Debra Kasowski

The 5 “Rights” of Using Twitter Effectively for Business

by Leave a Comment

Social media is where the action is so if you have not started yet you better get tweeting. Twitter is adding 500K new followers every day. Twitter is real time conversation sharing but it needs to be used with a strategy to be successful in business. There is no sense in tweeting your update if no one is going to pay attention to it. If you do not tweet intentionally, you are wasting value time and even money. Pulcino Passerotto Blu Chat Blog Blue Birds Talking-Vector

To get the most out of the Twitter experience, you need to know the 5 Rights in order to get the biggest bang for your dollar especially if you are hiring someone or the biggest bang for your time.

#1 Right Platform

Is Twitter where you target audience hanging out? Think of Twitter as the real time discussion around the water cooler in 140 characters or less and 120 characters if you want your message to be retweeted. If most of your followers are on another social media platform, is Twitter where you should be dedicating your time?

#2 Right Time of Day

Learn more about your audience. What time of day are they tweeting? Are they only checking their Twitter accounts while they grab lunch or when they are running off to a meeting? Are they checking their accounts early in the morning or after supper? The timing of your tweets can make sure your message gets shared at the right time for the greatest impact.

#3 Right Message

Are you providing value to your audience? What advice or information are they seeking? Content rich tweets are ones that save people money, time, inspire, educate (the how to), or entertain through pictures, articles, external links, or retweets. Give a shout out to those who retweet your content. Everyone loves to be appreciated and to know the information they are sharing is making a difference. Promotion should only be about 10-20% of your tweets otherwise people will unfollow or even block you for blasting their Twitter Feed.

# Right Hash tag

Are you using the right hash tag to get your message out? hash tags not only let people know what is trending on Twitter but it is also a way to promote your business and share valuable information.

Hash tags like #biztip for business tips, #B2B business to Business, #Business for Business news, or #Howto for sharing information can help optimize the way you use Twitter. A hash tag is like a naming convention of a folder with a great deal of information inside. If you use it properly, the information and research inside may boost your business’ bottom line.

#5 Right People

Are you following everyone who follows you or are you being intentional? Are you following people who have not been active on Twitter for a long time? Make room for those who you want to follow you. Ensure you are targeting your messages, hash tags, and messages to your audience. Your tweets say a lot about you and your brand – your reputation. Make it great! Make it memorable.

Twitter can be a very powerful and robust tool to have in your social media toolkit. Know your rights and you will make an impact!

What hash tags do you use to promote your business message?

 

Are You Using Twitter Effectively for Your Business?

by 2 Comments

TwitterLogo

Would you like to get more followers, find your ideal customers, and reach more people with your message? Are you getting overwhelmed by the Twitter Buzz?  Who would have thought that 140 characters could have such punch? Twitter is more than people posting what they are up to or what they eating. Twitter is a very effective business tool if used correctly.

 

Twitter can do the following for you if used with intention:

  1. Build and nurture a community or tribe of followers – In order to build your community, you need to interact with the people who comment or retweet your content. Reply to comments or ask questions about posts that resonate with you. Thank people for following you. Suggest followers to others #FF (Follow Friday). You are also building your credibility and visibility online.

2. Drive traffic to your website – Share great content from your website or blog. Provide a brief bio that grabs people’s attention and refers them to your website to learn more about you. Tweet about your free offerings that give people value.

3. Help you do research – #hashtags are like file folders where you can search by a hashtags and find who else is tweeting about your topic. For example, if you wanted #speaker to find out who is looking for speakers, you would search #speaker.  Consider asking your followers a question about what you are researching. You are bound to have an answer from someone. You have a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips.

4. Promote your products or services – If you wanted to share that you are a speaker, you could share some information and #speaker so you tweet would be put in the virtual folder.

5. Find your ideal customers. If you want to build the know, like, and trust factor so people will feel comfortable doing business with you, share a little bit about who you are. Be a REAL person instead of some text. Offer live tweets while you watch TV or tweet about trending topics. Tweet about the books you are reading or share a quote from one.

