Twitter 101

At only 140 characters per tweet, the same as an SMS (Text) message, Twitter has been used as a tool by many celebrities, businesses, and organizations to get the word out about what it is they’re doing and how it affects “Tweeple” or “Tweeps” (a.k.a. people of Twitter) around the world. With Twitter, it’s not about quantity, but instead it’s about quality, and when tweeting (a.k.a. posting information) on behalf of your business make sure you are always aiming to interest others. Be aware of the target audience, and what it is they want to hear. Always retweet (a.k.a. Tweet another person’s exact tweet) interesting tweets, but only if they pertain to your company or the focal topic of your Twitter. Retweeting is a great and easy way to gain followers and spread important and interesting information.

Another benefit to your business or organization is the concept of a hashtag (represented by #____). Using a hashtag in a tweet will put your tweet on a twitter feed (a.k.a. list of tweets) sharing the same hashtag. For example: “I’m trying to take my #dog to a #dogpark. Where can I find a good one in #Sacramento?” is a tweet that will show up in the #dog feed, #dogpark feed and #Sacramento feed. Someone is more likely to see it and help answer this Tweeter’s question quickly. This Tweeter may even gain followers who have the same question or common interests, like owning a dog in Sacramento. Hashtags are very simple, and it’s recommended to start one to help brand your company. However, be wary: don’t just flood your tweets with hashtags. It is only recommended to have, at most, 3 hashtags per tweet. Flooding is frowned upon in the Twitter community and can lead to a loss of followers.

In reality, this is only scratching the surface of the vast Twitterverse. Remember: Twitter is about quality NOT quantity. Twenty random posts per day is not as great as one or two posts per day about a specific topic. Tweeps (a.k.a. Twitter “friends”) follow you because they wanted to know more about your company and your topic. Less is more, and if you have a lot to say, there’s always a way to link your larger posts from other websites (like this blog, for example) to one of your tweets… but we can save that lesson for Twitter 202.

JVC GIVE AWAY!

We will never forget. In remembrance of the victims of 9/11

We will never forget. In remembrance of those affected by 9/11. We pray for you!

If you’re struggling with having time to do posts…

If you’re struggling with having time to do posts, keep your posts shorter, or consider breaking longer posts into a 2-part or 3-part series. This not only makes your blog look extremely proactive, but it helps sort out post topics for your readers and subscribers.

Exchanging blog posts can only help.

Exchange blog posts. You’ll be introducing your blog to a whole new set of potential followers. When you include a link back to your own blog, this also works as a link building strategy which helps with organic search. Seek out partners with complementary products or services so you can be sure that your guest post will resonate with your new audience.

Blogging Tip: This may come to you as a surprise, but…

Blogging Tip: This may come to you as a surprise, but write posts that reference others in your social network. These types of posts will generate more traffic than any others. If you are a marketer, try referencing a strategy you saw someone else use. Folks love to promote themselves. They will want to circulate the post to their followers. Share information that experts have shared with you; these are the kinds of things that will boost your traffic and your success.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

Blogging Tip: Circulation of posts is key

Blogging Tip: Continue to circulate your older posts via your existing social media outlets like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc… This will help generate more traffic to your blog and refresh your archive of posts. You don’t want your post to be forgotten after a week, do you? Of course not! Circulation helps the post’s activity stay lively and generates more reads.

Blogging Tip: A blog is two-way communication

Blogging Tip: Remember a blog is two-way communication. Respond to comments in a timely fashion. You want to keep the conversation going. Does the commenter’s expertise mesh with yours? Review the blog of the person who commented and see if you can return the favor by commenting on one of his/her posts. And always say “Thank you.” Folks love to be acknowledged, and if they know you’re acknowledging them, they’re more likely to leave comments and read your blog more often.

Blogging Tip: Have a call to action.

Blogging Tip: Have a call to action. This is marketing 101. At the end of your blog have a call to action, i.e., “Like what you’re reading? Sign up for blog alerts” “Start following my blog’s rss feed to stay up to date with the latest post.” It’s important to do this because readers are more likely to do something if told or asked to do it. Bringing the call to action to the attention of the reader is a great way to generate subscribers and readers.