I’m fairly confident that if my husband still doesn’t know what Twitter is then there has to be dozens in the same boat as him. As a matter of fact I can’t say whether or not he even knows what Facebook and LinkedIN are. Surprised? Me too. There are countless numbers of people world wide that are oblivious to the leverage that social media holds, but in his range of duty I can understand why he avoids social media like the plague so I don’t hold it against him.

As a certified social media consultant and virtual assistant I have tips up the yin-yang that I can throw out there but for now let’s focus on basic Twitter tips for beginners that will get you tweeting like the professionals.

First things first, setting up your profile. Your profile should be organized. What do I mean by this?

Your Background: If you are going to have a custom background make sure it’s not cluttered and bombarding the twitterverse with pictures, font, and other nonsense. Twitter has some basic designs to get you going in the meantime. Stick with something simple. Ask for advise once your profile has been created if necessary. Make sure the colors blend well together rather then straining the eyes (Example: yellow backgrounds with pastel font, ouch). One the side bar put information such as other social networks you can be found on, a small picture, and maybe a line or two about you. Feel free to use @VAsolutionsNOW as an example for things to put on your sidebar.

Your Bio: Twitter allots you 160 characters, choose them wisely. Your bio should be simple, sweet, and to the point. A good example of a bio is a little bit about you and your business / hobbies. If you are looking to have people avoid you, make your bio a sales pitch. Try to make it attractive as possible without scaring people away.

Your Followers: In order to get followers, you need to start following. Find your target audience and others in your niche to follow and engage with by using tools like Twellow, Mr.Tweet, Twubble, and Nearby Tweets. These tools can assist you with finding quality people to connect with.

Your Content: Make your 140 characters count by writing each work like it matters, because it really does. Share links, quotes, ideas, provide great content and ask questions. After all that’s what engaging is all about right? Tweet about things that matter.. not just about what you ate for breakfast. Always add value to your stream! Once you find your equal medium between being professional and personable you’re on the right track to Twitter success. You’d be surprised how much respect you can gain and loose with only 140 characters.

Another thing to remember is every tweet has it’s own URL. In other wards anything you tweet about is not erasable, you might be able to delete it off your profile but it’s indexed on the net forever. Think before you tweet. A formula that I like to remind people of is Twitter + Alcohol = Epic Fail. Spare yourself the embarrassment and humiliation and never mix the two components together, ever.

Your Greeting: No auto DM, no spam, no problem. If you are going to greet a new follower please do so by personalizing your hello and welcome message.  To DM or Not to DM.. That is the Question! Earlier I conducted a poll asking followers if they prefer a direct message at all, whether or not it’s automated. With over 100 responses, the majority of answers expressing that they would rather no direct messages. Send a friendly welcome message by tweeting their @TheirUsername followed by your message.

For more tips on socializing using the internet visit: Tips for Social Networking

If you have any questions about Twitter or how to network using social media shoot me an email at Sica@VAsolutionsNOW.com or tweet me @VAsolutionsNOW

Just read about the newly released service from Society.me that enables users to post voice mail messages to their friends wall.

Check out the full article here: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/06/15/voicemail-voice-wall-society-m/

What kind of messages would you leave your friends?

If you are on Twitter you will realize there is an over abundance of direct messages, usually all or most of them being automated. Today I did a poll asking followers if they prefer a direct message at all, whether or not it’s automated. With over 100 responses, the majority of answers expressing that they would rather no direct messages.

“I hate auto DMs, I find them annoying. DMs that are not auto are ok, but I prefer @ replies.” -@JacksonCJ1

“When I joined I thought the DM’s were nice, but then I realized they were generic, and I stopped checking my messages!” -@Mary_Fenton

“When I did this poll with my followers a while back – it was “no” to the auto DM. They wanted personalized” – @Lacouvee

“No DM since automated responses show little consideration for the person following and in my mind is a form of SPAM.” – @SterlingMineral

The basis for me being on twitter is connection I would rather an authentic DM or none at all. the real deal, please. – @GirlZoo

Use your 140 characters to properly welcome your new followers by listening to what experienced tweeters want and do not like.

When maintaining a presence on Social Networking Sites it’s important that you remember these tips. Your reputation is crucial to your business and knowing too little or being careless can possibly destroy  everything you have busted your hump for. Be sure you are doing everything to protect your name, brand, and character when networking over the web, you can NEVER be too careful!

• Keep in mind that Social Networking requires you to engage more then frequently with your audience. If you update your status once in a blue moon you will not keep your “followers” attention; rather then if you connect with others on a daily basis, engaging in a conversation and they will be more likely to remember who you are and the message you are trying to put out.

• Never spread yourself too thin! Too many people have their attention scattered with multiple social networking sites. Try staying focused on 3 or 4 top networking sites: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are todays current hits. When you are trying to leverage multiple profiles you might be missing out on where your audience needs you the most. Try linking each social networking profile together so you are not posting the same update on 20 different profiles. Time management is crucial to your business, and to your day.

• Be selective and strategic about inviting “friends”. Make sure you are speaking to the right crowd by doing a little research on who you are trying to connect with. Same rule applies when accepting requests that are sent to you.

• Keep away from all aggressive marketing tactics, this includes spam! Try a different approach such as consistently adding value to other experts in your niche. Add great content, share your thoughts, write recommendations and participate in online discussions and forums. Once people begin to see you as an expert in your niche you will be sure to have their attention.

• Last but not least, be professional and personable. Not too personal. Never post things on the internet that you wouldn’t want to get out in public. For example, divorce, certain pictures, personal notes, comparing your boss to Hitler, etc. There have been several reported cases of supervisors getting a hold of content and firing that employee for lack of care about what they post.