DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘podcast’

Twitter for Small Business

On a recent Podcast, Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger” we discussed Twitter for Small Business because many small business owners still don’t understand why they should be on this social media platform. 

I actually had a client say that Twitter was dying and that it was old fashioned…not sure why he thought this, but I invited him to listen in to the Podcast in hopes of changing his mind. 

social-media-and-small-business-building-a-community-on-facebook

Not only do I, but several other social media strategists feel that Twitter is the #1 social network because it is truly social. On Facebook, your are limited to an established circle of friends and family. But everyone is fair game on Twitter.  I can jump in and out of all sorts of conversations with people I’ve never met—I’ve made connections with my best blogging sponsors this way.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a microblogging network of real time posts that are limited to 140 characters or less, however, at one time they wanted to change it to make it unlimited characters and Twitterverse lost it’s mind.  What they did do was change the algorithm so that images do not count as part of the 140 characters.

Twitter’s demographic is geared more towards the younger generations, however, that doesn’t mean that the older generation are not using it as a matter of fact, Twitter is my favorite social media platform. 

Unfortunately, many boomers and seniors are using it in the wrong way and I won’t mention any names. (DT)

reading-news-on-iphone-5s-gold-picjumbo-com

You may remember that I once said that, “Twitter are the friends that you wished you had in high school” versus Facebook which are like the friends you did have in high school.

I made that statement because, you can establish relationships and followings with the really cool kids, not to say that the people you connect with on Facebook aren’t cool, they just aren’t the really cool tweeps.  For example, I remember my first celebrity follower was Kimora Lee Simmons, she started following me because I had made a comment about a beautiful family photo that she had posted online. 

I was so over the top excited that little ole me from Middletown, DE was recognized and followed by a real celebrity.  Unfortunately, it was short lived because after I posted one of her purses that I bought from a local discount store she inquired as to where I got it.  I responded but the next thing I knew, the store was no longer carrying them! 

The power of Twitter and network marketing was solidified for me on the day, I guess she didn’t appreciate having knock offs of her bags being sold at discount.

Rugged Wearhouse discount store

You don’t have to be uber famous like Kimora Lee Simmons, Justin Bieber or even Ellen Degeneres to get a decent following and if you’re a small business or brand, Twitter will actually help bring in new customers. It has been proven that 64% of Twitter users are more likely to buy from brands that they follow on Twitter.

Steps to set up a Twitter account:
  • Sign up with your real name, your email address and a password.
  • Choose Your Twitter Name:  Your Twitter name is limited to a maximum of 15 characters.  Although Twitter names are not case-sensitive, Twitter will save the name exactly as you enter it when you create your Twitter profile. So even though you can create your profile with “DelawareBlogger” and be listed as @DelwareBlogger, your Twitter fans will be able to find you by using @delawareblogger.  Avoid names with numbers, uncommon abbreviations and names that are difficult to remember. Keep mobile users in mind and avoid underscores, which require extra steps to type in on mobile phones.
  • You can skip interests and importing address books because you may want to wait and get comfortable before you start advertising your profile.
  • Check your email to confirm your email address that will be sent to the email address that you provided.
  • Upload Your Picture: It’s important to change the default picture to show others that you are a real person and not a spambot and definitely not that ‘egg’ which is the generic profile pic.
  • Fill in your Location – If you are a local business put the town/city, county/state and then country.   Enter your website/blog address, and your bio.  Fill in details about yourself or your company, use keywords wisely as part of your description especially for SEO.
  • Create a background and design your page, usa Canva.com or Picmonkey.com which both have templates to make it easier.
  • When you send your first tweet make sure to introduce your brand or business explaining briefly what you aim to give followers through your tweets. Create a mission statement and remember no selling just yet, wait to build an audience/following.

Pavlograd UKRAINE - December 18 2014: Person holding a brand new Apple iPhone 5S with Twitter logo on the screen and twitter page on laptop. Twitter is a social media online service for microblogging and networking communication.

How to get Twitter Followers – What is your mission statement ~ Who is your ideal customer ~ Tell them why they should follow you

When using Twitter for business it’s important to ensure that you are getting followers that are relevant to your topic, so you need to balance out your activities to get those numbers versus activities aimed at just getting mass quantities of followers.  Remember the SNL skit with the Coneheads, they were an alien family that just wanted to get mass quantities of everything.

