exciting that can be!

Hashtags are the best thing since slice bread!

Tweet that!

Twitter will display all other tweets with that hashtag – great way to search or find potential customers or topics to follow and share – great way to get your message and content out there.

“I don’t get Twitter” is a common statement among small business owners. With more than 316 million active monthly users engaging in instant conversations, the social platform shouldn’t be ignored. The main difference of Facebook and Twitter is on Twitter, following someone is not necessarily an admission of friendship, but an interaction and conversation in 140 characters or less.

If you already have a personal Twitter account and have been using it for your business, you may want to create a separate business account so that any personal information is not passed onto your business followers. – But remember that your brand is your brand not matter where it’s coming from.

Be as visible as possible, put on your Twitter handle on business cards, email address, flyers, etc. Tweet only business info and not personal tweets on your business account.

Twitter is a great way to connect with your targeted audience and for your targeted audience to connect with you in real time – for example, two weeks ago I had to rebook a flight on a non-refundable ticket with Delta airlines and the customer service representative was amazing! After I handled my business, I immediately posted my satisfaction to Delta Airlines and they immediately responded.

Now small business owners don’t have the luxury of being online constantly like the bigger brands, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t check in first thing in the morning or right before going to bed in the evening to see if your brand or business was mentioned.

Speaking of which you can open an account at www.mention.com where you will enter the name of your business and then be alerted anytime someone mentions it it’s a social media monitoring and listening app that keeps you in the know.

Twitter is great for PR and networking, especially for event coverage and promotion. Using a hashtag for an event and then getting attendees to tweet about using the hashtag gives you wider exposure.

Although you can’t own a hashtag you can register it for the event so that people can follow along at www.Twubs.com. And if your hashtag is unique and you use it enough it becomes part of you and your business brand, i.e. #DelawareBlogger if you Google that you will find me all over the internet.

Businesses should have a Twitter account for several reasons:

Consumers are frustrated with call centers – Oftentimes, individuals will go on Twitter after they’ve already sought a solution by calling the company’s helpline.
Instant gratification – Twitter allows customers to feel more in control of the timeliness of the solution. They can immediately go online, research a solution to try helping themselves or vent their problem in real-time, asking for help, whether from the brand or other customers.
Airing dissatisfaction publicly is part of a solution – Some people just want to be heard, good, bad and ugly, and sharing on Twitter gives them gratification. Some people like to tweet, tweet, tweet like a duck at 3 o’clock in the morning!
Hashtags allow you to Search for Terms Related to Your Biz – finding customers where they hang out and with whom – always check the followers of your followers and follow them if they are relevant.

Top Ten Twitter Tips – from CatchFireFunding.com

1. Follow industry leaders.

First, find your industry leaders on Twitter and follow them, all of them. These people are vital to building the right follower base.

2. Follow authors who write about your industry.

You probably have a few favorite industry experts whose books you’ve read. Follow them on Twitter, but also follow all of the industry experts who’ve written books in your field. If you don’t know who these authors are, go to Amazon and search out books in your industry. Find the author’s names and follow them on Twitter.

3. Follow other authors.

Who writes the articles in the magazines and trade publications on your industry? Find out who these people are and follow them on Twitter. When I became active on Twitter, I followed every author I could find who wrote about entrepreneurship. While not everyone has a Twitter account, I found that 9 out of 10 authors and writers do.

4. Know your target audience.

Like you need to know your customers, you need to know your audience. You can have 1,000 followers who will never turn into customers, or you can have 100 quality followers who will either convert to customers, refer customers, or add value by sharing quality, relevant content. It’s important that your Twitter followers have something to gain by following you and vice versa.

5. Follow your industry hashtags.

Twitter has this great tool where you type in a hashtag in the search bar, such as #smallbusiness, and instantly a feed pops up with relevant posts and articles. It’s important that you monitor your industry hashtags so you stay current on industry trends and technology. You also use these hashtags when you Retweet and share posts. When you use the appropriate hashtag, you ensure that your post is “seen” by your target audience. Go on Twitter and play with the hashtags in your industry until you know which ones apply to your business.

6. Share quality content.

Twitter is all about adding VALUE; it’s not the place to oversell products and services. Read articles about your industry trends and share them on Twitter daily. Not only will you be learning, you’ll provide value to your target audience.

