10 Ways to Optimize Your Use of Twitter

10 Ways to Optimize Your Use of Twitter
By Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott (c) 2012

It's easy and free to create a Twitter Account but how to take
advantage of this amazing tool still eludes many.

Twitter Cheat Sheet for Authors

Basic Terminology:

TWEET - Any message 140 characters long sent out to everyone.
Unless you send a direct message (DM), everything on Twitter is
viewable to the public.

DM - Direct Message. These messages are private and only between
people who DM each other.

RT - Retweet. Twitter has created a re-tweeting tool that makes
it easier, but the standard convention is to put a RT, cite the
source of the message, and then retweet.
Example, if I wrote: "I write, but not always right." You would
RT @unrulyguides "I write, but not always right."
The goal is to encourage others to retweet your message thus
expanding your reach.

# - Hashtag. These are used in front of a word or set of letters
to allow easy communication on a specific topic. For example, if
you tweet about dogs with other canine lovers, you could use the
hashtag #dogtalk. This becomes a clickable link in your message
and when clicked will display all the tweets using that hashtag.

#FF - Follow Friday. It's a nice way to show support of other
tweeters. On Friday.

10 Tips to Optimize Your Use of Twitter:

1. Use Your Real Name, If Possible
Make it easy for people who know you to find you on Twitter.

2. Add a Profile Picture
This should be a picture of you. People connect better with
other people, not cartoons, book covers, logos, etc.

3. Link to Your Website
Hopefully you have a blog or website you can link to. If you
don't, create one now.

4. Write Your Bio
Make it memorable. Make it relevant to who you are. You don't
have to be funny or cute, but if you can, and still be relevant,
then do it.

5. Tweet Regularly
This is the biggest obstacle for authors. But it is key to
promotion. It doesn't matter if you only have two followers and
one is your mom, you still need to tweet daily, to be effective.

If you don't have something to write, then RT something funny
or useful. Another way is to connect your blog to your twitter
account, then every "post" you write is automatically "tweeted"
on Twitter.

6. Tweet Relevant Information
Don't tweet every moment of your life, such as "I am eating a
hamburger" or "I should have ate a salad." These tweets are not
interesting or relevant. However, if you were eating a hamburger
with Johnny Depp sitting at the next table, then by all means,
tweet. "I just ate the best hamburger sitting next to Johnny
Depp. Now I am ready to write my romance novel."

7. Link and Don't Link
It's good to link to other places and share your discoveries;
however, if all you do is link, people may think you are just
trying to sell to them and won't give much regard to your posts.

8. Have a Personality
This is easy. Be yourself. You don't have to be overly, funny
or smart. Twitter is all about connecting with people - so be
a person.

9. Follow Those Worth Following
Some people are all into the quantity. But I recommend looking
for quality. Just because you are being followed by someone you
do not have to return the follow. Only follow people that are
relevant and beneficial to you or your audience.

10. Communicate with Others
Twitter is all about communication. If people talk to you or RT
your message, then talk back and/or thank them. (SECRET: People
like to feel involved and acknowledged. I like it, you like it,
everybody likes it.)

Set up your free 'Twitter Account' (http://twitter.com/).
================================================================
Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott is the founder of UnrulyGuides.com
(http://www.UnrulyGuides.com), a resource for self-published
authors. She also operates OneWay Advertising and Design, a
Christian advertising and marketing agency focusing on the Book
and Ebook market. Since 1988, she has provided professional
services including book layout and design, book and e-book
formatting, Internet marketing, website design and SEO. She has
published several books including the "Ebook Formatting Kit for
Epub and Mobi" and "How to Create a Book Cover Design."
================================================================

	Copyright © 2012 Jayde Online, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.

http://www.BizSocialBoom.com Local Marketing, Video Marketing, Main Street Marketing. text your name and email 801-901-3480 and find out more about your website on the first page search results. Local and Video Marketing.

Six Things Businesses Need to Know About Facebook's Timeline

  Article printed from SiteProNews: http://www.sitepronews.com
  HTML version available at: http://www.sitepronews.com/archives.html

Six Things Businesses Need to Know About Facebook's Timeline
By Laura Tate (c) 2012

Since its inception, social media giant Facebook has seen
numerous changes to its layouts, and many useful features have
been added. The most recent of these is the "Timeline," which
was introduced in December 2011.

The Timeline arranges posts according to date, streamlining all
materials, including status messages, pictures, videos, and other
Facebook activities, showing a history of a Fan page.

By now every company that utilizes Facebook for their social
media networking has incorporated the Timeline. However, many
might have been put off by the changes and not taken a look at
all that is offered with the new features or optimized the
obvious ones.

Here are six things business owners should know about Timeline
on Facebook.

