Knowing the basic terms and with some practice, you’ll be on your way to joining the twitosphere!

Twitter basic terms you should know:

Follower: A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.

DM: Also called “Direct Message”, are Tweets that are private between the sender and recipient.

@replies : Use the (@)sign in front of a Twitter username to reply to someone, to refer to them, or direct a new message to somebody.

Retweeting (RT): Retweeting is the act of sharing someone else’s tweet.

Hashtag: Use the number (#) symbol before relevant keywords in your Tweets to categorize your information and facilitate search.

#followfriday or #FF:  On Fridays, people recommend users that they want to highlight or that others should follow by including their username and #followfriday or #FF in a tweet

The Fail Whale: The fail whale is an image which shows that Twitter has been overloaded or that a failure occurred within the service.

Tweet Chat: A pre-arranged chat that happens on Twitter which includes a predefined hashtag to link those tweets together in a virtual conversation. Find out some Tweet Chat schedules here.

URL: A web address that points to a unique page on the internet.

URL shortener: Are used to turn long URLs into shorter URLs.

Geolocation: The use of location data in Tweets to say where you are in real time.

Handle: A user’s “Twitter handle” is the username they have selected. Example, my Twitter handle is @vasimpleservice.

Promoted Tweets: Tweets that selected businesses have paid to promote at the top of search results on Twitter.

Trending Topic: A subject algorithmically determined to be one of the most popular on Twitter at the moment.

(Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Hi, my name is Genevieve…and I’m addicted to social media! That’s right, I admit it!

I’m not certain exactly what makes people get hooked on social media sites, I’m sure it’s different for everyone. Perhaps it’s friendship, the opportunity for self-expression or just for something to do.

How do you know if you’re addicted to social media? Answer a few of these questions and see! Don’t forget to give us your answer in this week’s poll below.

1. You check your Facebook status before your morning coffee.
2. You share pictures of your dinner on Instagram and proceed to also post it on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
3. You Tweet about a current earthquake instead of taking cover.
4. You wake up in the middle of the night thinking of a great post for your Facebook Page.
5. You update your status or Tweet on the toilet.
6. You refresh your Facebook newsfeed more than once within 45 seconds to make sure you don’t have any new notifications.
7. You have a Pinterest board for every one of your favorite animals.
8. You check-in on Foursquare at the hospital when you/your wife go into labor.
9. You participate in Tweetchats every week.
10. You call your friends “peeps”.
11. You spend more time talking to your Facebook or Twitter friends than your own family.
12. You have an Empire Avenue account.
13. You have a tantrum when you see the fail whale.
14. You get excited anytime you have a Retweet.
15. You can Tweet your life story under 140 characters.
16. You update your status while driving the kids to soccer.
17. You sleep with your phone under your pillow so that you can check you social networks during the night…just in case.
18. You have the Google+ app on your phone.
19. You have Twitter parties.
20. You go into social media withdrawals and get very “edgy” when you’re on vacation without internet connection.

If you answered yes to more than 3 questions, you’re probably well on your way to becoming a social media addict! Please let us know in the poll below. Don’t worry, no body will know your answer!

Do you think that it’s possible to be addicted to social media?

I usually suggest to stick to a couple of platforms which will have the highest payoff and not to try to be everywhere or you’ll end up getting distracted and overwhelmed.

The statistics or buzz about different platforms can be very misleading. Although Facebook is one of the biggest social networks with 845 million users, it is not necessarily the platform that will bring you the most leads.

According to Hubspot, LinkedIn’s conversion rate outranked social media as a channel overall. In other words, of all the traffic that came to these business’ websites via social media, .98% of that traffic converted into leads, compared to LinkedIn’s 2.74%.

Don’t let the numbers fool you! You first need to know who your customers are and where they hangout on the web. Before jumping in, do your research! Take a look at the demographic of each social media sites (age, education, income, etc.) so that you can make an informed decision. There’s no need to be everywhere to see results…only make sure that you’re at the right place!

According to Nielsen, close to 80 percent of active Internet users visit social networks and blogs. That’s a lot of customers and prospects for business owners to connect and engage with.

You will get a much better return on your investment if you stick to only a few social media platforms and excel at it, rather than being scattered on every new social network you hear about and be mediocre in all of them.

Have you ever suffered from the new shiny object syndrome?

This gave me the idea to start weekly polls which is called “Just Asking“. I will use this to find out more about you and your opinion on different subjects. Hopefully we can all learn from eachother!

With the recent integration of the new Facebook Timeline covers, there’s a lot of potential to get creative and show your personality.  Although it is unclear if marketing messages are allowed on personal profiles (see Mari Smith’s post), it might be a good piece of real estate to create more visibility for your business. Recently, I’ve seen a slew of new businesses going up selling and designing custom Facebook Covers.

