Social media - are you missing out?

I often go to meetings, give talks and run workshops for groups of small businesses.  Many of them don't have a social media presence - there are some who don't even have a website!  Should they?  Are they missing out?

OK, I'm slightly biased in favour of social media as I did jump on the social media bandwagon a few years ago.  I enjoy it and get a lot from it.  I love the way it can connect disparate groups of people or expand your reach beyond your immediate local network.

If you're not sure when you're getting start - at least make sure you grab your business name anyway - you'll be kicking yourself if you decide that social media IS for you and then find your business name isn't available or someone else has grabbed it.

Think carefully before launching into social media - it does take time - although it can actually be less than you think.  Know why you're doing it and what you plan to get from it.

Twitter is great for those slightly random connections as well as following people within your network.  It's quick and easy but you need to use lists and apps to manage it properly.

Facebook - more social than business and more customer facing but many businesses large and small have a presence on there.  Create a page for your business and engage your followers with new content and comments.

LinkedIn - more business than social and a great way to connect and stay in contact with your business network.  There are groups and discussions to allow you to connect with people in your industry, interact and 'meet' new people.

Google+ - rapidly expanding to become another popular social media website.  Create circles to organise your contacts.  Does link with other Google apps but not as popular as the others.

As with all these social media apps - don't feel you need to be on everything.  Find which ones work for you and spend your time and effort on a few to get the results you want.

(Photo credit: the tartanpodcast)

Related articles

• Small Businesses & Social Media = £££ (reecemedway.wordpress.com)
• What Does Your Social Media Activity Say About You? (business2community.com)
• How to find time for your social media (blog post)

12 Apps to save time and boost productivity

With so much going on in our lives these days - there are ways to use technology and the internet to help you make better use of your time rather than the time drain it so often becomes.

Here are just a few that I use or recommend that you can install on your computer or smartphone.

1.  Log and track your online and computer activity with an app like RescueTime.  See just how long you're spending in certain apps (like email) and adjust your behaviour and activity to work more productively and more efficiently.

2.  Focus your time with apps like FocusBooster or PomodoroApp - these allow you to work in bite-sized chunks of time that help you stay focused and less likely to be distracted.  Pomodoro works on the basis of 25 minutes work followed by a 5 minute break.  FocusBooster lets you set a variable amount of time.  10-15 minutes is great for blasting through quick tasks or starting on something you've been putting off.

3.  Remember The Milk - a great app that enables you to set up tasks and reminders, so you never need to forget anything and will sync across all your devices.  It also links with Evernote - another useful app for capturing thoughts, ideas, images and pretty much anything all in one place.

4.  Social media is taking over our lives - apps like Summly or Flipboard can provide a useful summary of news and social media in one place while you're on the move.

5.  Apps such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck enable you to view and manage all your social media feeds - Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in one place.  Schedule posts for when you're away, stay connected and respond without having to visit each app separately.

6.  Dropbox or Google Drive - very useful apps that mean you'll always have all those important documents with you when you need them.  Install the App on your phone, tablet and computer and they will automatically sync when you're online.  Share files and folders with colleagues, friends and family.

7.  Outsource some or all of your tasks with Sooqini - a new way of working.  Use it for both business and personal tasks that you either don't have time to do or you'd be better off getting someone else to do for you so you can get on with something more important.  Enter your task details, choose the best offer from the responses you get and pay when the job is done.

Don't get too caught up with the latest app or the newest technology - think about the task you want to do and then find the best app or resource to fit your needs.

(Photo credit: Bart Claeys)

Related articles

• The Best iPhone Productivity Apps of 2013 (socialmediatoday.com)

How To Find Time For Your Social Media

I recently attended a workshop on Social Media and something I often get asked is - "How will I find time for all this?"

Remember that social media (if you're using it for business) is part of your overall Marketing Strategy.  How does it fit, why are you using it and find time for it in your business.


Decide what you're going to do and how much time you have available.  Which are the primary social media sites you're going to use?  Find the ones that are likely to work best for you and commit to spending time on those.

Mine are primarily Twitter and Linked In - some Facebook and occasionally a few other sites.

Use social media platforms like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to manage multiple social media accounts in one place.  This makes it much easier and quicker to read and respond. 

Plan your time.  When are you going to do it - once or twice a day, a few times a week?  Morning, afternoon or evening?  Plan in the time and ... 