1. The Large, Space-Occupying Cover Photo
This area, located at the top of the Facebook page is the first
thing people see when visiting a page. Facebook has dedicated
851 x 315 pixels just for this space alone.

The No. 1 consideration when utilizing the cover photo feature
is using an image or graphic that will pop out and catch a
viewer's attention.

However, Facebook has placed limitations on business use of the
cover photo: no offers of discounts on services, no contact
information, like email, and definitely no calls to actions,
especially asking viewers to Like your page, are allowed on the
cover photo. Even an arrow pointing to the official Facebook
Like button is disallowed.

Hence, the cover photo should be striking enough to draw
viewers' interest, while conveying the business brand image
and/or its services.

Whatever message is put on the cover photo, it should make
people want to view the company's Timeline and tabs under the
cover.

2. No More Default Landing Pages
In the past, businesses created Facebook landing pages where
people were asked to click the "Like" button, install an
application, complete a survey or even join a competition. These
calls to action were usually associated with an offer of a free
download, such as an Ebook, or discount on services or products.

Now, with Facebook's new layout, people are directed immediately
toward the company's Timeline page, without passing through
another portal. This is intended to make it easier for users to
explore a business and what they're really about.

Hence, the page and Timeline of a business must be interesting
and provide concise information at the same time.

One way to showcase certain aspects of a company's history is to
highlight a posting that has a great image. When highlighted,
the post will stretch across the page, making it hard to miss.

Older posts can be re-purposed by pinning them to the top left
corner, moving it up from wherever it may be, even if it's a
year old.

3. Using Apps for Promotions and Offers
Even though offers and promotions are excluded from the cover
photo or landing pages, these useful lead-generating 'social
media campaigns' (http://www.crackerjackscribe.com/
social-media-marketing-and-reputation-managment.html) can be
utilized with approved Facebook apps.

Some apps are free, but with the caveat of carrying their
maker's logo. If you don't mind, then they are very useful.
Shortstack (http://www.shortstack.com/) is free with limited
capabilities, such as not being able to compile a database for
contest or other forms. However it's useful to generate
interest, and you can embed your business blog into Facebook
with the app, pointing it back to your Web site with links.
The app also offers paid versions starting at $30.

Once installed, the tab images will show up under the cover
photo. To generate interest, use eye-catching images with
informative text below the tabs to entice visitors to click on
them.

4. Businesses can Receive and Reply to PMs
With the new Timeline in place, people can now send personal or
private messages to companies, and businesses may reply to these
messages as well.

This feature is excellent for helping businesses network with
potential clients, and enables another avenue to provide customer
service.

It can also be switched off, particularly if the message load is too
much to handle.

5. Everybody can see Posts About Businesses
If a certain company or business is mentioned in a comment,
reply, post, or an uploaded medium, it will be seen in the
company's Timeline, and everyone can see it.

This feature, as with most others, can be disabled, or, at the
very least, posts can be screened in order to see whether they
would be harmful to the business.

6. User Friendly Admin Controls
The new Facebook Timeline has made it easier for businesses to
monitor the number of likes, comments, sharing, and all aspects
of a company's Facebook fan page from one place.

A more detailed look at visitor engagement is offered with
Insights. A fan page must have a minimum of 30 likes in order to
utilize the chart, which shows number of Likes, Reach, and People
Talking about your page. More detailed information such as what
is drawing the most activity - photos, posts, mentions etc. -
on your page are offered as well.

These are just a few of the new aspects of Facebook's Timeline
that can help a business draw more engagement from existing and
potential customers and fans.

For further, in-depth information, visit the social site's 'help
center' (http://www.facebook.com/help).
================================================================
Laura Tate is the founder of Crackerjack Scribe, an online social
media marketing and content publishing company. Laura formerly
served as associate publisher and editor for the online and print
versions of Malibu Times Magazine, and The Malibu Times newspaper.
For more tips on utilizing social media and content publishing
to maximize your Web site's presence on the Internet, visit:
http://www.crackerjackscribe.com.
================================================================

	Copyright © 2012 Jayde Online, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.

http://www.BizSocialWeb.com Local Marketing, Video Marketing, Main Street Marketing. text your name and email 801-901-3480 and find out more about your website on the first page search results. Local and Video Marketing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcc8vRf8hDw

Video Marketing - 1st Page Results

Video Marketing - 1st Page Results

All About
YouTube Marketing

By James Chapman (c) 2012

Promoting a business can be extremely taxing, especially when you're just getting started. If you're into checking out marketing blogs, you've probably come across some information about YouTube marketing. This form of advertising falls under the umbrella of video advertising, which falls under the even larger umbrella of Internet marketing. Take a look at some specifics of this business strategy to deepen your understanding about its importance and utilize it to help popularize your products or services.

