What Does Twitter Do?

"What does Twitter do?" That's a question that a client asked me a couple of months ago. She said she couldn't figure out what it was supposed to do for her.

My answer was "Twitter is not supposed to "do" anything for you. It's all about what you do for yourself on Twitter!" Does that make sense to you reading this right now? Hope so.

Twitter is simply a "live feed" that allows real time postings of up to 140 characters in length to be viewed by as many people that request to follow individual users. That's it!

One of my former sales managers used to say, "you have to stay in front of people if you want them to buy from you!" Twitter lets you do this and more! Twitter's platform offers multiple opportunities for you to "do" something for yourself! Here are a few:

• Strengthen relationships by being able to have quick interactive communications with people throughout the day.
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• Reach out and connect with new people .. creating bonds via quick interactive communications on what you find you have in common and then more!
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• Brand yourself by putting consistent messages in front of your viewers .. showing your style, message type, etc.
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• Advertise by placing your information out there. Not using the interaction capability "plus" of Twitter .. but playing a numbers game by simply being in front of lots of people. DO NOT SPAM HOWEVER .. if you "must" use Twitter this way, do it tastefully.
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• Display your blog postings via live feeds that can be setup to appear automatically on Twitter feeds.
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• Link your readers from a posting to an image, webpage, and/or video!
  

These are just a few things 'you" can do. Which of the above ways are you using Twitter? What has worked for you? What other ways might you be using Twitter?

Keep your business growing ...
margie

What's a microblog?

The term "microblog" has been heard by most of us within the last couple of years.The question is, "what is it?"

A microblog is simply a small blog ... uses the same platform with smaller limits. I'm pretty sure you are already microblogging somewhere on the internet and may not even know it!

A basic definition of a microblog is a platform in which short text messages are supported. Usually the message may contain no more than 140 - 200 characters (including spaces). The platform allows you to be interactive and most microblogs only support text with links to images, videos, other pages, etc. Does this sound like Twitter? You are right .. Twitter is probably the most famous microblog out there right now!

Microblogging is becoming very popular for two primary reasons:

1. Immediacy
   Posts are short and can be delivered to a variety of devices, including cell phones.
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   Live feed distributions are supported for immediate delivery of what's happening on the blog.
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   Instant connectivity is provided, which can easily invite instant conversation.
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2. Portability
   Postings go to all sorts of devices including cell phones - you can take your communications with you!
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   Communications via live feeds be easily monitored no matter where you may be!
   

Short postings are also proving to be valuable because of the quality of "connection" that occurs. I'm going to talk more about creating effective short postings tomorrow. Stay tuned for that!

In the mean time .. what are your experiences with microblogging? Have you tried Twitter? Has it been fun or are you at a loss with it? Do you think microblogging has a place in the future of online communications? Please share with us!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

How Did Blogging Evolve?

"How did blogging evolve? It's a great question with a pretty interesting answer that requires us to go back to the origin of the "world wide web (www)."

Do you remember that the "www" is an offshoot of the internet? The creation of the "www" is what allowed individual web pages to have their own addresses and thus bring the power of the internet to the lay person. That's a quick and dirty definition.. but it gives you the main point. Do you remember when it first arrived? Sometimes I wish we were back at the beginning, BUT .. knowing all that we know today!

Alas ... as websites began to be added to the "www," lists were created "logging" each new website with links to its individual pages and associated comments (yes, like our search engines are today). This activity increased and these types of sites were referenced as "web logs" ... soon to be abbreviated to "blogs."

A major step forward occurred in January 1994 when a man by the name of Justin Hall launched a site named Justin’s Home Page. It would later become known as "Links from the Underground." The site stuck to the standard at the time and included links to other sites along with reviews of the sites. Two years into this web log Justin expanded this activity to include an online journal with dated daily entries. He described his journal as the following, “Some days, before I go to bed, I think about my day, and how it meshed with my life, and I write a little about what learned me.”

Journaling picked up and in May 1999, one of the first media articles was written on the emergence of weblogs and refers to the growing number of “Web Journalists”. The rest is history. Blogging emerged and just keeps growing!

