By Lou Bortone
Are you a Twitterholic or a Twitter newbie? Are you using Twhirl to update your Twitter tweets? Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the water or diving in head first, there’s no doubt that Twitter has become the latest darling of the social networking scene. Aside from the ability to post your own, brief, 140-character updates, Twitter offers a few fun surprises. By now you may be wondering how you can use this neat, little tool to connect and communicate with the rest of the online world. Well, here are five new ways you can use Twitter (and Twhirl) to maximize your connections and boost your business…
First, a quick heads-up on Twhirl (www.twhirl.org): Twhirl is a Twitter “client,” or desktop application, that makes Twitter even easier to use. Twhirl sits on your desktop and basically mirrors the Twitter interface, so you can post updates and monitor your friends’ posts without having to log-in to Twitter. Twhirl also gives you the option of replying to your friend’s “tweets,” or sending them a direct (private) message.
As for new ways to use Twitter, consider the following:
1. Your own personal search engine – You can use Twitter like a private search engine by asking your friends and followers to point you in the right direction.
2. Instant feedback – Twitter can also act as your own, personal focus group. Just post a quick question and use Twitter to solicit surveys, opinions or ideas.
3. Links in a blink – Use Twitter to link to your latest blog posts, sites of interest, etc. Twitter will even shorten the URL for you.
4. Continue conversations – As mentioned above, Twitter and Twhirl make it easy to communicate with your friends via their direct message and individual reply tools.
5. Instant Info – Use Twitter to sign up for updates or breaking news from your favorite websites such as CNN.com. (http://twitter.com/cnnbrk)
In the spirit of Twitter brevity, I’ll leave you with a few Twitter do’s and don’ts (All less than the allotted 140 characters!)
DO:
• Find and follow people you admire. Chances are, they will “follow” you back.
• Add your photo to your profile.
• Go to Twitter’s settings tab and customize the appearance of your Twitter page.
• Set up your Twitter posts to feed directly to your Facebook status updates.
DON’T:
• Blatantly promote your own agenda or products.
• Go overboard with your links and URLs.
• Be dull!
Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Before starting his own company, Lou was an award-winning marketing executive in the media industry. Lou served as National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television, and later as Senior VP of Marketing and Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox, in Los Angeles. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Sign up for Lou’s free mini audio course about using Online Video at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.
If you’re like me, you’re getting dozens of new “friend” requests on Facebook every day.
At first, I quickly friended every random request, without even thinking about it. Then, I finally started being a bit more selective about who I let in…
Now, people on Facebook usually fall into a couple of different camps… You might be a quantity person, who has thousands of friends – or you might be a more discerning quality person, who carefully considers every friend request.
I guess I fall into the “quality” category. I’m not saying that there’s a right approach or a wrong approach – that’s a personal decision. But I don’t want to be known as a Facebook Ho! I’m not looking for a Facebook one-night-stand! Hey, that’s just me. I’m not gonna let just anyone into my Facebook family!
It’s one thing if you’re a mega-marketer or an author and you look at Facebook like another potential customer list or database. But for me, Facebook is not my “list.”
I’m not spamming these people or trying to sell them anything. I’m trying to build and develop a long-term relationship!
OK, so I don’t have 1,000 Facebook Friends yet. I’m pacing myself. I’m looking at each request. I’m being a little picky. So, if you want to take my slower, build-quality relationships over time approach, here are a few tips: These are the ten criteria I use to admit new friends into my Facebook family:
1. Do I know you? Should I know you?
2. Did you include a personal message in your friend request?
3. How many friends (if any) do we have in common?
4. Who are your friends? Are they people I know or respect?
5. Have you posted a photo and a decent profile? (Most people will want to see you)
6. Do you look like a spammer in disguise? Are you blatantly promoting a product?
7. What are you looking for? If it’s “hot chicks,” I’m not sure I want to friend you.
8. Did Facebook recommend you in the “People You May Know” box?
9. Did someone introduce us? (via Facebook or otherwise)
10. Do you look like you could be a psycho or a stalker?
Set up your own criteria, or what author Michael Port calls your “Red Velvet Rope” policy, and decide who to add as a friend. You may not have the biggest friend list, but the friends you have will be the right ones for you.
Oh, and if you want to friend me, just click over to: http://profile.to/loubortone/
If you’re reading this, chances are I’ll let you in!
Lou Bortone
Writing | Creative | Branding | Video
Helping service professionals and solopreneurs craft their messages, tell their stories and market their brands.
* Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach *
lou.bortone@gmail.com
866-648-1152 toll free
603-498-9254 mobile
Skype: loubortone
www.LouBortone.com