Why Online Video Advertising?

Video marketing is one of the leading advertising platforms on the Internet. People of all ages and from different backgrounds are taking advantage of this promotional opportuníty in an effort to maximize the visibility of their business. It falls under the concept of showing rather than telling and continues to draw an abundance of viewers if done correctly. There are several types of video marketing. The primary kinds include article video marketing, viral video marketing and social video marketing. Individuals can utilize one or multiple forms according to their specific needs and intentions. If you're not certain about how to implement videos, it's a good idea to consult with a professional or consider audio production schools in your area that'll provide thorough instruction:

Article Video Marketing

This type of video marketing typically interests those who prefer the less time-consuming practice of watching informational videos rather than reading articles. Video marketing involves businesses or individuals developing numerous short clips that display the contents of articles written beforehand. Most videos are between two and five minutes and cover a wide range of topics. After the videos are created, they're uploaded onto popular video-sharing websites to target an audience.

Articles can be converted into videos in a number of ways. One of the most popular ways is to turn the written pieces into a PowerPoint presentation or animated slideshow. Pictures and a voiceover narration are usually added to the presentation before it's recorded via screen capture software and put on the Internet for viewing pleasure. An alternative involves recording an article and saving it as an MP3 file. Afterwards, video layout software is used to change the audio to a video. The finished product is then exported and uploaded to relevant websites for exposure. Viral Video Marketing

Another form of online video advertising is viral video marketing which contains humorous events, eyewitness incidents or clips from comedy sketches on television. Many clips are shot by amateurs on mobile devices and edited with the use of economical tools and software before being published on video sharing sites, social networking sites and personal websites.

Most viral videos are created as a dialogue and shared with the intention of entertaining family and friends, although many people use it as a way to engage prospective customers. This option has benefited word-of-mouth marketing and was preceded by email-sharing. These videos continue to grow in popularity in a variety of sectors, including education and music. However, fans of this concept must be careful not to violate copyright laws, as this has been a major downside to viral video-making and has been the result of several problems within the entertainment industry.
Social Video Marketing

This choice is equally significant. Social video marketing (SVM) is similar to viral video marketing in that it engages a wide audience through the distribution of video. However, the notion of self-expression tends to be more evident. This form of video marketing relies heavily on social theory, consumer culture theory, and economic theory.

SVM also intends to leave a deeper contextual message, rather than simply being a pass-along model between sender and recipient. In other words, a more individualistic approach is taken and the finished product tends to have more depth as it forms solid relationships and builds trust between publishers and viewers.

Introducing YouTube

Despite the kind of video marketing used, many advertisers can attest to the benefits of sharing their clips on YouTube. This video-sharing site attracts millions of visitors on a regular basis and contains a large host of products, including music videos, TV clips, movie clips, video blogs, and original clips. Although mostly individuals upload videos on the site, several major corporations have been known to make contributions as well.

Content is constantly investigated by YouTube's employees. Explicit or offensive material can only be viewed by registered users. This group also has the privilege of uploading videos, as well as watching them. Unregistered users, on the other hand, solely have the right to view distributed clips.

Besides uploading, YouTube also contains other valuable features. Playback is a major attribute on the site and enables users to view finished products if an Adobe Flash Player plug-in is installed on their computer. Browsers that support specific HTML5 versions, such as advanced video coding and WebM, also afford individuals the opportunity to view videos, although some clips are still inaccessible with this alternative. Additional features include 3D videos, various platforms and a new localization system.

How it All Began

At the beginning of 2005, YouTube was established by three former PayPal employees. The entire concept of the video-sharing website was developed over the course of a few months and started out as a technology start-up company. Its headquarters were initially located in San Mateo, California.

After its inception, the site grew faster than anticipated. By the summer of 2006, it was reported that thousánds of videos were being uploaded every day and millions of viewers were watching clips per day. Numbers continued to increase and moved into the billions by 2010. Since then, YouTube has embarked on several new concepts, such as the ability to upload full-length videos and the free streaming of specific content. A new design was also launched to provide additional benefits to users.

Today, YouTube is headquartered in San Bruno, California. After being acquired by Google, the Google+ social networking site was integrated with YouTube which allow the site's videos to be viewed from Google's interface. YouTube is a dominant force in the online business market in the United States and it also ranks relatively high in other regions, including the United Kingdom. As of 2012, more than 4 billion videos are streamed per day.

About The Author
Article by James Chapman. Learn more about YouTube marketing. AppliedOnlineMarketing.com

http://www.BizSocialBoom.com Local Marketing, Video Marketing, Main Street Marketing. text your name and email 801-901-3480 and find out more about your website on the first page search results. Local and Video Marketing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcc8vRf8hDw