... set time limits.  It can be done in 10-15 minutes a day or 3 x 10 minute slots throughout the day or even a couple of 30 minute sessions once a week.  Stick to the time limit so you stay focused and don't get distracted. 

Create a checklist to keep you focused and on track.  I have a simple spreadsheet on which I list all my social media activity, the different platforms I use and timings.  For instance:

• Respond to mentions and RTs (re-tweets)
• Find new followers/connections
• Connect with new and existing contacts
• Share information - RT, links etc.
• Join in discussions
• Respond to questions

Twitter I access almost daily, Linked In I might only access every other day and other platforms less frequently. 

Use automation.  Platforms like Hootsuite enable you to schedule tweets in advance (useful for marketing campaigns).  Automate postings from your blog or newsletter, so you don't have to manually post to each platform. 

Be consistent.  Remember that everything you say reflects you and your brand.  Twitter is more instant, Linked In more business oriented and Facebook more social or consumer based.  If you can't commit to every day, less frequently is fine but stick to a plan. 

Measure your results.  While social media is about connecting, building relationships and conversations it can have long-term results which aren't always easy to measure but you can monitor things like click-thrus on links, sign-ups, new connections, views etc.

Part of social media is the conversation and connection, so make sure it's two-way and not just a constant sales pitch.

Look for more on finding time for your social media in a future newsletter.  If you're not on the list, sign-up today by clicking here.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Social Media Week - Feb 13-17, 2012

In case you missed it, this week is Social Media Week - at least for another couple of days.

There are hundreds of social media sites out there - more being added each week but the main contenders have to be Twitter, Facebook and for business users - LinkedIn.

Social media has really taken off in the last couple of years with everyone from Stephen Fry to Barack Obama being on Twitter these days and companies as well as individuals using Facebook to spread the word.

News tends to hit social media before it gets anywhere near a news desk as it's such an instant means of communication that can spread the message around the world like wildfire.

It's a great way of opening up the world and being able to communicate with people who you've either lost touch with or who you wouldn't normally meet.

Many people see it as an essential business tool - others see it as a complete waste of time and full of inane drivel.

It can be both - it very much depends on how and why you use it and of course who you follow or 'like'.

Be selective - you really don't need to be on every social media site to make it work for you.  Choose the one's you enjoy, that make sense for you and that work for what you want to achieve.  Besides the fact that there just aren't enough hours in the day to be on every one - they all have their pros and cons.

Set aside time for your social media - a few minutes every day on your main sites and a few minutes every week on your secondary sites.

If you want to join in the social media buzz there are events happening live offline and online all around the world.  http://socialmediaweek.org/

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Can Twitter change the world? Day 3 of Social Media Week London (metrica.net)
• Social Media Week: 7 Events You Can Still Attend! (basekit.com)

Networking Tip #24 Quality or Quantity

There often seem to be two main debates on networking and your contact lists - the "Quality vs Quantity" debate and this applies to most of the main social media sites.

Some people purely play the numbers game and go for Quantity - regardless of the quality of the contacts and are unlikely to develop a relationship with many of those in their network.

Others are more interested in Quality and will nurture and develop a smaller number of contacts who they know at some level.

I'm more selective and tend to connect with people I know, develop relationships started offline or connect offline with those I know online (where practical).  Because of the introduction opportunity on LinkedIn it makes sense to at least be on speaking or nodding terms with those in your 1st level  so that you can make the most of your 2nd level connections.

It also takes time to manage and build your relationship which is going to take a whole lot longer if you have tens of thousands of people in your network, unless you're only interested in one-way, outward communication.

Which do you prefer and are you a Quantity or Quality networker?

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Networking Tips #17 Offline vs Online (clareevans.blogspot.com)
• Networking Tips #15 It's Not Who You Know (clareevans.blogspot.com)

Networking Tips #22 Make It Personal

Most of us receive regular invites to connect with someone on one of the many and growing number of social media networks.

The majority come with the pretty standard invitation message.  Linked In, ReferralKey, Connect.me

Linked In in, like many others, allows you to send invites or connect with people you know.

Most people just use the standard "I'd like to add you to my professional network" but sometimes this creates a question in the mind of the receiver.

• Do I really know this person? (perhaps I do and I've forgotten)
• Have I done business with them? (don't recognise them or their business name)
• Why have they indicated 'friend' and we've never met?

Linked In might be a bit limited in the choice of reasons to connect but it doesn't stop you from changing the standard message to something a bit more personal.

