Just started a new blog and a matching google group called Start-Up Sundays: A Beginner's Guide to Business and Marketing.
The blog will follow the entire classes process and progress.
It will be a delight to guide 30 students along the path of independence.
The students come from many diverse backgrounds.
One of the neat things about this venture is that tuition for the class will be driven by a fundraiser. Since, many of the students do not have the budget to learn what is vital for their dreams to succeed, yet have the ambition to bring them to fruition.
Come visit my new blog at: http://startupsundays.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Making Twitter a Useful Business Tool
There has been much ado about Twitter as of late so I thought I would try to stop “micro-blogging” my posts through my http://www.Twitter/acoupleofchicks home for Chicks on Twitter and actually write a post of suggestions for Tweeting for business.
Here is my list of Twitter Tips:
1. Your Website: Before you start tweeting, make sure your company’s website is up to date, optimized for search engines and has a call to action to close the sale. You will also need to install a web monitoring program like Google Analytics; a free program that monitors traffic on your website. This way you will be able to benchmark your success once you have started tweeting. (You can look for Twitter as one of your traffic referrals once it is up and running and you want to determine if Tweeting is worth your time).
2. Put a name on it: When creating a twitter page for your company or brand, make sure you are using a real name in the bio for transparency. Your twitter page should feel like a conversation and followers need to feel as if they are talking to a real person. Using first person in your tweets or the collective ‘we’ also makes your company seem more credible and engaging to potential customers. Ex: “We’re dropping prices tomorrow!”
3. Follow, follow: Following is one of the most important aspects of twitter. A fast and easy way to find potential customers is to visit a competitor’s twitter page and follow their followers. You should also search your company’s name in a “twitter search” to see who’s talking about you and then add them. Other people you should follow include: other employees, people in related companies and industries, related brands, journalists and competitors. Following people related to your company helps get the best followers for your twitter page - and gives you some relevant content to read!
4. Tweet Content: Make sure your tweets are not entirely sales or company related. If you are constantly talking about a sale or a new product that just arrived, people will not see the value in following your company. Talk about things happening in the media, post links to interesting stories related to your industry and upload twitpics. This way, when you talk about the odd sale or new product and post links to your site, your followers will actually be interested.
The points above are the very basic elements to consider when looking at Twitter as a marketing vehicle. I would suggest that more than a marketing vehicle, Twitter is an excellent PR/Communications tool and many successful brand Tweeters are using it as a means to have a “conversation” with their customers.
With this post a renewed commitment to continue Blogging more than 140 characters at a time - this was therapeutic!
Received this post from: Oliver Dombey
http://www.hoteltravel.com/
http://twitter.com/OlivierDombey
http://www.youtube.com/OlivierDombey
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dombey
Here is my list of Twitter Tips:
1. Your Website: Before you start tweeting, make sure your company’s website is up to date, optimized for search engines and has a call to action to close the sale. You will also need to install a web monitoring program like Google Analytics; a free program that monitors traffic on your website. This way you will be able to benchmark your success once you have started tweeting. (You can look for Twitter as one of your traffic referrals once it is up and running and you want to determine if Tweeting is worth your time).
2. Put a name on it: When creating a twitter page for your company or brand, make sure you are using a real name in the bio for transparency. Your twitter page should feel like a conversation and followers need to feel as if they are talking to a real person. Using first person in your tweets or the collective ‘we’ also makes your company seem more credible and engaging to potential customers. Ex: “We’re dropping prices tomorrow!”
3. Follow, follow: Following is one of the most important aspects of twitter. A fast and easy way to find potential customers is to visit a competitor’s twitter page and follow their followers. You should also search your company’s name in a “twitter search” to see who’s talking about you and then add them. Other people you should follow include: other employees, people in related companies and industries, related brands, journalists and competitors. Following people related to your company helps get the best followers for your twitter page - and gives you some relevant content to read!
4. Tweet Content: Make sure your tweets are not entirely sales or company related. If you are constantly talking about a sale or a new product that just arrived, people will not see the value in following your company. Talk about things happening in the media, post links to interesting stories related to your industry and upload twitpics. This way, when you talk about the odd sale or new product and post links to your site, your followers will actually be interested.
The points above are the very basic elements to consider when looking at Twitter as a marketing vehicle. I would suggest that more than a marketing vehicle, Twitter is an excellent PR/Communications tool and many successful brand Tweeters are using it as a means to have a “conversation” with their customers.
With this post a renewed commitment to continue Blogging more than 140 characters at a time - this was therapeutic!
Received this post from: Oliver Dombey
http://www.hoteltravel.com/
http://twitter.com/OlivierDombey
http://www.youtube.com/OlivierDombey
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dombey
Monday, June 15, 2009
Money In is Always a Good Thing.
My first campaign with Twittad has just ended.
I must say I enjoyed it.
The concept is rather simple.
One - Get a free Twitter account : http://www.twitter.com/
Two - Find people you like and follow them
Three - Have people follow you back
Four - When you have followers sell your demographic to an advertiser.
http://www.twittad.com/ sells your Twitter page background to an advertiser.
The advertiser rents your page like a billboard. They can rent on a short to long term lease depending on their budget and the length of time you are willing to lease.
The advertiser also releases tweets from your account to your followers. You get to choose what these tweets look like when you OK the campaign. The amount of tweets the advertiser releases depends on their budget.
The more tweeps they contact - a.k.a. your followers, and the more releases the send - equals the amount of advertising income you receive.
You will need a PayPal account to receive payment. (Which is free to set up.)
There are more Twittad user than there are advertisers. So, make your Twittad profile appealing to the advertiser. Tell them about yourself and your followers. Then they will be able to see if your demographic, followers, are right for them to advertise to.
Here's to successful use of Twittad!
I must say I enjoyed it.
The concept is rather simple.
One - Get a free Twitter account : http://www.twitter.com/
Two - Find people you like and follow them
Three - Have people follow you back
Four - When you have followers sell your demographic to an advertiser.
http://www.twittad.com/ sells your Twitter page background to an advertiser.
The advertiser rents your page like a billboard. They can rent on a short to long term lease depending on their budget and the length of time you are willing to lease.
The advertiser also releases tweets from your account to your followers. You get to choose what these tweets look like when you OK the campaign. The amount of tweets the advertiser releases depends on their budget.
The more tweeps they contact - a.k.a. your followers, and the more releases the send - equals the amount of advertising income you receive.
You will need a PayPal account to receive payment. (Which is free to set up.)
There are more Twittad user than there are advertisers. So, make your Twittad profile appealing to the advertiser. Tell them about yourself and your followers. Then they will be able to see if your demographic, followers, are right for them to advertise to.
Here's to successful use of Twittad!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Every Little Bit Counts
Found a site that rocks.
http://bit.ly/
Affiliates, Movies, Freebies, Music, Pass alongs to my friend's sites and more.
What a great little site with fabulous follow up.
Check it out for yourself. you will be glad that you did.
http://bit.ly/
They take those long URLs and shorten them up.
Sign up is free. They will post your links directly to Twitter.
The bonus is that they track the link usage. You can actually tell that your links are being followed.
I use it for every link I now send.
Affiliates, Movies, Freebies, Music, Pass alongs to my friend's sites and more.
What a great little site with fabulous follow up.
Check it out for yourself. you will be glad that you did.
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