  • A hashtag, or the pound symbol (#) is a way to connect or search others with the same interests.  Type a hashtag keyword in the search bar to discover content and accounts based on your interests.  For example, on twitter if you type #Podcast,  you will be presented with tweets about Podcasts or anything anyone has ever tweeted about using the hashtag Podcast (#Podcast). And this ladies and gents is what makes it so very easy for you to find and connect with your targeted audience. 

Whether you are looking for stay at home moms, which is hashtag #SAHM, millennials #millennial or a blogger in Delaware #DelawareBlogger, putting the hashtag in front of the word or phrase when searching on Twitter will provide you with an avalanche of people to follow which can increase your audience exponentially once you start following them.

  • Participate in #FollowFriday or any other trending hashtag topics that may be relevant to you, your product or service.  Same with popular events, movies or television shows as most networks are now placing their hashtag at the bottom corners of the screen which is how I find and follow #HAHN and #TWD viewers.
  • Check the trending topics on the left side of the screen, if they are relevant to your niche, join in share, comment and retweet which may get you a number of followers that are interested in the same trending topics.
  • Twitter chats is where a group of Twitter users meet at a pre-determined time to discuss a certain topic, using a designated hashtag ) for each tweet contributed. A host or moderator will pose questions (designated with Q1, Q2…) to prompt responses from participants (using A1, A2…) and encourage interaction among the group. Chats typically last an hour.  You can find twitter chats on websites like TwitterChat.com or TWUBS.com where you can also host Twitter Chats and they are great if you are promoting a new product, project or event. 

There are awesome places to connect with others including celebs especially if they are promoting a new project like Oprah and Tyler Perry.  When the OWN network went live followers were chatting up a storm and yes, I have been retweeted by both Oprah and Tyler.  I think my most famous follower now is Dick Gregory

 

“ Twitter Chats are business networking events – minus the dress code”

Twitter is less focused on “What you are doing” like on Facebook and more about “What’s going on around you in the world”.

What Should I Publish on Twitter?

  • Always share good content that is worth sharing and retweeting, use humor too, remember to tweet more than just your product or service
  • When you share something that someone else wrote, don’t just tell people why it’s great and share the link, also include the Twitter handle of the author. This will get you right on their radar as someone who supports and appreciates their work. That’s the first step to building a relationship.
  • If someone writes about you, @mention them when you share the link. This is especially important if you have a good following that will also retweet and engage with the article.
  • Use Twitter to follow up and respond to others.
  • Join Twitter Chats to get more followers and offer insights.
  • Add photos and images to your tweets.

The key to being successful on Twitter is sharing the right information, whether it’s your own links or other content. 

“Do what you do best then link to the rest!” 

getting your news from twitter

Twitter tips:

  • Use a timesaving tool to schedule your tweets. Free and low-cost tools like Hootsuite allow you to schedule your tweets in advance so that you maintain a consistent flow of content, while saving time. 
  • Make sure you are following your customers.
  • Reward people who retweet you or offer Twitter-only specials.
  • Retweet and thank those who follow and retweet you.
  • Multitask and tweet while commuting to and from work on the bus or train. Tweet while on the bike at the gym, during commercials of your favorite shows; tweet while in the waiting room for the doctor.
  • Tweet inspirational quotes. Quotes tend to see higher engagement on Twitter because people enjoy reading them and sharing with others.
  • Communicate with your followers, answer their questions, respond to their positive/negative feedback and make sure that they can trust the information that you’re providing them.
  • Follow users who follow your followers as they are likely to share similar interests so you may consider following them as well.
  • Follow the accounts recommended by Twitter. In the #Discover section of your dashboard, Twitter recommends “Who to follow” for your account. 
  • Direct Message send a direct message to @abccompany and request for a follow back so that you can connect under the radar or take it offline to help or assist or work with influencers and potential vendors and customers
  • You don’t have to read every tweet on your timeline.
  • Put your twitter handle everywhere including, your website, Your email signature, Your email newsletter, Your business cards, Signs posted in your business, Paperwork you give customers (receipts, invoices, statements, etc.), Menus and product information sheets

  • Respond to everyone who mentions, retweets you, or favorites one of your tweets, they are seeking a connection with you. From a certain perspective, this is a truly humbling event. Someone has valued you and your profile enough that they want to connect.