My first question is–> “Would you pay for a custom and personalized Facebook cover?”

Gaining followers may take some time but here are 20 ideas to help you promote your social media presence and speed up the process.

1. Include your profiles in your Email signature (use services like WiseStamp)
2. Add your main profiles on your Business Cards (take a look at Moo cards, they often have great promos)
3. On Newsletters and direct marketing materials
4. Include your profiles in your Email Marketing campaigns
5. Cross promote on other social media sites (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Youtube, etc.)
6. Include social buttons and badges on your website
7. Add social sharing buttons so others can promote you (take a look at Shareaholic and Sharethis)
8. Include your social media profiles into offline advertising (newspapers, flyers, etc.)
9. Use QR codes
10. Put up some signs in your store windows
11. Include them on all your blog articles
12. Promote your profiles during live events
13. Add all your links on your Facebook personal profile
14. Comment on other blogs and link your profiles to your signature
15. Get customers and vendors to follow you
16. Get employees and coworkers to follow you
17. On promotional products
18. On car stickers
19. On Twitter directories (such as wefollow, Twello and Listorious)
20. Include your profiles on your contact page

Image: ntwowe / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Personal profiles can’t “technically” be used for business purposes so you might want to keep that in mind when you’re designing your cover. The Facebook terms state that you shouldn’t use your personal profile for commercial or promotional purpose but it’s not very clear on how this affects the timeline cover pictures in terms of branding.

Creating a Timeline cover doesn’t have to be a difficult process; if you can upload pictures…you can do this (no technical knowledge required)! In case you’re looking for some tools to make it even easier, I’ve attached a list (see below) of different websites and tools you can use.

To find some inspiration, take a look at this post.

If you don’t have the new Facebook Timeline yet, you can grab it here https://www.facebook.com/about/timeline

To add a cover image to your timeline:

1. Go to your timeline
2. Click Add a Cover
3. Choose whether you want to upload a new photo or pick a photo from one of your existing photo albums
4. Once you choose a photo, you can reposition it by clicking on the image and dragging it up or down
5. Click Save

Cover size:  Although Facebook says to use a picture of at least 720 pixels wide, the ideal size for this image is around 850 pixels wide by 315 pixels high. For best results, use the optimal dimensions or else your picture can get pixelated.

Profile picture size:  Use a square image which needs to be a minimum of 180 pixels by 180 pixels. The profile picture will then be resized to 125px by 125px.

Keep in Mind:  If you add a cover to your timeline, it will be visible to the public (everyone can see it).  So unlike most of your other photo albums, when you visit your Cover Photos album you won’t see an option to adjust the album privacy settings.

Some tools you might want to check out:

Picscatter.com

Timelinecoverbanner.com

Thesitecanvas.com

Coverjunction.com

coverphotofinder.com

myprofilecover.com

coverphotoz.com

Facebook Cover Designer iPhone app 

If you’re feeling very creative, I found this template you can download and customize using Photoshop or your own photo editor.

I would love to see some creative Facebook covers so please post a link to your cover in the comment section below.

Here’s my newest Facebook cover!

Since I’ve discovered Pinterest, I have become an avid “pinner”. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked and like many others, I’m probably spending too much on the site! Pinterest has seen impressive growth in audience size and time spent per user with an increase of 512% (time spent per user worldwide) between May 2011 and October 2011.

If you’re curious about Pinterest, you’re not alone! Founded in 2008, Pinterest has been gaining real momentum lately. It’s now in the top ten most visited social networks on the web. Since the majority of the population are visual learners, it’s no surprise that it’s so popular. Pinterest is simple eye candy!

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard (or you can also look at it as a social bookmarking site) that focuses on images. It allows you to share images and videos you find anywhere on the web and link it back to the original content -so it’s great for generating links and SEO.

You can look around other people’s pinboards to discover things from people who might share common interests. You can organize your images by subject or however works for you by putting them in different boards. People can choose to follow all of your boards or any individual boards. As well, you’re able to like, repin and comment on other people’s content.

Note: Just like Twitter, Pinterest is an open network so anyone can follow you and you can follow anyone.

Definitions from Pinterest.com

Pins

A pin is an image added to Pinterest.  A pin can be added from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer. Each pin added using the Pin It button links back to the site it came from.

Repin

A repin is adding an image you find while browsing Pinterest to your own board. When you repin an image, the user who first pinned the image will also get credit. Repins maintain the source-link of the image no matter how many times it’s repinned.

Board

A board is a set of pins. A board can be created on any topic, such as Cool Posters, Recipes For Dinner, or Wish list. You can add as many pins to a board as you want.