7. Tweet about industry events.

Stay on top of industry events and Tweet about them, whether it’s a local tradeshow or a national convention. In your Tweet, include the event’s hashtags and a link to the website so people can click on the link themselves.

8. Be engaging.

Twitter is not a spectator sport. Actively participate, comment and like others’ posts and Retweet (share) them daily. Twitter is all about building relationships and ADDING VALUE. One great way to add value is to write and share informative blogs, and of course, include your industry hashtags when posting so your audience will be able to find and read your content.

9. Post daily and repeat.

For your small business to succeed on Twitter, you have to post daily. Post at least 3 to 5 Tweets per day with several Retweets, which is similar to the “sharing” feature on Facebook. If your followers see that you haven’t been active in a month, they’re likely to “unfollow” you. Use images as they get retweeted far more than just text

10. Don’t go off topic.

Your Twitter page should be relevant to your business, it should not discuss anything controversial, such as politics, and it should not go off topic. Keep the posts relevant to your niche market.

Most importantly – Engage the Influencers in Your Niche – as you know, bloggers are on Twitter and we love to retweet and share – sharing is caring and we are also looking to connect with businesses for collaborations and brand ambassadorships. We retweet each other’s posts and would do the same with yours so connect with us on Twitter.

I have a chart that I found online that is a great reference tool which I will send to anyone who may be interested in receiving. It lists all the popular social media platforms as well as the audience and demographics who uses them – a handy little cheat sheet so if you would like a copy, please leave a comment and I’ll send it in an email.

Do you have any Facebook or Twitter tips to share? Don’t forget to check out my Podcasts which are on Sunday at 6 on Blog Talk Radio, AAU Teen Talk Radio.

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Social Media and Seniors October 10, 2016

I have decided to use Sunday’s Podcasts for Monday’s blog posts and on October 2nd, the topic was Social Media and Seniors with special guest Demia Avery a new author, you can hear the interview by clicking this link.

On the Podcast I talked about how seniors can use the internet and social media to turn a passion or a lifelong dream into a reality, perhaps even a profitable one. Whether it’s vlogging, blogging or conducting online workshops and even podcasts, seniors can share their knowledge and expertise with others as a way to supplement their income, to share words of encouragement or wisdom, keep in touch or to relieve isolation and loneliness.

I started my blog DeDivahDeals in 2012, and what started out as a way to fill a void after the death of my grandmother, turned into something much more. As a matter of fact, my blog was recently nominated as one of the Top Five BEST BLOGS in Delaware and I won’t know until Friday whether or not it was chosen, but if it is I will tweet it out!

Way before starting the blog, DeDivahDeals, I would post my outfits of the day or #ootd as well as deals found in and around the state of Delaware onto Facebook. However, after a few months, I noticed that my family and friends which at the time was a small circle, wasn’t really feeling it nor was I feeling the love so I decided to head over to YouTube and check it out.

YouTube opened up a whole new world, because there were so many vloggers who also had blogs and they were sharing their daily deals and outfits. When I saw the Goodwill thriftinistas, I was in paradise!

After all, growing up in the projects in New Rochelle, NY my grandmother had us at the Salvation Army or Goodwill all the time! I used to love those big bins full of clothing and I think that is where I got hooked on thrifting and have never been ashamed of doing so even before it become popular to do so.

It was then that I decided to start and blog and have since connected with so many wonderful woman that that void was eventually filled – although I still miss my Nana everyday. She was 98 years old when she transitioned in 2009, but she stayed active and involved until she the age of 97. She read constantly, wrote excessively, went to the senior centers, church, shopping and loved talking on the phone.

She didn’t stop traveling via Amtrak to North Carolina until the age of 95 and when she did it was alone. She definitely didn’t let any grass grow under her feet and I hope to stay just as active with the help of my family, friends and social media.

My grandmother like so many other seniors have a lifetime of experience which can be shared with the younger generations to make them stronger and more knowledgeable which can only help our future generations. Believe it or not seniors have and use Ipads/tablets, computers and some even use iPhones to surf the internet, and to connect with family and friends so creating instructional videos is not a long stretch of the anybody’s imagination.