"We met at x networking event ...."
"I enjoyed your recent talk, seminar, blog, podcast ..."
"I'm interested in finding out more about ..."

Give them a reason you'd like to connect and they're more likely to Accept your invite.  It also helps to open up the conversation.  You might not know them but there might be a perfectly good reason and perhaps an opportunity in at least saying "Hello".

Equally - if you receive an invite - it might be worth taking a few moments to clarify the reasons for their contact before automatically accepting - especially if you're not sure who they are or can't remember where you met them.

Send a personal message after you've accepted too - even "Thanks" is better than nothing.

So if you'd like to connect with me on Linked In - send me an invite, please do but make it personal and tell me why.

Related articles

• Networking Tips #17 Offline vs Online (clareevans.blogspot.com)
• Networking Tips #16 How Not To Network (clareevans.blogspot.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Networking Tips #21 Social Media Networking

Image by daniel_iversen via Flickr

These days, anyone who's in business is in to social media - or so it seems.

Now there are still a lot of people who don't 'get' it and many people think it's just another place to waste time on idle gossip (it can be) but it's also a great place for online networking.

It's not that different from networking offline - it's part of your marketing strategy and if you're going to use it for business then you need to have some form of strategy to make the most of it.  Talk to the experts if you need to find out how to make it work for you.

The 'social' part means you don't need to be rigidly formal all the time.  You also don't or shouldn't post purely about business.  Just like face-to-face networking, no one wants to be bombarded with a constant sales pitch.

Use it to keep in touch and have conversations with people you meet in the off-line world.  Get to know people online before you meet them face-to-face.  It certainly helps to break the ice as you feel you already know them.

Expand your network beyond the limitations of face-to-face networking, where you're more restricted by time and location.

Social networking is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with a wider audience.  It's also a good to way to bring people to your website.

Connect with people on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Search out the websites, forums and discussion groups for your industry.  Find the social media networks that work best for you and

Related articles

• Networking Tips #17 Offline vs Online (clareevans.blogspot.com)

Grow Your Followers On Twitter

Follow me on Twitter via WikipediaSomething I often get asked about Twitter is how to grow your followers.  It's relatively easy to grow the people you follow if you spend a few minutes a day actively finding people to follow but how do you get people to follow you?

Well, this might depend on whether you want to put a little time and effort in to Twitter and create a following organically or if you want to use some of the automation tools that are available.

Automation tools like TweetAdder will enable you to increase your followers based on certain filters but you may be playing the numbers game rather than building a targeted following.

Some people automatically follow you back when you Follow them, so that's one way to increase your Followers.

People are more likely to follow you if you have something interesting to say.

Have conversations, share information, re-tweet other people's tweets - if people see you engaging with people they follow, they're more likely to follow you.

Share information 80% of the time and 'sell' 20% of the time or less.

What goes around, comes around.  If you follow more people, the chances are more people will follow you.

Patience and persistence pay off.  Don't expect thousands of people to start following you as soon as you start using Twitter.  It does take time.

If you're not going to spend the time, don't get involved.  Think about your reasons for being on Twitter (or any other social media platform).  If you have an objective and a strategy, you're far more likely to get results and have people following you.

Networking Tips #18 Pay It Forward

Networking is a two-way process.  It's not just about what you can get from networking it's just as much about what you can give to your network.

Your network is a valuable resource of product and service providers.  You probably know people from a whole range of professions.  If someone requests an accountant or a book-keeper - why wouldn't you refer someone in your network?

After all, referring someone you already know and may have done business with yourself, is better than a random choice via the Yellow pages or Google.

The more you put in and the more you can refer other people, the more likely they are to refer you.  But don't do it just for that reason.

Many networking groups make referrals part of the way they run their groups.  Personally - I don't like this.  I prefer to be able to refer anyone I know and not just the one representative from my group who may not be the best or the most appropriate.

Mark Shaw (@MarkShaw) has a great idea - taking advantage of the power of Twitter by passing on requests for referrals to his followers using a specific hashtag #msrfr.  You may be able to help directly or someone following you may know someone who knows someone ...

When a client, customer or someone you meet out networking asks for, or is seeking help - take a look at your own network and see who you know who could help them out and give them the information they need.

