Web Content Editor

by Cathy Goodwin

Posting to your Twitter account can increase your exposure, attract website traffic and communicate your brand to thousands of prospetive customers and clients. You will gain maximum benefit from Twitter (and avoid common pitfalls) when you follow these steps when you first open your account.

First, take a few moments to design a home page on Twitter that communicates a friendly, professional brand image. Originally I just uploaded my “sleepy cat” logo to the original Twitter pale blue background. Response rate increased when I changed the color scheme.

Then create a profile that includes your URL. When deciding whether you”re “legit,” strangers will check out your website. Of course if you”re networking for business, you want lots of visitors to your site, so this is a good thing. And you never know who will become your next client.

Add a photo to display with your Tweets. If you use the default Twitter avatar you might as well hang out a sign: “I am a flake.” Even if you”re not.

Think about why you are Twittering. Are you looking for friends or creating a professional network? Twitter is good to get acquainted with lots of people and to create an image. So get very clear on what you want to communicate.

Now you’re ready to start adding Twitter follows and followers. To get started, identify 2-3 people who have twitter accounts and go to their sites. Look at the conversations. Click on the names of folks who are doing the postings and you”ll be led to their sites.

Be selective with personal tweets. Each Tweet can be viewed as a line of copywriting. Do you want to tell the world you had tuna fish for lunch? Or share the gory details of your latest visit to the doctor? It”s very tempting but I would encourage my own clients to choose their “warm and fuzzy” image as well as their business brand. Consider writing about your dog, visits from family or your appreciation of nature. When in doubt, opt for discretion.

Your next step is to write 6 to 12 tweets. Pick topics that will communicate your desired personal and professional image. When potential followers come to your site, they will scan your tweets (and maybe your profile). If you have no tweets, they will be suspicious.

Now you can go out and recruit some followers. Just find some Twitter dwellers who seem to be good candidates for a connection. They might be colleagues in your field, potential clients, or just interesting people. Click on their “follow” buttons. That”s all you have to do.

Keep an eye on your numbers. Ideally you will have a balance of followers and follows. If you follow a lot of people but nobody follows you, you will raise a flag. But if you have thousands of followers and only a few follows, you need to have important content that others will enjoy.

About the Author
And now I invite you to find out more by visiting
http://www.Copy-Cat-Copywriting.com. Download your free report, 7 secrets of websites that really attract clients. From Cathy Goodwin, The Website Makeover Coach.

By Chris Simpson

Today there are more and more people who are beginning to use social media outlets to help promote and market products. There are many ways that you can learn how to use these social media outlets to increase sales if you know what you are doing. In fact, many people are beginning to realize that this is a top marketing strategy. Of course you may have no idea where to get started. So, here are a few top strategies to help you utilize social media outlets to increase your sales.

Get Involved in Multimedia

First of all, if you want to utilize social media outlets, it is important that you get involved in multimedia. People love pictures and videos and they like it more than just words on a page. It’s easy to use photos on photo social media sites such as Flickr or similar sites that will help you bring in more traffic to your own website. There are video social media outlets as well that you can use, such as Google Video and YouTube, that can bring in more traffic to your site and help you to use social media to your benefit.

Stand Out on Social Media Sites

When you decide to get involved in social media outlets, you’ll need to make sure that you stand out. There are many people on these sites, so if you want to use them to your advantage, you need to figure out how you can stand out. Decide how you can best get attention. Getting attention for your self on these sites will help you to draw in traffic and the sales that you want as well.

Become a Member of the Media

Becoming a member of the social media is important as well. Get in on conversations and get accounts at social bookmarking sites, such as Digg and Stumbleupon. You can use these sites to help you drive more traffic to your site, so make sure you learn how to appropriately use them. Also, you can use sites like Facebook and MySpace to help you make sales as well if you know how to get involved and what is happening on these sites.

Allow Criticism

When you are involved in social media outlets, it’s important that you allow criticism. If you do this, you’ll actually build credibility and show that you can stand up and your product can stand up even when criticized. Take the time to answer these criticisms, but don’t just delete them or you may actually hurt your efforts to sell products and use these social media outlets as a sales tool.

About the Author
Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people earn money at home by finding honest and legitimate work at home and home based business opportunities. Find legitimate online work from home today at: http://www.HomeNetPro.com.

By Sameep Shah

Today, anyone with access to a computer can become a member of a social network. Social networks are online communities comprised of individuals with common interests or goals. Social networks can be used to exchange information, offer advice, or to communicate with others just for fun.

Becoming a member of a reputable social network can significantly increase your customer database and site traffic. Through social networking, you are given the opportunity to connect with people in your line of work, people in related fields, and potential clients looking for the product or service your business offers.

Building relationships with other business owners can result in referrals for your own business as well as the chance to work with another business owner to reach a common goal. Potential clients are able to learn more about your business firsthand and will already have a level of comfort regarding your expertise.

Social networks are springing up all over the world. Some networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, are available in multiple countries. Facebook, once considered to be only a social tool for teenagers, is becoming more accepted as a legitimate social network for small business owners.

The Facebook subscriber base is extensive, and you will be able to reach prospective customers as well as other small business owners. LinkedIn is a popular professional social network, with members representing over 150 different industries.

LinkedIn members are able to offer advice to other business owners and also ask for guidance from other members.

There are usually several different ways to communicate with the other social network members. Once contact information is exchanged, members can communicate with each other through Email or instant messaging (IM). You can present your business information through pictures, videos or blogs on your network page. Members can leave comments on your page, and you can quickly provide them with the information or resources they need.

Social networking is often used by small businesses for business-to-business (B2B) marketing. A professional social network, such as LinkedIn, allows business owners to share their personal experiences with other business owners and also find owners interested in either buying from or working with their business.

The sage advice you will receive through social networking can help direct your efforts for adjusting and improving your Web site, business practices, and marketing techniques. You will generate more interest in your business, and more traffic to your site, by establishing solid business relationships through social networking.

About the Author
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