  • It’s OK to tweet the same thing multiple times

Chime in: Do you have any other Twitter tips for small businesses?


So Long Short Sleeves Welcome Winter

Well here we are again edging closer to the cold winter winds, so the time has come to say, “so long to short sleeves”  This is the last time that I’ll be wearing a short sleeve dress to work without a cardigan or blazer.  If you remember, this was actually the dress I wore to the Bloggers Night at the Grub Burger Bar.

Fashion after Fifty

My open toe shoes are also going to be packed up and replaced with tights, booties and boots.  As much as I love the heat of the summer, I must admit that I am looking forward to the shorter and colder days of December.

 

I was trying to remember where I purchased this little black dress and then remembered that it was one of several that I had purchased to wear to my grandmother’s funeral in 2009.  I am not sure if I wore it or chose instead to wear a blue one which was her favorite color.  The Ethnic necklace with matching earrings were purchased several years before at a boutique in Wilmington.

Fashion after Fifty

These are my favorite peep-toe pumps; Jessica Simpson animal print that were purchased at a Consignment Shop in West Chester, PA.  The purse is an Avon Accessory.

shoes from a consignment shop

Hubby took a vacation trip to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic two few weeks ago, and for some strange reason I couldn’t sleep alone so I was up late way too late writing blog posts, including this one.

  accessories from Avon

Now that he is back, I am sleeping like a baby and am very happy to have him home safe and sound.  I am glad that he had an opportunity to get away and take some time to himself.  After all he deserved it after the cancer diagnosis and the chemo treatments he underwent last year.

I am in the process of re-branding my business and my blog, so stay tuned for more exciting changes other than the obvious name change from DeDivahDeals to DelBlogger. 

DeDivahDeals is rebranding

Speaking of staying tuned, don’t forget to follow me on AAU Teen Talk Radio on Blog Talk Radio – Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger Sunday evenings at 6 pm and if you miss them, make sure to listen to the rebroadcast as it helps me with my ratings.

Click here to listen to last week’s Podcast.

AAU Teen Talk Radio Promo

 


Facebook Live For Business

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate and I know there will be a lot of Facebook Livestreaming happening tonight, which make’s today’s blog post very timely.  This is actually the second part of last week’s blog post, Social Media and Videos in which I discussed YouTube on my Podcast Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger.

Anthem Culture

What is Facebook live?

Facebook Live lets you connect with your fans, friends and followers by sharing real-time video of what you’re seeing and doing.  Earlier I mentioned Periscope which is the live broadcast app on Twitter which was and perhaps still is very popular, but I prefer Facebook Livestream because of the countdown option and for some strange reason makes me less nervous.

In my first Podcast I talked about the difference between Facebook and Twitter and how the Facebook friends are like the friends you had in High School and Twitter is like the friends you wished you had in high school.  Maybe that’s why Twitter makes me nervous, it’s broadcasting to friends that I wish I had in High school…weird right?

Facebook for Business on a smartphone

Facebook Livestreaming can be seen live by people who follow you but if they missed it  live it will appear in their News Feed and on your timeline. When you’re watching a live video or a video that was live, you can tap or click Subscribe to get notified the next time that Facebook account starts a live broadcast.  So tell your followers to subscribe if they are watching to keep them in the loop.

Setting up a Facebook Live video is pretty easy – from your FB page click the ‘’LIVE”  icon and then describe your live video – you can use letters, symbols or emojis which is your title and what other’s will read in the News Feed

You can choose who you want to view it “Friends, “Public” or a specific “Facebook Group” then press “Go Live” you get a 3 second countdown and you can video face forwarding or turn camera around to video your surroundings.

Tips for Facebook Livestreaming from Social Media Examiner

  • While people are watching you, invite those viewers to tap the Subscribe button. This way, they’ll get notified the next time you’re live.   After you end your live broadcast, it will be saved on your timeline like any other video you upload.

  • Have a focus for your broadcast. Know what you plan to talk about ahead of time so you don’t have a rambling on about nothing unless that’s what the video is about. Knowing what you plan to talk about and doing it well will do wonders for your reputation.