Demographic 

The site has a clearly defined demographic, with 59 percent of the site’s visitors in a recent 12-week period being women between the ages of 25 and 44 (ReadWriteWeb.com).

Who should use Pinterest

It’s terrific for:

• Product heavy businesses
• Food products/cooking related businesses (restaurants, etc.)
• Anything artistic-photography, fashion, art, jewelry, wedding industry, etc.
• Lifestyle businesses
• Animal related businesses
• Baby or kids related businesses
• Real estate, architecture, home decor related, home improvement, etc.
• Travel industry
• Tech gadgets, graphic artists, etc.

Now, if you don’t fit in these categories, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t build a presence on Pinterest. If you’re able to communicate visually about your brand, products or services than this can be a fantastic place for you.

Ways you can use Pinterest

• Take your followers behind the scene (what goes on at the office, company culture, office space, etc.)
• Sneak peek to new products
• Show them how it’s done
• Feature your customers
• Invite pinners to collaborate on future projects or ideas
• Infographics
• Hold contests
• Feature events
• Sell your products (to add a price to a pin, type the $ or £ symbol followed by the number amount in the description. When you are finished, click Pin It).

With a little creativity, there are many ways to reap the benefits of this new social network. Pinterest is still an invitation only site so if you’re interested in joining Pinterest, get in touch with me and I’ll send you an invitation. You can also connect with me on Pinterest here.

Here’s a really useful guide you might want to read: Complete Pinterest Guide | SEO and Traffic Generation With Pinterest

Happy pinning!

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today over 90% of America has a cell phone and 60% of them have phones that allow them to use the internet. Phones are the one thing we never leave home without! It is becoming the main way we communicate and furthermore, text message is the number one most used data service in the world.

Most successful businesses have implemented an email database to send out monthly newsletters. The same premise holds true here, only the vehicle has changed from email to text message.  I am not saying get rid of your email marketing program, but I am strongly suggesting you add mobile to it.  In fact, adding mobile marketing can double your email database?

Mobile Marketing is not only fun but it is rewarding. I love the satisfaction I receive from customers that call and tell me it really works and how excited they are. However, I talk to a lot of business owners that find the topic of Mobile Marketing intimidating and a bit overwhelming.  The simple truth is that Mobile Marketing is one of the easiest ways to market to your target audience.

To help clear up some misconceptions and give business owners a simple understanding of Mobile Marketing and how it can grow your business, I will answer some FAQ here.

What is Mobile Marketing?

Think of Mobile Marketing as an exchange!  You are giving something away to receive something in return. You give an offer to be redeemed via text message and when the customer texts in, we collect their number in a database.  Then we will “touch” them in the future, once a week or once every two weeks or once a month with a text message right to their phone.

The same rules of soft selling that apply to Facebook or social media marketing apply here.  It is not hard core sell message!  Many messages will be informative with no selling and some will drive traffic to your social media sites.  The average length of time it takes for someone to read a text message is 1 to 2 minutes.  The average message stays on a phone for 12 days. This is the highest open rate compared to email and snail mail. Did you know there are 2.5 times as many users of “texting” than email worldwide?

Why Use Mobile Marketing For My Business?

Do you want to increase your sales?  Do you want more customers?  How about drive traffic to your social media sites? Would you like to be “top of mind” with your target market? If your answer was yes, that is why we use Mobile Marketing.

Is Mobile Marketing Expensive

No.  Mobile Marketing can be set up for less than a dollar a day. Within the first 30-60 days business owners can not only re-coup what they paid into the package, they can also begin to see double and triple the ROI.

Do I Have To Commit To A Contract

No.  Although some Mobile Marketing companies may require a contract, most companies will allow month to month payment method.

How Does It Work?

First create a keyword.  This is the word used to text (opt in) to your offer.  In the example below “social” is the keyword.  Keep in mind that keywords are like domain names, once they are taken, they are not available.  That is where creativity shines.  Then you will receive a short code.  The short code is the number you text your keyword to. In the example below the short code is 72727.

EXAMPLE:  To receive a free social media audit, text the word “social” to 72727

There is an opt out option on every message for anyone who may not want to continue receiving messages in the future.  Unless you are abusing your message blast frequency or are hard selling with all your messages, you will find only a 1%-2% opt out rate.

Below are some quick stats on percentage of people who text according to age demographics.

Here is a short list of some examples of the services you can receive from a mobile marketing company.