Today this simple platform for dated entries with links and the availability for comments is the same platform used for all our blogs, groups, and social networks. Where do you think we will go next? Do you think we can ever go through something like this again? Looking back it is HUGE what has happened. Can you even remember life before the internet?

My observation that all that has evolved over the internet began from some very simple platforms ... platforms that are still behind all the "extras" that we've added ... platforms that make the whole thing work. Good reason to remember to not get caught up in the extras ... it's the basics that hold the keys to your success. What say you?

Keep your business growing ...
margie

How Do I Make Money Via My Blog?

The question of "how to make money via a blog" often arises. The constant updating of content and in most cases, the casual conversation mode, leads one to assume that it might not be the best platform to sell from.

I'm happy to say, "not so!" In fact the constant updating of information and casual conversation mode can lead, support, strengthen and lead the reader into buying what you sell! It's up to you how far you take this.

Have you tried selling? If so, you may already realize that the sides of your blog are the where you sell from. This is where you can place pictures, videos, links and even more for the direct purchase of anything you sell. Items can be seen as readers click onto your blog. You can also direct readers to specific items within your postings. Do not be shy about doing that! Even if you don't have anything on the side ... always remember that you can put links in your blog postings directing people to buy something on your website. This is said ... knowing you will do this in good taste and in keeping with the conversation. DO NOT be aggressive in your selling, it defeats the purpose of a blog, in most cases. There are always the exceptions to the rule :-)

The trick to it all is to have a bit, if not a lot, of strategy. Here's an example that I heard more than several years ago in a seminar on blogging that works beautifully.

A photographer wanted to become known in the blogging communities and also sell photography equipment. He was up against other photographers and many, many other places selling what he was selling. He made an effort to look at what other blogs on photography were talking about and made sure he came up with fresh content. Eventually he became known for having the most unique and current "content" on photography and gathered a following. Meanwhile he had images of what equipment he was selling on the sides of his blogs with links to purchase instructions. Because he had the followers of his "content" he also received the sales.

The moral of the story is to gather a following to your content .. place what you sell on the sides of your blog making sure it relates to your ongoing content, information wise or emotion wise. The rest will be history.

Hope this helps! As always, please share with us your experience. Have you tried selling? How well are you doing? What has worked, what isn't working. Tell us all!

Keep your garden growing ....
margie

How Do People Find My Blog?

In the beginning it can seem like blogs are the most hidden of all your online resources! You can't just send them out to readers as you do with an online ezine or newsletter! Readers do initially need to find your blog. Does this thought ever get you down?

Well, good news! It's not a difficult thing to do especially if you make a point of getting your blog out there. Here are seven very "easy to implement" ways of having people find, read and use your blog!

1. Start with your warm circle of clients and prospects Announce your blog in a special emailing with a link to your blog. You will want to create an initial posting that invites these first visitors to leave a comment for you ( see my last posting on comments). You also might encourage them to share your blog with those that "they" know.
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2. Place links to your blog on your website and also within your daily email signature line. Add it to your business card and include it in all your online social networking profiles.
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3. Do you have an online newsletter or ezine? If so, include links from your "news" paragraphs to your blog inviting readers to go there and interact and share their opinions of what you are presenting in your newsletter. You should have a related posting waiting for them on your blog so they know where to participate.
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4. Register your blog in social network blog feeds. A blog "feed" will automatically have your postings appear on the associated social network feed. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter I know for sure have such feeds ... I am sure there are many more!
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5. Use keywords related to what you are writing about in your blog headline and within the main content. Search engines keep an eye on blog postings so do try to make good use of their affection :-)
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6. Leave comments on other blogs that complement what you do. Comments often allow you to leave a link back to your own blog and presto ... you've not only been found but your comment has planted a seed for a solid connection!
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7. Sign up for a 30 day blog challenge with Connie Ragen Green!

Hope these ideas have helped you! Apply consistency and sincerity to the above and watch your blog be found, read and used! It does take a little time but hang in there, you'll be glad you did.

If you have used something in addition that has worked please share with all of us via a comment. If you have questions on any of the above let us know here on the blog via a comment or you are welcome to contact me privately.

Keep your business growing ...
margie

I Never Get Any Comments On My Blog!