  • Create a compelling title. It goes without saying that you should relate the title to the focus of your broadcast. When people get a notification that you’re live, the title is the only thing they see when deciding whether they want to join you.

  • Strive for great audio. Speak loudly and clearly close to the phone or use a microphone. Like with any video, your audience needs to be able to hear what you have to say. To this end, avoid broadcasting anywhere that has a lot of background noise.

  • Use both the front and back cameras. Since you likely won’t want to have the camera in your face the whole time, you can easily toggle back and forth between the two. When the camera faces you, the audio is better. Speak up when filming away from yourself.

  • Acknowledge your audience. When you go live, be sure to mention your friends and fans who are viewing, if it seems reasonable. Alternatively or in addition, respond to comments either during or after the show. – I don’t always wear my glasses that I am not great at doing this.

  • Test different broadcast length and times. Facebook recommends you go live for at least 5 minutes. Anything from 2 to 20 minutes is just fine. See what your audience likes and use that as your gauge. Also try going live at different times to see when most of your audience is around.

  • End with a call to action. Live video can be an integral part of your social media marketing, so make the most of it by directing your audience to a specific place. Include a simple call to action at the end of your video, such as to visit your website or private message you for more information on the topic.

  • Repurpose Your Video – As with other content, you’ll want to use your video in as many places as relevant.  Write a blog post with some of the highlights and embed either the Facebook post itself or just the video. Then share it on all of your social media profiles.

  • FACEBOOK LIVE

5 Ways to Use Facebook Live for your Business

  1. Behind the scenes. Come up with “adventures” that would be of interest to your friends and followers. If you could take a group of friends with you somewhere, where would that be? It could be somewhere you go during downtime (to the beach or a concert) or else directly related to business.

  2. Find something fun and relevant for your friends and followers to know about and take them there. For example, if you sell surfing gear, a day at the beach would be right on target, the same as a concert would be if you work in the music industry.

  3. Q&As. Pick a day and time and let your friends and followers know you’ll be on live to answer their questions. Do this monthly, weekly or regularly, when you you’re getting lots of inquiries.

  4. To get even more out of it, plan ahead. Create an event and encourage people to ask questions in advance, so you know what to address in your live stream. This will give you tremendous material for future content.

  5. You can write blog posts or video tutorials as answers to your questions, too. Q&As are also excellent for market research.

Create How-To Videos: . Find something that pertains to your expertise and relates to your business, but is also personal. Then show your audience how to do it with simple steps.

  • Use a tripod and point your Android or iPhone camera at you or even at your computer screen, and explain how to do something as you do it.

  • Product demos. Just like with how-tos, do live product demos for your friends and followers. Unbox products that you use for your business or simply share how you use them. Alternatively, show new uses for your own products. As with all video, you want to be having fun as you do demos, so your audience has fun too.

  • Breaking news. Compile sources that inform you when there’s breaking news in your industry. Then when something happens within your area of expertise, you can go live immediately and share it with your audience.

  • Report news and also add your own thoughts and opinions, so people know what to do with that information. Doing videos like these helps you establish your expertise. Remember, journalists, other influencers and potential clients could be watching. Tremendous opportunities may be waiting for you.

Video streaming, especially through Facebook Live, is an incredible opportunity to showcase your knowledge and increase your fan, follower and customer bases.  Since video is super-strong right now and Facebook Live seems to get higher organic reach than other types of content, it’s definitely worth getting ready to add Live to your marketing plan just as soon as you have access.

Are you using Facebook Live for your business and if so, do you have any tips to share?

aau-radio-with-the-delaware-blogger


Social Media and YouTube Videos

Two weeks ago on Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger we discussed Social Media and Videos and my special guest was Bryan Shelmon from Anthem Culture who is vlogging his vision on YouTube.

Anthem Culture

I am going to break up this blog post into two separate posts because I want to discuss YouTube and Facebook Live separately, however, you can head over to the Podcast to hear the full version now.

aau teen talk radio promo

YouTube

With an estimated 500 hours worth of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute, in August 2016 alone, videos uploaded to YouTube generated 127 billion views, both organic and paid. THAT’S A LOT OF EYES!