Twitter in business is not just self-promotion. If you are constantly tweeting about buy this or buy that, you can expect people to unfollow you. People do not want to be sold to. Twitter is a social platform so be social. Your tweets should provide value by inspiring, educating, or entertaining. By the way, thought provoking questions are also valuable in getting mentions and interactions. Engagement is key in social media. Create some Twitter Buzz by sharing this post!

Are You Ready to Celebrate Your Business and Life?

by 4 Comments

This is my milestone birthday month and I have to tell you it has been an incredible journey. For those who know me, I like to do things differently – I like to create experiences and I love to celebrate both big and small wins!

For my birthday, I planned a Hollywood Birthday Gala Fundraiser for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. We had a red carpet, paparazzi and photo booth (BMP – Trevor Boller Photography) , Marilyn Munroe, and Oscar Cut-Outs. There was a fashion show by CapriceWest Consignment Store and Princess Florence Handbags & More display. Derks Formal Wear sponsored the men in my life with tuxedos! Incredible sponsorship and support! 

Everyone was a celebrity as they walked the red carpet.

I are extremely grateful for all the donations, support, and all of those who came to celebrate that  night – WE SOLD OUT! 

There was a brief moment in time I second guess whether or not I should even host the party. Maybe there was too little time!

When I started planning the event, I had people telling me the following:

  • Do you think people will come?
  • Do you think people will pay to come to your birthday?
  • Do you really think you can do it?

As I heard the chatter, my head began to spin. I had this idea in my head since I had a Hollywood 10th Birthday Party for my daughter a few years ago. We had so much fun; I thought I want a celebration just like that. Thankfully, I spoke to my web designer, Roger MacRae . In a short conversation, he reminded me of why I do things differently and how long it usually takes me to put together an event. In my mind, I could not understand why people would not want to come. Mindset plays a huge part of success – you need to believe!!! They did – not only to celebrate my birthday but to celebrate a cause in a positive atmosphere that created an unforgettable experience. So it got me thinking – brainstorming!

Lessons I had learned over the years that affect your business and even your life that relate to :

  1. Relationships are the cornerstone of your life. What happens when you do not water or prune a garden of weeds? It withers and becomes lifeless and dies- so too, do you relationships if you do not nurture them.  You must tend to them and watch them grow regularly. 

TIP #1: You must have a regular presence online and offline and provide value (articles, quotes, or special reports) to the people in your network. Ezine, e-newsletters, direct mail, Facebook, Twitter, and phone calls are a few ways in which you can provide value and be the PRESENT to others.

     2.  Celebrate and help others live to their highest potential. You probably have met people that have so much going for them that they are totally oblivious to some of the skills and talents they possess. They are usually the people who say, “Oh, it’s nothing – I was just playing around.” We often see in others more than what they see in themselves. Remember when you support others in their dreams, they will also champion yours.

TIP #2: Provide testimonials or recommendations for others to use on their website or LinkedIn. Not only are you helping another people “stretch” into who they are meant to be but you are also being noted as the one providing it. If you know, like, and trust their work – let others know. Commenting on blog posts, Facebook messages, Tweets also helps build a rapport and increases your visibility. Would you want that?

    3.  Surround yourself with people who build you up and not the ones who break you down. 

TIP #3: Choose to surround yourself with like-minded people who help you stretch and grow, support you, and encourage you to go after your dreams. You need to focus on what you truly want and learn to stay away from those bright shiny objects that take you off course.

  4. Share your dreams with others. 

TIP #4: Let people you trust know about what your latest projects are and some of your goals or dreams. People cannot support you if they do not know what you need. People will be excited to support your dreams. Watch you dream explode into something bigger than you ever thought.

5. Try new things! Plan an event, host a blog talk radio show, start a membership and create a community, or create a vlog (Video Blog)!

TIP #5: Video is one of the most powerful tools in sharing your message with the world. Helps with your Google search rankings too. I was excited to watch video birthday messages on my Facebook Timeline. They mademy day even more memorable because people did some thing different – they stood out from the crowd! It  was inexpensive, timely, and had impact! By the way, I love reading every message. Make sure you wish your Facebook friends a Happy Birthday on their big day!

Stay focussed on what you want and be true to yourself. You already possess what you need to succeed! 

My motto is “Do not let your greatest regret be that you never took action.” Seize the day! You only have one life to love!