Not getting any comments on your blog is awful, isn't it? You feel like you are having a wonderful conversation with yourself ... and ask yourself "why" are you doing this?

The answer is to hang in there. I felt the same way for a while until I listened to some of the blogging guru's say they had the same struggles. It seems to be a given that blogging requires consistency and patience .... but that given ... I am finding that things do start to "pop."

Here are a few suggestions that I applied that have brought me results:

• Consistency and Patience
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• Ask for readers to leave a comment within your postings!
  Put it right out there ... throughout the posting ( if appropriate) and at the end. Include the reader.
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• Keep each posting to one thought.
  That makes it much easier for people to have a specific thought. Go beyond one thought and people have several thoughts in their heads ... too many for a comment.
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• Keep your postings short.
  Create your posting so that it's easy for the reader to read quickly, have a clear thought and be enticed to make a comment!
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• Leave comments on other people's blogs within your target market!
  They appreciate it as much as you do and will most likely want to return the favor!
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• Let people know your blog exist! The more people that know about your blog, the more readers you will have and the more odds that you will receive comments! I will talk more about different ways to do this in tomorrow's posting. Stay tuned!
  

Hope this give you some renewed energy in hanging in there with your blogging activities. I'm still exploring all the techniques I can find about getting comments - so I ask you, do you have some input that has made you successful with an ongoing interactive blog? Would love to know how you create your blog's conversation.

Also .. if you have questions on anything I've presented, please ask me here in our public forum or your are welcome to send me a private email.

A little side note here .... If anyone has been following me during the 30 day challenge I am participating in .. please know you can subscribe via RSS or email on the right side of this posting. Would love to have you as a subscriber!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

I Have An eZine. Why Do I Also Need A Blog?

Ezines (online newsletters) and Blogs ... it's easy to assume that the two may be alike. Don't think you are off-base to have that assumption. They do have several things in common.

1. They both speak to your market about what's going on in your business
   
2. They both allow subscriptions by readers
3. They both offer "new" information in an ongoing manner.
   

So what's the difference? To me the difference is the "roles" they play within your communications platform. The functioning capability of an ezine and a blog may be very similar, but the communications that occur via each resource can be very different. Each has its own strengths for connecting with readers. (Some people beg to differ ... if that's you, let me know!)

I often refer to online newsletters as your town crier! They allow you to send information one-way to your market. You can announce, tell, inform, promote, i.e. advertise in an ongoing manner. Interaction may be created but not on the newsletter itself. The reader needs to respond via a link to another resource to interact with you.

A couple of other benefits of ezines (online newsletters) :

• Subscribers may enter their own email addresses, and you may also enter email addresses from people who have requested subscriptions via "paper" registration forms used in your business or people who have simply given you verbal permission.

• Web-based online ezine platforms, (CoolerEmail, Constant Contact, etc.) provide you with statistics. You can actually get feedback on which "sent" emails were read, not opened, bounced, had links that were clicked on, and more ... depending upon the platform you use. No other form of direct advertising provides you with that information.
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• Formatting resembles a webpage.
  

Blogs are often referred to by me as where the water cooler conversation of your business occurs. I also refer to them as "backstage" at the theater. The blog platform serves beautifully as a central location for "ongoing" business discussion as your readers can interact with your postings immediately via a comment. They engage, share, and simply invite conversation right then and there ... it's easy! This is why I see the best use for a blog being a way to dig a little deeper into your business and your clients and prospects. Dig a little deeper into the value of what you do and why people buy what you have. Really works towards building strong relationships.

Some additional distinguishing features of blogs include:

• Blogs may be subscribed to via an RSS feed or via email. RSS feeds must be set up by the subscriber. Email subscriptions must also be set up only by the subscriber as there is a confirmation email they must reply to. There is no way for you to enter someone's email address unless you alert someone to the confirmation they will need to reply to.
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• Formatting resembles a series of journal entrees.
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• Statistics are available for blogs, but they don't come with most blog platforms You have to go to outside resources to acquire them for you blog.
  

So let me dig a little deeper with you and ask how "you" are using both platforms? Are you using both platforms? What do "you" like the best about each platform. Let me know!

Keep your business growing ...
margie