Tag : Twitter

  • Case Study: Mompreneur Grows Business by Using Twitter to Build Relationships

    Posted Jul 22nd, 2010 By in Business, Case Studies, Social Networking, Twitter With | 6 Comments

    “Social networking is still a luxury, and I don’t have time to use it for my business.” Does this sound familiar? This is the most common excuse I receive from entrepreneurs and clients. So, since we all have the same amount of hours in a day, how does Dawn Papandrea-Khan, a mompreneur of four kids under the age of six manage to run three businesses and make time to use social networking to grow her business?

    I met Dawn on Twitter last year and hired her for a few graphic design projects. Not only was I tremendously impressed by her work, but also by her dedication to make social networking work for her business. A couple of months ago, Dawn mentioned to me that 90 percent of her clients come from Twitter. So, I invited Dawn to share her story with my blog readers.

    Let’s listen to what she has to say in this 20-minute interview:

    To view Dawn’s work, you can visit her websites below:

    DPK Graphic Design – http://DPK-GraphicDesign.com

    DPK Virtual Assistant Services – http://DPK-VirtualAssistant.com

    Surfaces with Paint (NY Based Decorative Painting Biz) – http://SurfaceswithPaint.com

    Painter Mommy (My Everything Blog) – http://PainterMommy.com

    Here is also my blog post that Dawn mentions:  Top 50 Social Media Mistakes Made by Small Businesses

    I will be posting more case study interviews like this on a regular basis. If you are using social media successfully in your business and would like to be interviewed, please reach out to me. I love hearing social media success stories!

    Did this help you to see how entrepreneurs are using social networking to grow their business?  What was your takeaway from the interview?

  • Why Audience Engagement Matters with Social Media

    Posted Jul 15th, 2010 By in Social Media, Social Networking With | 6 Comments

    Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned social media pro, it’s important to stay connected to your audience. It’s easy to forget the purpose of being social if you’re too consumed with promoting yourself. Every now and then, we all need a reminder about how important it is to provide value and to be genuine in our attempts at audience engagement. Don’t forget that social media is here to stay!

    Studies on Social Media Usage

    A recent study shows that Generation Y, or Millennials, will continue to use social networking as they age. Contrary to what few believe, social media and sharing is not just a fad – it’s here to stay. 67% of technology experts questioned in the study agree that Millennials will not grow out of sharing information about themselves on social networks. This should come as no surprise as social media is increasingly become an important part of our lives. Many people are already willing to admit the check Twitter or Facebook before their email and there are studies to show that. If you’re an internet marketer, there is no way to success if you ignore these social media channels.

    Storytelling and Engagement

    In order to engage your customers, sharing on social media sites should consist of more than just linking to pieces of information about yourself. Nowadays, it’s even easier for people to ignore a sales pitch. They want to see your real personality and understand how you can help them. Storytelling as it relates to social media means relating a topic, story, or opinion to your customers. If you’re blogging about a topic, relate it to yourself or the average person. This makes it more personable and easier to relate to. You want to give them a reason to care or form an opinion. Telling an interesting story will encourage your audience to post question, comments and even look to you as a resource.

    Share Your Voice

    Establishing an online presence for your business means more than just setting up the accounts. Consistency counts! This can be the hardest aspects for most businesses and individuals. Being online means that you are connected 24/7 and you may feel that you’re running out of things to say. The worst thing you could do is broadcast yourself continuously. Instead, opt for variety of topics to share. Look for what your customers are interested in and if you’re not sure, research or ask. Social networks are a place where you can make a difference by providing value. Offering free resources and expert advice is always useful. As you’re active, remember to also be genuine. Show your personality and put effort into your audience outreach. They’ll appreciate a genuine source of information.

    Is there anything you would like to share about your own personal experiences with audience engagement through social media?

    Guest Author: Lynna Pham is project coordinator at Emarketed, a Los Angeles web design and web copywriting firm.

  • The Next Social Media Superstar from Austria Interviews Mirna Bard

    Posted Jun 1st, 2010 By in Business, Social Media With | 7 Comments

    I was recently interviewed by Antonia Harler, a student from Austria. Antonia and I met through Twitter and are having great conversations about social media.  She became an avid reader of my blog and asked me for an interview.

    I believe Antonia is going to be one of the next social media superstars because she truly gets it! She is a very intelligent student who has a vast interest in marketing and a passion for social media.  She is even writing her diploma thesis about Twitter as a tool for Relationship Marketing.  Antonia promised I will be one of the first readers of her thesis.  Right Antonia? :D

    You will have to visit Antonia’s blog post to read my answers to the following questions she asked:

    - For the readers who haven’t heard of you and your work, can you tell them a little bit about yourself, where you come from and what you do for a living?

    - How did you get started in Social Media? What caused you to try it and invest the time to make it work for you?

    - We see many people become “famous” through Social Media but we also often see businesses and individuals fail. What are some of the mistakes you see people make when embracing SM? And what advice would you give them?

    - Many CEOs and people in general have trouble seeing the ROI of Social Media and are therefore reluctant to use it. How would you recommend young professionals to convince their managers that Social Media can in fact pay off?

    - As a passionate reader of your blog I know that you are an avid reader of books. In your opinion, what are some of the Social Media must reads?

    - What are some of the websites you visit often to stay in the loop of all things Social Media (besides the most obvious ones such as Mashable)?