When I first started my YouTube channel I tried to make my videos perfect and trust me they were far from it, but some of you guys watched them and even gave me positive comments so I kept at it – still not perfect but it was fun nevertheless.

YouTube is the second biggest search engine online, and it gives businesses a gigantic platform to gain viewers. Users aren’t satisfied by physical ads or static marketing anymore, they want interactive and engaging material.  Uploading video content, that showcases your businesses views and ideas, gives you the aura of expertise and authority. By uploading videos with tips and strategies, businesses can not only get attention but also provide help and value to customers, which will build respect.

Tips and How-To videos are great ways to develop your company into becoming an expert on the topic. When viewers see the videos, they will recognize you as an expert for providing those tips and advice especially if it was good and that is definitely a win win for everyone.

When I did my first YouTube videos they were created to complement or be a companion to my existing blog, DeDivahDeals but I wanted my followers to see me and it did open up a wider audience.

My second blog, Blogging with Blake is a teaching blog so I basically took what I did in my workshops and put it on video, again widening my audience and making it appear as though I am authority in the field of social media and guess what I am…because here I am now doing Podcasts  – SOCIAL MEDIA SUNDAY WITH THE DELAWARE BLOGGER

Trust me it took a while before I became comfortable in doing them, but the more I ‘taped” the more fun it became

Blogging with Blake Header

YouTube Videos builds credibility and trust – uploading content on YouTube or  Periscope, Meerkat, Vine and Vimeo, businesses are able to give reasons for customers to take a closer look at their services and products.

Credibility comes from information and there is no easier or direct way which will be absorbed more quickly than through video content. 15 seconds of video content can be more engaging and provide more information than an entire page of ads, text or those throwaway flyers you get in the mail – we as humans are very visual creatures with short attention spans – less than that of a Goldfish!

5 tips to make your videos worth watching

youtube-logo

People aren’t going to click on your video to see a boring infomercial or stay to watch it in it’s entirety so…

1 – Create good content and be consistent for your targeted audience.   You want to create a channel which is more than just putting up videos.  Think about your audience where are they in the buying process? Trying to cold-sell to customers and prospects might not work initially because they may not be interested in your  products yet, Most people who find your videos on YouTube are usually in the discovery stage and aren’t ready to commit to a purchase.  They want to check you out first.

2- It’s important to choose keywords that are relevant to people who are looking for new information and to provide video content that educates them based on those keywords. Make sure to use keywords that people are looking for when searching for products, services or tutorials.  Think like the customer.  “How to boil and egg” which is a basic analogy but works.

The goal of your videos should be to search out and find those viewers who are interested in learning more about your products and services. You’ll have an easier time converting website visitors after you’ve warmed them up to your offers.

3 – Your videos should focus on providing video that engages and educates people, but leaves them hanging a little. Use the video to convince them that they need to visit your website to get the information they require or come back for future videos.

End your video by saying something like Please visit my website at blah blah blah.com or for more information” call us at, send an email to or find us on our  social media platforms.

4 – Optimize Your Channel Page to Drive Traffic

Always provide contact information for your company; include links to your website and other social media profiles.  Also make good use of your banner header, where you can insert four clickable links. Be sure to add appropriate calls to action there. Including your request to subscribe – using a statement like, “if this is your first time here, subscribe because…give them a reason for subscribing, give them the value or their subscription.

5 – Give your video a catchy title for the thumbnail and don’t spend a lot on fancy equipment because most people are watching videos at work from their desk with a their smartphone, not some major television production on ABC or CBS.

Remember the opening seconds of video must hook viewer and give them what the title states.  

Are you using YouTube to broaden your brand and expand your business online?

 


Social Media and Small Business

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.

aau-radio-with-the-delaware-blogger

 

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. 

Nikki Valentine, owner of N.V. Me Designs

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.

Facebook for Business on a smartphone

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. 

car phones in the 90s

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.

  Find Us on Facebook

Top 10 Benefits of a Facebook Business Page

  1. Everyone is on Facebook – need I say more?

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

  3. 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

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

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

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

  7. 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

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

  9. 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

  1. 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.

Pavlograd UKRAINE - December 18 2014: Person holding a brand new Apple iPhone 5S with Twitter logo on the screen and twitter page on laptop. Twitter is a social media online service for microblogging and networking communication.

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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.

small business owners

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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