You Tube is where people search when looking for tutorials or how to videos, so seniors can create videos of their hobbies, whether it’s crocheting, bridge playing, cooking, gardening, education and training…the sky’s the limit because there is a target audience for everything – trust me. As a blogger, I have seen some niche blogs that would blow your mind.

Seniors may not be as social media savvy as their kids and grands but they can be assisted by them. If they prefer to tread lightly at first, create a family Facebook group which is private and open to only the immediate family. Invite the grandparents so they can keep up with the happenings in the family.

They can log on anytime of the day or night to share a post whether it’s a family recipe, a poem, or a simple thought or birthday wish and they can also read what other family members have posted.

Do you have an Uncle Joe that loves telling jokes at the family reunion, well the family Facebook group would give him a platform in which to tell those jokes. Perhaps Aunt Patty makes a mean Peach Pie, she can post the recipe and even a picture of the finished product and remember everything on the internet ends up in the Cloud.

There won’t be a need to keep those handwritten recipes that get lost or faded through the years, you can leave your Legacy in the Cloud which is the title of one of my posts that I wrote for my other blog, Blogging with Blake.

There will come a time when your parents and grandparents can no longer travel safely as was the case with my grandmother in her 95th year, which brings me to another great thing about Social Media and Seniors, it can eliminate isolation and loneliness by keeping them in the loop.

According to statistics loneliness and social isolation have been linked to poor health outcomes. Social Isolation among older adults or seniors who live at home rather than living in senior communities, may be as high as 43%.

Encouraging seniors to remain active in their hobbies and interests, and providing them opportunities to volunteer can help them maintain their sense of purpose and keep them from becoming isolated and lonely.

So we can help our loved ones become more social media savvy, because you know that millennials, Gen X and Y as well as Teens and Tweens don’t need to leave the house to catch up with friends, follow current events, and find out what’s going on in the world.

E-mail and websites are one way to do this, but using a social media site like Facebook makes it even easier for an older adult to feel connected, simply by being able to see what others are posting.

Facebook also offers plenty of opportunities to participate in “watercooler” discussions of current goings-on and share recommendations for books, movies, and music.

Ask yourself: Don’t you feel more motivated to get out and see a movie or visit a restaurant if your friends are talking about it? The same is true for your parent or loved one.

In prepping for this evening’s podcast I found a great post over at www.seniornet.org/blog which listed 11 benefits of social media for senior citizens that I want to share:

1. Keep in touch

Social media is a remarkable tool for keeping in touch, especially for seniors who keep in touch with kids, grandkids, and sometimes even great grandkids, but it’s more than just family. Seniors are finding their college roommates, best friends from “the block” and elementary school crushes. The social networks enable us to view videos, read blog posts, share pictures and have conversations with people who we thought we’d never see again. Grandparents are friends with college-aged grandkids and keeping up with their accomplishments. To say social media has revolutionized the way families connect is an understatement.

2. Research

Seniors use social media tools to learn more about topics that interest them. In some cases it can lead them to cultivate hobbies and business ideas, and in other cases, such as with all the inaccurate health information available, it can be a confusing mix of resources. However, the Internet is enabling the over 50 crowd to learn more about new products, work on their genecology, and learn something new.

3. Ask questions

I don’t know about you, but I get frustrated navigating the phone menu to nowhere, so do so many others. By using the online tools available, many senior citizens can reach out via Twitter, Facebook, videos, blogs and live chats. Being able to talk to representatives and have all their questions answered, without being intimidated by voices, attitudes and a phone menu that doesn’t seem to lead anywhere, gives folks more confidence in a product.

4. Entertainment

Senior citizens can watch old television shows and movies, as well as find videos from “back in the day.” They can read ebooks, articles and blog posts, find song lyrics and find out what their favorite entertainers are up to. They can play games, either by themselves or with family and friends. Shut ins or those who can’t get out and around as well as they used to no longer have to feel lonely when they’re home alone.

5. Start a new business

Being online allows folks of all ages to start a new business. Perhaps they can sell crafts or give coaching advice. Or maybe they want to get into freelance writing or some sort of consulting. Many senior citizens would love to work but companies don’t want to hire them as they feel they’re “too old.” With social media and so many online productivity and networking tools, senior citizens no longer have to be forced into retirement.