• Text 2 Win- This is hands down the best way to go if you are having a contest or giveaway.  Never again give anything away without getting a phone number in return.  Offer a text 2 win campaign and watch your data base grow rapidly!
• Text 2 Vote- This is so much fun and a great way to let your customers pick a winner
• Text 2 Survey- Same premise as Facebook surveys but better because of the exchange of the mobile number into your database
• Text 2 Screen- Share results of a poll or input from a large group and see it on the big screen.
• Appointment Reminders- Great idea for any industry that has set appointments for their customers.  Health care is a big one for this option and so is the auto industry with service reminders.
• Mobile Websites- You website was never meant to be viewed on a small cell phone or handheld device. You would not want to run a mobile campaign without a mobile website or mobile landing page.

This is just the beginning of what can be done with mobile marketing.  For those of you who want to dip your foot into the water ever so slightly I usually recommend trying a virtual business card.  Your name would be the keyword and when someone texted your name to 72727, they would receive a mobile version of your business card.  You will keep that number in your data base.  No other business card, flyer, or presentation method can give you that exchange.  Your VBC can be saved right to the phone of the person who texted in and you never have to worry again that they lost your card, or you ran out of cards.  The larger your database grows, the more people you have to gain as clients.

I hope you found some answers to your own questions here. Whatever your industry is, there is a simple solution for your needs and HUGE results can be generated.

You can find out more about Dawn and Aimee Mobile Marketing at AimeeMobileMarketing.com and on these Social Media Networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

Facebook’s average U.S. visitor engagement has grown from 4.6 hours to 6.3 hours per month over the past year which demonstrates how social networking has becomes more deeply ingrained into our daily lives.

People are incorporating little parts of their personal lives into accounts like Facebook (family pictures, friends and business contact information, special moments or milestones, etc.). What would you do if you were the victim of a hacker or Facebook suspended your account?

There are several online backup services you can use to backup your social networks. If you want a cloud base application, I would suggest looking at Backupify.com or SocialSafe.net.

There’s also a way to backup your data directly from Facebook and download it onto your computer.

When you download your information from Facebook your file will include:

• Your profile information (ex: your contact information, interests, groups)
• Wall posts and content that you and your friends have posted to your profile
• Photos and videos that you have uploaded to your account
• Your friend list
• Notes you have created
• Events to which you have RSVP’d
• Your sent and received messages
• Any comments that you and your friends have made on your Wall posts, photos, and other profile content

Note that this does not backup your Facebook Page (you can use Backupify.com or SocialSafe.net for your Facebook Page) but only your personal profile content.

Here’s how you can backup your Facebook information:

From the Account Settings page.

1. Click the account menu at the top right of any Facebook page
2. Choose Account Settings
3. Click on “Download a copy” of your Facebook data

4. Click on “Start my Archive”. It may take several hours before Facebook sends you a notification via email to let you know that your download is ready.

Once you receive the email from Facebook, you will have to re-enter your password to access your download. Finally, make sure to keep your file in a safe place, especially if you have personal or sensitive data on your Facebook account.

How would you feel if you lost all your Facebook content?

Image: Kookkai_nak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

According to Quantcast Tumblr is growing at 40 million posts per day, has over 29 million blogs and attracts more than 72 million visitors per month. This fast growing social network is definitely one to watch.

What is Tumblr:

Founded in 2007, Tumblr is a blogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use (Wikipedia).

Pros:

• Free service
• It has built-in tagging and sharing capabilities to make content easily discoverable and spreadable among Tumblr’s community
• Compared to other platforms like WordPress, Tumblr is really simple to use. It’s easy to set up and offers plenty of Themes or templates to get you going fast without that learning curve
• Tumblr is great if you’re creating and sharing a lot of visual elements. Images with a small amount of descriptive text work best
• You can also integrate Google Analytics

Cons:

• Tumblr is hosting your content so you don’t have full control of your blog
• You can customize your Theme but to really adapt it for your business, you’ll need to have some html coding knowledge
• Although Tumblr says that they are Google optimized, from what I have read, it has poor SEO juice
• Tumblr seem to have an increasing problem with spammers
• The demographic for Tumblr is pretty young. If your target market is not there, you might be at the wrong place

Here’s the breakdown of who is using the blogging platform, according to Mark Coatney from Tumblr: “In the U.S. the audience tends to be younger — 56% of the service’s 25.2 million monthly visitors are under 34, and users skew slightly more male (52%)”.

For free and premium Themes, check out the Theme Garden . You can also have your own domain name if you decide to purchase domain from a registrar like GoDaddy or Bluehost. To find out more on how to add your own domain, take a look at these instructions.

So after having created my own Tumblr Blog, customized a Theme and added a few posts, I enjoy the simplicity and ease of use but I’m still undecided if it is the right place for me. I will definitely not replace my WordPress blog with Tumblr but it might be a nice addition to a social media strategy.

Do you think Tumblr is a good place for businesses?