Related articles

• Networking Tips #15 It's Not Who You Know (clareevans.blogspot.com)
• Networking Tips #12 Give It Time (clareevans.blogspot.com)

Image credit: manostphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Networking Tips #17 Offline vs Online

These days it's just as easy to network online as it is offline.  In fact it's probably easier:
- you don't need to leave your office
- you don't need to get dressed up
- you don't need to travel in order to network
- you get to drink your own coffee
- it's cheaper
- it saves time

Online networking has a great advantage - not only for the above reasons but also in that it enables you to reach a far wider audience than you can with traditional face-to-face networking.

You also get to 'network' or at least connect with friends of friends, colleagues of colleagues more quickly and easily than you can offline.

If you're the shy, retiring type - online networking maybe less intimidating than entering a room full of strangers.

However, many of the tips that I've mentioned for those face-to-face meetings apply just as much to your online networking.

Apply as much time and effort to building a relationship with your online network as you would offline.

Meet up offline with your online network.  Many 'online' groups also arrange 'offline' meetings, so you get to meet in the real world.  While you might make a connection and even have lengthy conversations with people virtually, it's always good to put a face to a name in the real world.

Initial introductions can be made online which makes you feel as if you already know them when you get to meet them in person and realise it's the first time you've actually met.

Connect with the people you meet offline in the online world too - on Twitter and LinkedIn or the social networks you both frequent.  Continue conversations you've started offline.

Use the method of networking which works best for you and your business but a good mix of the two can present great opportunities.

Which do you prefer and where do you spend most of your networking time?

Image: Sujin Jetkasettakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Avoid Your Twitter Account Being Hacked

It happens in emails and now it also happens on social media.  Accounts get hacked and send out spammy, phishing messages to your friends and followers.  I've seen a few recently.

Here's how to avoid your Twitter account being hacked or compromised.

Check who you follow - once you follow someone they can send you Direct Messages (DMs) and could be a route for twitter 'spam'.  (A good reason not to auto-follow as you don't know who you're really following).

Don't give 3rd party Apps access to your twitter account unless you can trust them.  Many valid apps use your Twitter Account to access information and share it on other profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn etc).  However some may then use these details to either hack your account or send you spam - especially those that claim to show you information about your Twitter profile in some way.

Dummy or fake webpages could mislead you into thinking it's a valid site.  Check the URL - most phishing sites will contain a shadow of the real site.

Never click on any link from someone you don't know.  While most Twitter 'hacks' are phishing for your account details - some may contain viruses.  They may look tempting or intriguing by be careful.

Even the smartest of your friends can be caught out, so if you see anything along the lines of "Hey is this you " .... "Have you tried this quiz " .... "I made $xxx ..."  - you know the sort of thing - something that seems out of the 'norm', don't click the link - just ignore or delete it.

Let them know.  Send them a polite message (DM) advising them that their Twitter account may have been hacked.


So what do I do?

Change your password immediately and remove any connection to 3rd Party Apps that you recently connected to that might be suspect (see Twitter.com).  One reason not to connect to all those 'fun' sites.

Use a browser or virus software that will warn you if you access a phishing site.

Never enter your account details or other personal information unless you know it's a valid site.


Has your account ever been compromised and what did you do to get round it?

Related articles

• Hours later "Is This You?" DM phishing scam still flooding Twitter (thenextweb.com)
• Beware Twitter Scam App (thenextweb.com)
• Twitter - My Account Has Been Compromised (twitter.com)

Image via CrunchBase

Always On. The consequences of hyper-connectivity.

I just happened to catch Dominic Arkwright's Off The Page on BBC Radio 4 last night and the topic was - Always On. The consequences of hyper-connectivity.  Involved with the discussion were Jemima Kiss of the Guardian, William Powers - author of Hamlet's Blackberry and Harry Eyres columnist of the FT's Slow Lane.

Cover via AmazonIn these days of wireless technology and social media - once you're on, it can be hard to get away from it.  The constant urge to check your messages, your email, your tweets, your Facebook page.

The increasing occurrence of people being face-to-face but not really communicating - at least not with each other.  Being in each other's presence but feeling the need to engage with one of their many gadgets at the same time.

How many times have you been out for a meal and seen people talking on their mobile phone or perhaps sitting in your local coffee shop, facing each other while on their laptops?  Yes, I'll admit to tweeting when in meetings - but it's usually meeting related and for the purposes of sharing (no, really).

Are we really paying attention to each other or aware of what's going on around us, if we're constantly plugged in and switched on.