6. Grow an existing business

Seniors who are still in business need to keep up with new programs and technologies. Social media enables them to stay in the game and compete with younger businesses. Use social media tools to connect and share. Answer questions, promote events and sales and more.

7. Learn

Just because one is retired or out of school doesn’t necessarily mean one wants to stop learning. Seniors are now taking courses online and reading online books, posts, articles and more to keep their minds active. Because seniors are now better able to keep up with emerging technologies, they don’t have to be considered “old and out of touch” and can hold their own in a conversation.

8. Share

Senior citizens aren’t merely people who are older than us. They’re also people who have been in the trenches. They have amazing stories and brilliant ideas. Through social media they can share all that good stuff with others. Seniors can blog about how life was when they were growing up or how things have changed during their lifetime. They network online and offer advices and mentoring to younger people and students and they can start Facebook pages to talk to others their age.

9. Meet others

The social networks allow us to meet others, for both business and pleasure. (No, not that kind of pleasure, I’m not talking Craigslist.) From online meetings seniors can plan offline meetups and networking events with like minded people and people their age.

10. Find work

65 is no longer the age of retirement for active seniors. Many would like to continue working, if not full time with an established business, they can also consult and freelance. Various networks enable them to find opportunities, post online resumes and view and apply for job listings.

11. Take advantage of sales and online opportunities

By following their favorite businesses and brands, seniors can save money by taking advantage of promotional opportunities. Many times freebies and discounts are only available via a Facebook page or for Twitter followers.

So like many of my fans, followers and even attendees of my blogging workshops who have either started a blog or are writing and teaching memoir writing classes these are other great benefits to consider when restarting or jump starting your next phase in life.

Have you seen the commercial for Ford that comes equipped with WiFi and the grandmother in the passenger seat says to her grandson, “do you mean I can update my blog from here” and he looks at her in amazement and responds, “grandma you have a blog!”

And not only are some senior centers starting their memberships at the age of 50, there are very active seniors out there becoming Encore Entrepreneurs as I am one myself – at the age of 55, I am the owner of A.Blake Enterprises, Social Media Management and Consulting. Head over to www.ablakeenterprises.com for more information.

Do you have any tips for seniors and social media?

Share your thoughts

Maxi Dress and More in Store for the Delaware Blogger September 12, 2016

Wow, the weather this evening has really cooled down, as a matter of fact I might have to turn off the AC and open up the windows.

Saturday as I was clearing the pool deck in preparation to closing it for the season I started getting sad because I am going to miss the heat of the summer.

However, I am looking forward to less humid days and wearing maxi dresses like these will become a bit more regular.

This is one of my favorites because I can change out the gladiator sandals for a pair of flats or booties and just throw on a cardigan if there’s a nip in the air.

I wasn’t going to post today because I was a bit behind with my posts and not feeling up to writing yesterday because my first radio broadcast on AAU Teen Talk Radio didn’t turn out as well as I wanted.

I did well, but my headphones cut out a few times which cause dead air while live broadcasting and although I haven’t listened to the replay, I am disappointed. Hubby said, it was the first one and not to be too upset as did our Executive Producer Chevona, but still I am a bit upset.

Did you listen in? If not, I hope next Sunday you will have an opportunity to do so because the subject will be “Social Media Etiquette for Boomers”. Yesterday’s show was “Social Media Etiquette for Students” and my special guest was Lisa Bryant, who wrote a great blog post on social media and Greeks in College.

Well this too shall pass and I know that the broadcasts will get better, so it’s onward and upward, but right now, I heading upwards to bed as this is going to be a busy week.

Today was a busy day as I covered an event for AARPDelaware, and if you check my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages you’ll see some highlights from the “Adopt-A-Room” event held at the Ronald McDonald House. I will be writing a blog post about the Ronald McDonald House, so stay tuned, as the tour was very inspirational.

Oh, I forgot to ask, how was your weekend?

DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THE BROADCAST BEGINS AT 14:05 – LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Check Out Youth Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with FamilyAAU TALK on BlogTalkRadio with Family AAU Talk on BlogTalkRadio

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Posts Tagged ‘Blog Talk Radio’

Social Media and Small Business October 17, 2016

Monday’s blog posts will be recaps of Sunday’s Podcasts, which if you haven’t started following yet, can be found on Blog Talk Radio. Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger – AAU Teen Talk Radio is on every Sunday at 6 p.m.