    - And last but not least, what advice would you give young professionals that are trying to make Social Media work for them? What’s the best way, in your opinion, to establish an online persona?

    Please let us know what you thought of the interview.

  • Keeping an Open Mind When It Comes to Social Media

    Posted May 26th, 2010 By in Facebook, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter With | 4 Comments

    Today the online world is atwitter with article after article insisting you must be on Twitter, have a presence on Facebook, and a profile on LinkedIn, not to mention have a blog and a YouTube channel and whatever other social media platforms are currently hot.

    What’s the bottom line?  What do you really need to do/have?

    Here’s my multi-part answer:

    First, one size does NOT fit all.  Your reasons for being on social media – to make friends, to network with potential clients, to create relationships with potential customers – and what “business” you are in – are you promoting a brand, book, cause or business? – have a great deal to do with which social media platforms would be best for you.

    Second, there’s the question of your personality.  I’m a writer, so blogging comes naturally to me.  But I actually believe in “less is more” when it comes to writing. Thus I love the 140-character limit of a tweet on Twitter for communicating certain information.

    Plus I’m disciplined – I have my Twitter strategy down to a system WITHOUT using any automated applications to “follow back,” for example.  Other people I know set a timer so that they don’t get sucked into the tweet world for longer than a set amount of time.

    Third, in terms of time, which social media activities are you most likely to keep up consistently and continually?  For example, when I’m deciding whether to follow someone back on Twitter, I look at the person’s tweets.  If he/she has only tweeted once every other month, I know that person is not a committed Twitter participant and I won’t follow back. (more…)

  • 99 Favorite Social Media Quotes and Tips

    Posted Apr 6th, 2010 By in Social Media, Social Networking With | 56 Comments

    Hot Social Media Quotes

    Hot Social Media Quotes

    Here are 99 of my favorite social media quotes.  Yes, it is a long post, but it is a fast read, and I am sure you will love every quote!  I would like for us to grow this list together.  Please post any other social media quotes that you absolutely love and want to share with others in the comments below.  BTW, these are in no particular order.  Enjoy!

    1. “How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
    2. “Networking is not about hunting. It is about farming. It’s about cultivating relationships. Don’t engage in ‘premature solicitation’. You’ll be a better networker if you remember that.” – Dr. Ivan Misner, NY bestselling author & founder of BNI
    3. “The only way to put out a social-media fire is with social-media water.” – Ramon DeLeon, managing partner of six Domino’s stores in Chicago
    4. “Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.” – Brain Solis Principal of FutureWorks
    5. “Think like a publisher, not a marketer.” – David Meerman Scott, DavidMeermanScott.com
    6. “At Twitter, mobile is in our DNA … For us, it’s all about mobile, and it always has been.” – Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter
    7. “Social media isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it offers marketers unparalleled opportunity to participate in relevant ways. It also provides a launchpad for other marketing tactics. Social media is not an island. It’s a high-power engine on the larger marketing ship.” – Matt Dickman, technomarketer.typepad.com
    8. “Privacy is dead, and social media hold the smoking gun.” – Pete Cashmore, Mashable CEO
    9. “You will make mistakes. If you are sincere about helping the community, the authenticity will show and your mistakes will be forgiven.” – Zia Yusuf, executive vice president for SAP’s global ecosystem and partner group
    10. “There’s no need to re-create everything from scratch … Look at some of the early adopters, see what they’ve done and see if it makes sense for your organization. And then think about what you need to do to customize it.” – Dave Fletcher, Utah chief technology officer
    11. “Whether something brings them joy or pain, when people share and engage in communities, they form bonds and relationships with others who acknowledge their situation.” – Liana Evans, from post on Search Engine Watch
    12. “Social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about experiences.” – Mike DiLorenzo, NHL social media marketing director
    13. “What used to be cigarette breaks could turn into ‘social media breaks’ as long as there is a clear signal and IT isn’t looking.” – David Armano
    14. “Businesses used to have a small suggestion box near the door that mostly housed dust bunnies and an occasional piece of gum. Rarely would someone get back to you. But people can now make a post from an iPhone or a BlackBerry while they’re sitting in your restaurant.” – Charles Nelson, President of Sprinkles Cupcakes president
    15. “More companies are discovering that an über-connected workplace is not just about implementing a new set of tools — it is also about embracing a cultural shift to create an open environment where employees are encouraged to share, innovate and collaborate virtually.” – Karie Willyerd & Jeanne C. Meister, HarvardBusiness.org
    16. “Twitter represents a collective collaboration that manifests our ability to unconsciously connect kindred voices through the experiences that move us. As such, Twitter is a human seismograph.” – Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks
    17. “In some ways, [Facebook] levels the playing field of friendship stratification. In the real world, you have very close friends and then there are those you just say “Hi” to when you pass them on the street.” – Jason Kaufman, research science fellow at Harvard University
    18. “Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.” – Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
    19. “Those who ignore the party/conversation/network when they are content and decide to drop in when they need the network may not succeed. It’s pretty easy to spot those that are just joining the network purely to take – not to give. Therefore, be part of the party/conversation/network before you need anything from anyone.” – Jeremiah Owyang, Web-Strategist.com
    20. “The secret isn’t growing a huge fan base. We have 100,000 Facebook fans, but those fans have all come to us organically. We believe the more organic the growth, the more loyal the fans, the more likely they will be repeat customers.” – Cam Balzer, vice president of marketing at Threadless (more…)

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