Social media and all this hyper-connectivity is a great distraction.  It's all too easy to fritter away a whole day, engaging with one variety of technology or another and not actually doing anything productive or constructive.

There was much discussion on the programme about the size of their respective email Inboxes.  Is this an indicator of 'busyness', importance or just a lack of organisation?

If you don't have a strategy for dealing with all those emails, they can quickly add up.  I'm often helping people to tackle their mountains of email, creating order out of chaos - in fact it's come up twice in discussion today.

You need to know when to draw the line between the virtual/social media world and the real world right in front of you and what's going on all around you.

William Powers likened it to a sugar addiction - that rush, the buzz of excitement, the intensity of the experience.  How do you feel when you're offline or away from technology for any length of time?

Jemima described how she spent four weeks offline and totally disconnected (see article link below).

When I took a sabbatical several years ago, I remember it took about six weeks to totally switch off from work.  Yes, I'd been enjoying visiting new places and meeting new people since day one but it was only when I was in to week six that I realised I wasn't even thinking about work.

I wonder how different it would be now that we're all so much more connected.  Back then social media didn't exist to the same degree and mobile phones were the main intrusion.


Less is more
I've been in family situations where everyone is on their laptop - having conversations with people who aren't in the room.  Now if this family includes teenagers, the chances are they're on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and 'chat' all at the same time!

• Implement technology free zones.  One room in the house where technology (mobile phones and texting, laptops and social media are banned).

• Ban mobile phones from meal times.  Yup, those teenagers at the dinner table, texting their mates that seem to be surgically attached to their mobile phones.  Those of us who are old enough to remember a time before the mobile phone, may find it easier to do.  Others can't imagine life without them.

• Know when to switch off.  Deal with the 'crackberry' addiction and take time out when you're totally unconnected.

• Keep the weekends technology free as much as possible, especially if you spend most of your working day 'connected'.

Time to Think
Image by DonkerDink via FlickrHarry mentioned the importance of finding time for thinking.  It's certainly something I don't see people do enough and at a time when everyone is trying to do more and more, we actually need to do less and leave more time for doing nothing.

While writing my book, I certainly felt the need to take frequent breaks to just switch off my brain from the computer and the screen in front of me and go and do something completely different to let the ideas mull over, or allow something to pop into the blank slate that I'd been staring at for the last few hours.

Switching off is just as important as being permanently connected.  I have my best creative ideas when doing something else - usually a walk, being outside, gardening.

Make time in your life that doesn't involved always being connected.

Related articles

• Jemima Kiss: How I kicked my digital habit (guardian.co.uk)
• Multi-media, multi-tasking
• Are you attached to your Blackberry or iPhone
• Technology - Slave or Master 
• ... and plenty of other blog posts and articles on managing social media and email

The Power Of Twitter

Image via CrunchBaseI was interviewed by Mark Shaw @MarkShaw today as part of his series of Twitter Your Business Interviews.

You can listen to the full interview here.

One of the things that we both agree on, is that Twitter is a powerful, social networking tool and not just in the traditional sense.

We've seen just how powerful it can be in recent news headlines about who said or did what, as reported on Twitter -  super-injunction, stealth operation or not.  Breaking news now often happens on Twitter first and not the 24hr news channels.

On a smaller scale, Twitter can be just as powerful for you and your business.  It's about giving and sharing - the more you give and share, the more you'll get back in return.

• Respond to requests for information.
• Pass on requests (RTs).
• Share information and advice.
• Offer your words of wisdom.

Last week someone posted an urgent request for a photographer for her wedding the following day.  It got passed around the Twittersphere and within a few hours, she'd found a photographer - at the last minute, for a Bank Holiday weekend.

I've seen things like this happen time and time again.  People make a request or plea and within minutes or at the most a couple of hours, people on Twitter will come up with a number of referrals, recommendations, suggestions, options and support.

Paul Smith, otherwise known as @Twitchhiker, managed to hike to the other side of the world in just 30 days using the goodwill and generosity of the people on Twitter.

There aren't many means of communication that can be as instant, responsive and supportive.

What examples have you had of how Twitter has helped you or how you've helped others?

Related articles

• http://www.markshaw.biz/is-rfr-the-spirit-of-twitter/

Twitter - To AutoDM or not to AutoDM

If you use Twitter you'll be familiar with AutoDMs - otherwise known as Automated Direct Messages.  These are the automated messages you receive within minutes or hours, whenever you follow someone.