On October 2nd, my special guest was Nikki Valentine and we talked about the re-launching of her business N.V.Me Designs, click this link to hear the interview.

If you are a small business owner who is just starting out and are looking for ways in which to get customers inside your doors if you are brick and mortar or go online to buy a product or service, you do realize that you must have a presence on social media right?

Social Media is a numbers game, however, it’s not how many you get, but how many you keep and how many of them take action.

FACEBOOK AND SMALL BUSINESS

Facebook now has 4 million advertisers and it’s being powered by more small businesses trying to reach customers, particularly on their mobile devices.

Now mobile phones can do practically anything, conduct searches, give map directions, promote sales, take pictures and record live video. Businesses are beginning to understand that they need to be where people are, and that’s on their mobile device.

Setting up a Facebook Business Page is easy but you must have a personal page first, and there are many sites with instructions , I also have a Slideshare presentation that you can download. Leave a comment below if you would like me to email you a copy

Facebook is where you can virtually hang out with your family and friends but more importantly with your customers and/or potential clients and customers. Facebook is for entertainment so remember the 80/20 rule and don’t post “buy me” posts constantly.

Share content from others in the same niche or industry and remember that what you share is perceived to be what you believe so be very careful when posting because using a “like or share is not an endorsement” disclaimer doesn’t hold water – just don’t post it.

Top 10 Benefits of a Facebook Business Page

Everyone is on Facebook – need I say more?

Increased Exposure to Potential Customers – everyone is on Facebook right?

Gather More Leads – gather leads in the form of email addresses — so you can contact them outside of Facebook. Promotion of contests, giveaways through newsletters

Facebook business page costs you exactly $0. – but you don’t own it so start a blog!

Insights and analytics – you can see where your audience is coming from (likes, reach, page views, engagement, shares, performance, etc.)

Build Brand Loyalty – if you consistently provide valuable and entertaining content, your followers will stay loyal and share your message, product or service

Increase Your Web Traffic – social media platforms are the wheels that drive the vehicle to your website or blog and eventually to your store or service

Boost SEO – Search Engine Optimization – being found online – Google me

Be Mobile Ready – Facebook is already built to be mobile friendly, so take advantage of it. Facebook page on a mobile device it shows users:

Hours of operation – Address – Reviews – Phone number to call directly from the Facebook mobile app

Check in on Your Competition! – Facebook makes suggestions based on competition in my area in my same (or a similar) niche. Choose pages by clicking “Watch Page” or search for pages in the search box.

TWITTER AND SMALL BUSINESS

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, Twitter is by far my favorite social media platform. Why – well for one, it’s quick, it’s happening right now in real time and I love hashtags.

I liken FB to the friends you had in high school and Twitter are the friends you wish you had in high school. It’s where the cool kids hang out and if you ever been retweeted, liked or followed by a celeb then you know how exciting that can be!

Hashtags are the best thing since slice bread!

Tweet that!

Twitter will display all other tweets with that hashtag – great way to search or find potential customers or topics to follow and share – great way to get your message and content out there.

Be as visible as possible, put on your Twitter handle on business cards, email address, flyers, etc. Tweet only business info and not personal tweets on your business account.

Now small business owners don’t have the luxury of being online constantly like the bigger brands, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t check in first thing in the morning or right before going to bed in the evening to see if your brand or business was mentioned.

Speaking of which you can open an account at www.mention.com where you will enter the name of your business and then be alerted anytime someone mentions it it’s a social media monitoring and listening app that keeps you in the know.

Twitter is great for PR and networking, especially for event coverage and promotion. Using a hashtag for an event and then getting attendees to tweet about using the hashtag gives you wider exposure.

Although you can’t own a hashtag you can register it for the event so that people can follow along at www.Twubs.com. And if your hashtag is unique and you use it enough it becomes part of you and your business brand, i.e. #DelawareBlogger if you Google that you will find me all over the internet.

Businesses should have a Twitter account for several reasons:

Consumers are frustrated with call centers – Oftentimes, individuals will go on Twitter after they’ve already sought a solution by calling the company’s helpline.