It's possible to set this automation up in a number of Twitter related applications but what's the benefit and why do people do it.

Interestingly when I asked the question - most people hate AutoDMs - they see them as impersonal and too spammy.  Some dislike them so much, they'll unfollow the person when they receive it.

Personally I don't use AutoDMs - I did think about it and was thinking about it again recently but for me I prefer to send a new follower something a bit more personalised - although offering my free Time Audit could be seen as being 'spammy' in itself.

So if so many people hate AutoDMs and will actively unfollow - why do people do it?

What do you think - love it, hate it, use it?

Twitter - What's It All About?

Many of the people I come across in business while I'm out networking don't 'get' Twitter.  So, here's a short summary to give you an idea if you've signed up and wondering what it's all about.

• It's a micro-blogging tool or if you prefer it's SMS (Text messaging) online.
  
• Keep in touch with your network quickly and easily.
  
• Build your credibility and raise your visibility with an audience you wouldn't normally meet or connect with.
  
• Build relationships with people - both those you know and those you don't.
  
• Promote who you are and what you do - don't over do it though, it puts people off.

It can be very 'noisy' and full of chatter and of course there are the spammers and hackers that you find all over the net.

It takes time but can be well worth a little effort.

As a business it's a part of your marketing strategy and you need to use it that way.  Have an idea of what you want to achieve by using Twitter.

- do you expect to get new business from it?
- do you want to expand your network?
- do you want to connect with your customers?
- do you want to share and inform?
- do you want to find new suppliers and service providers?

In the same way you wouldn't expect to get instant business from going to a networking meeting for the first time, don't expect instant results from Twitter.

Decide what you're going to do and how you're going to use it.  How much time you have available, how and what you're going to tweet.

Set aside time for your social media networking.  It does take time but don't make the mistake of getting sucked in and end up wasting hours of your day time.  Aim to be online a few minutes each day.

• Post regularly.
• Connect with your followers.
• Find people to follow to build your network.
• Consistency and frequency is important.

Strike a balance between personal and business.  Remember - everything you say - reflects on you and your business, not everyone really wants to know what you had for breakfast. 

Getting The Most Out Of Twitter

Image via WikipediaI often hear people say they don't 'get' Twitter or don't see the point.  How can you really expect to get business from it, it's just a waste of time?

Well as someone who's very aware of time-wasters, I know  how it could become a complete waste of time - just as any other of the Social Media sites could ... if you let them.

The important thing is to know how and why you're using it and what you expect to get from it.

If you're using it for business then you need to know how you're going to use it and how to see if it's working for you.

• Create your profile, include a bio with links to your website and add a picture or logo.  Your Twitter profile is the first place people will look when they're connecting with you and deciding whether to follow you or not.

• Twitter is a form of networking - it enables you to have conversations with your clients, contacts, prospects - albeit brief conversations but it's a good way for people to get to know you.
  
  
• Tweet regularly.  There's nothing worse than finding someone's profile and finding they haven't tweeted for weeks or even months.  But then again - don't tweet too often.  Some people seem able to churn out tweets at a rate of knots.
  
  
• Don't use too much automation.  Some automation is great and there are some great Twitter apps that will make life easier by feeding your tweets into various sites without having to duplicate effort.
  
  
• @Reply and DM (direct message) people who respond to you.  Connect with your followers.
  
  
• Participate, share and pass it on.  Re-tweet (RT) tweets that you find are useful or interesting.  If you'd like a message re-tweeted - keep it to 120 characters to make it easier to RT without having to be edited first.
  
  
• Keep it brief. Tweeting is a good discipline for keeping your message short and sweet.  See just how much you can communicate in just 140 characters.

Regularly check what responses you're getting from Twitter - website traffic, enquiries, contacts, sales, customer service, increased visibility ...

A few minutes a day spent tweeting and responding should be all that's needed to establish and maintain your  Twitter presence.

It's not for everyone but if you're online and using social media it should probably be part of your marketing strategy.

Related articles

• Are You Making The Most Of Your Social Media Time?
• Finding Followers On Twitter

• How I Use Twitter
• Are You Tweeting Yet?

Think Before You Speak

... or at least type.

All too often these days, something gets written online - perhaps in the heat of the moment or in reaction to something they've seen or read which can lead to all sorts of potential problems, mis-interpretation and faulty impressions that were perhaps unintended.