Instant gratification – Twitter allows customers to feel more in control of the timeliness of the solution. They can immediately go online, research a solution to try helping themselves or vent their problem in real-time, asking for help, whether from the brand or other customers.

Airing dissatisfaction publicly is part of a solution – Some people just want to be heard, good, bad and ugly, and sharing on Twitter gives them gratification. Some people like to tweet, tweet, tweet like a duck at 3 o’clock in the morning!

Hashtags allow you to Search for Terms Related to Your Biz – finding customers where they hang out and with whom – always check the followers of your followers and follow them if they are relevant.

Top Ten Twitter Tips – from CatchFireFunding.com

1. Follow industry leaders.

First, find your industry leaders on Twitter and follow them, all of them. These people are vital to building the right follower base.

2. Follow authors who write about your industry.

3. Follow other authors.

4. Know your target audience.

5. Follow your industry hashtags.

6. Share quality content.

Twitter is all about adding VALUE; it’s not the place to oversell products and services. Read articles about your industry trends and share them on Twitter daily. Not only will you be learning, you’ll provide value to your target audience.

7. Tweet about industry events.

Stay on top of industry events and Tweet about them, whether it’s a local tradeshow or a national convention. In your Tweet, include the event’s hashtags and a link to the website so people can click on the link themselves.

8. Be engaging.

9. Post daily and repeat.

10. Don’t go off topic.

Your Twitter page should be relevant to your business, it should not discuss anything controversial, such as politics, and it should not go off topic. Keep the posts relevant to your niche market.

Do you have any Facebook or Twitter tips to share? Don’t forget to check out my Podcasts which are on Sunday at 6 on Blog Talk Radio, AAU Teen Talk Radio.

Social Media and Seniors October 10, 2016

I have decided to use Sunday’s Podcasts for Monday’s blog posts and on October 2nd, the topic was Social Media and Seniors with special guest Demia Avery a new author, you can hear the interview by clicking this link.

YouTube opened up a whole new world, because there were so many vloggers who also had blogs and they were sharing their daily deals and outfits. When I saw the Goodwill thriftinistas, I was in paradise!

She didn’t stop traveling via Amtrak to North Carolina until the age of 95 and when she did it was alone. She definitely didn’t let any grass grow under her feet and I hope to stay just as active with the help of my family, friends and social media.

They can log on anytime of the day or night to share a post whether it’s a family recipe, a poem, or a simple thought or birthday wish and they can also read what other family members have posted.

There won’t be a need to keep those handwritten recipes that get lost or faded through the years, you can leave your Legacy in the Cloud which is the title of one of my posts that I wrote for my other blog, Blogging with Blake.

There will come a time when your parents and grandparents can no longer travel safely as was the case with my grandmother in her 95th year, which brings me to another great thing about Social Media and Seniors, it can eliminate isolation and loneliness by keeping them in the loop.

According to statistics loneliness and social isolation have been linked to poor health outcomes. Social Isolation among older adults or seniors who live at home rather than living in senior communities, may be as high as 43%.

Encouraging seniors to remain active in their hobbies and interests, and providing them opportunities to volunteer can help them maintain their sense of purpose and keep them from becoming isolated and lonely.

So we can help our loved ones become more social media savvy, because you know that millennials, Gen X and Y as well as Teens and Tweens don’t need to leave the house to catch up with friends, follow current events, and find out what’s going on in the world.

E-mail and websites are one way to do this, but using a social media site like Facebook makes it even easier for an older adult to feel connected, simply by being able to see what others are posting.

Facebook also offers plenty of opportunities to participate in “watercooler” discussions of current goings-on and share recommendations for books, movies, and music.

Ask yourself: Don’t you feel more motivated to get out and see a movie or visit a restaurant if your friends are talking about it? The same is true for your parent or loved one.

In prepping for this evening’s podcast I found a great post over at www.seniornet.org/blog which listed 11 benefits of social media for senior citizens that I want to share:

1. Keep in touch

2. Research

3. Ask questions

4. Entertainment

5. Start a new business

6. Grow an existing business

Seniors who are still in business need to keep up with new programs and technologies. Social media enables them to stay in the game and compete with younger businesses. Use social media tools to connect and share. Answer questions, promote events and sales and more.

7. Learn

8. Share

9. Meet others