What you say - particularly if you're doing business online - reflects on you, your brand and the impression of who you are and how you work.  People can be switched off in an instant if they see something you've said or written online they don't like or agree with.

Now, you need to be authentic and people like to see someone's character but sometimes it can pay to think before you speak.

I've seen discussions that have turned into public spats.  Supposed business professionals behaving like children in the school playground or even degenerating into the downright abusive and bullying.  Fortunately extreme instances of bad behaviour are rare (at least on the networking sites I inhabit) but they do happen.

Some people will happily stir things up or keep the discussion going just so they can get their point across or to have the last word.  Lively discussion and debate is great and it's what makes certain sites more interesting but there can be a fine line.

Keep your personal opinions to the 'social' environment and be aware of how your professional persona is coming across in the online world.

M.A.D. Switch Off!

How many hours a week do you work – really … how many?

In between the early mornings, the late evenings and weekend working - Twitter and Social Media, at all hours of the day and night, many of us are likely to be putting in far more than 35-40 hours a week

Judging by the number of emails, tweets and forum posts I receive that have been posted over the weekend and late in the evening, it would appear that some people have very little distinction between work time and personal time ... or perhaps they'd rather avoid home life.

It's important to have a structure to your work and schedule your working hours accordingly.  Some people prefer to start late and work late, some people like to start early and finish early.  If you don't the luxury of flexible working or being able to set your own hours, make sure your employer isn't extracting more than their pound of flesh.

Now, here's a revelation - you can switch your smartphone off! Yes, really. The world won’t end just because you haven't answered the email you received at 11.30pm (the person who sent it is in need of some balanced working too!).

There may be occasions when late nights and weekend working are required but don't let them become a habit.  Have a couple of days each week when you finish early (or at least on time).

What could you do this week to spend a few less hours working and have a few more hours for yourself?

If you're having difficulty switching off - contact me for a free strategy session or check your Time Habits.

Related articles:

• Reclaim Your Time: 20 Great Ways to Find More Free Time | zen habits
• Make The Most Of Your Time Online 

Just Because ...

• Just because you've got hundreds of followers - that's no reason for me to follow you.
• Just because we share a connection to dozens of other people doesn't mean I necessarily want to be connected to you too.
• Just because you send me a random 'Please connect with me' message, doesn't mean I'll accept.
• Just because you send me a Skype contact request - doesn't mean I will.
• Just because you follow me on Twitter doesn't mean I'll automatically follow you back.

If you're on any form of social media you probably receive dozens of requests to connect every day and you may feel guilty or boorish if you don't accept them all.

I'm more than happy to connect with random strangers occasionally you never know what might come of it.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to connect with every Tom, Dick and Harriet that sends me an invite.

Firstly, people like to know who you are and if you're not using a proper name, don't have a bio or a photo then they don't know.

Secondly, they'd like to know why you want to connect.  Just because you have dozens of mutual friends, doesn't mean you know them any better than they know you.  After all, they may only be connected to you because you sent them a random invite.  You might not really know them at all.

So, if you'd like to connect - that's fine but let them know you're a real person and that you're just not playing the numbers game and collecting as many followers, connections or 'friends' as you can.

Twitter: Finding People To Follow

When you're new to Twitter, you may wonder how to find new people to follow or to get more people to follow you.  I prefer the natural way to follow people and grow my list of Followers on Twitter.  I DON'T auto-follow and I NEVER join lists that promise you thousands of followers.  If you're going for numbers then go ahead and do it that way.  Here's what I do:

• Check out people following me and if they look interesting then I'll happily follow them back.
• Look at who's following people I follow or who are following me.  This can often turn up a few gems - especially if you move in the same circles, as you'll find people you didn't know were on Twitter.
• Check your Twitter stream.  Who's replying to your followers?  You can often find people to follow through who other people are reply to and Re-Tweeting.
• Use tools like Twellow and GeoChirp to find people in a particular industry or in your area.
• When you meet people at offline networking events you'll often find that they're also on Twitter, find their Twitter ID and follow them.
• Use Google or an internet search engine to check a person's name and see if they're on Twitter.  Not everyone uses their own name for Twitter - they may use their Company name.
• Check people's contact details in their online profiles - they'll probably list their Twitter name there too (or they should do).
• Check #FollowFriday tweets - people recommend others to follow.  Add a few of your own and give a reason so other people can check them out too.

You'll grow your followers and you'll find that the more you tweet and the more you participate, the more quickly it will happen.