What is a Twitter chat?

Twitter chats are unique, in that, instead of tweeting into the equivalent of an empty room, which you hope that a few of you followers are passing by at the time, instead someone like Melinda, has picked a day of the week and  a time and a topic, and a hashtag (in this case #SmallBizChat) and has publicized that event on Twitter and on her blog. This means that at that day and time, people interested in that topic will show up. No more tweeting to an “empty room.”

How Can I Make Twitter Chat’s Work for Me?

But like some offline networking events, Twitter chats can feel crowded. Here are some tips to help cut through the chatter. Try using a third-party tool to help you  keep up try www.tweetchat.com or www.tweetgrid.com in party mode (put the #hashtag in the top, host’s twitter name and the guest’s twitter name in the middle, and your name in the bottom – then a three column grid comes up – all tweets in left column, the host and guest’s tweets in the middle and yours in the right column). Melinda has prepared a tweetgrid for tonight already: http://bit.ly/SBChat192. Book mark it and come back 8 pm ET Weds. 3/27/13.

Be sure you know the host (@SmallBizLady) and guest’s (@CathywebSavvyPR) Twitter names, follow both of them. Keep an eye out for the questions and answers they will be tweeting.

• If you are just listening in, or a new to chats on Twitter, at least retweet a tweet about the chat topic and guest for the night, or one of the questions so the host knows you are there.
• But please don’t retweet everything you see. Be selective, retweet the things you think your followers would find important. Too many RT’s clutters the chat (although I know I break this rule sometimes, I get caught up in chats)
• Let the guest answer, then pop up and answer if you have knowledge to add to the conversation. But keep it balanced, don’t be spammy.
• If someone tweets something interesting, hit the star and mark it as a favorite for later. Then later check out their profile or the link and decide to follow them or not.
• If there is a potential connection, reach out in a tweet and let them know you liked what they had to say on the chat.
• If you like a chat, come more than once. this helps build connections. I have gotten business referrals and straight business from frequent participation in a chat.
• If you disagree with something someone says on a chat, it’s okay to say so, but try not to start a distracting flame war during the chat. Try and make it constructive, or get into it AFTER the chat.
• Get to know the chat’s guidelines or flow. Some let you introduce yourself at the start, others only at the end, others never say. Look to the chat host for guidance.
• Some chats put up a framing post before the chat, others put up a blog post after the chat with more detailed information from the guest. Some chats have no guests. Each chat hosts runs their own show.
• After the chat, follow the people who intrigued you, or who gave good info. If you liked the guest’s info, check out their website/blog. Comment on something you find there. If the guest wasn’t your cup of tea, see who is on the chat the next week.
• As a thanks to the host, if they tweet out about the next week’s topic and guest, retweet it, if you think your followers would be interested.

that’s my quick post about Twitter chats. what are your best tips?

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Basic, Professional and Functional Websites are the Goal

I’ve been assisting my small business clients with their websites for several years, but I’m now stepping into the ring directly to fill a need. Most small business websites don’t need to be complex, they don’t need all the bells and whistles, and they don’t need to be expensive to set up or maintain. They do need to look professional and give your customers and prospects the information they need, when they want it.

When small biz owners hear about something called WordPress, they may think it’s software only for blogging. But WordPress.org is software that runs your own professional website, on your own domain name (i.e on your own .com). If you want to add a blog, it’s built-in, but not all businesses need one. Business websites also need to be easy for you, or someone on your staff to update and maintain; WordPress software makes this pretty easy. No “HTML Coding” or tech knowledge is needed.

Why does My Business Need a Website?

When was the last time you used a phone book to look up a business? The last time you wanted to check the hours a business was open, I bet you “Googled” or searched for it online. Having a simple online website gives you a virtual home on the internet. The software I use even automatically makes your website tablet and mobile phone-friendly, adapting the information to fit the size of the screen used to view it.

What Does a Website Do for Your Business?

1. It allows new people to find out that your business, products or services exist, even if they’ve never met you.
2. It provides info on your location/region you cover, hours of operation, business services etc…24/7.
3. It reassures prospective customers that your business is professional, especially for people who grab a business card, see your .com on your truck, or on a sign in a shop or in a yard of a house where you are working ( for contractors). They can check your business out at their convenience.

What Types of Businesses Benefit from a Simple Website?

Most businesses benefit from having an online presence they own. Some small business owners are happy running their online presence through Facebook or Etsy. But I caution folks, you don’t own your Facebook page…Facebook does, and they keep changing the rules. Facebook and other social media sites can be very useful, but you need a hub, a virtual home, that you own and control. Creating your own website fills that bill.

Who needs a Website?

• Contractors - plumbers, repairmen, carpenters, painters, landscapers and lawn and tree care, stone masons, electricians.
• Service Businesses – from consultants and professional services (lawyers, PR & marketing professionals and more) to chiropractors, nail and hair salons and restaurants.
• Shop Owners – gift and antique shops, flower shops, most bricks and mortar stores that are selling a product. You might not need to sell your products online, but giving your store a home on the internet will help people find you, figure out your hours and make it easier to tell their friends about your shop.
• Small non-profit and arts organizations – dance companies, art galleries, community-based organizations etc.
• Artists and Craftsmen - I’m developing a separate website targeted to helping creating websites for artists and craftsmen. I go to craft shows often, and half of the business cards I get, just have a phone and email address, but no website I can go to and look at their work later, or want to find their next show. Pottery and photography are hobbies of mine, so I have a soft spot for artists.

These are some of the types of business owners and organizations that, with a small investment of time and money, can get a simple site online and really help get the word out about what they do. I’ll be posting more info on simple website design for small business soon, and the steps you need to take to prepare. If you feel the need of a more complex website, I have partners I work with that can customize a WordPress designed site even further.

If you are interested in a half-hour complimentary consultation, send an email via my contact page and we’ll set up a time. Feel free to ask me questions as well, either via email or the comments below. I might turn the answers into my next post, as well as reply to you directly.

Check out on my my client’s website we created for her new book “How to Negotiate a Killer Job Offer” www.JobSecretAgent.com.

Another site I’ve created, this one for a lawn care contractor: http://delawarevalleyturf.com.

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A few weeks ago I posted Part One of 10 Things Authors Can Do Before the Book Comes Out spurred by a conversation with an early social media coaching client Melinda Emerson. (These posts are targeted to non-fiction authors, but much of this advice will work for most fiction authors and even for small business owners). To recap the first 5 tips:

1. Begin to Build an Online Platform, Before the Book Comes Out
2. Know What Goals you are Trying to Reach
3. Set Up Short-term Goals
4. Identify Who Your Ideal Audience Is
5. Determine Where They Hang Out Online (and Craft Your Branding to Catch Their Eye)
   1. Don’t Forget to Network Offline, in Person (IRL – in real life – as they say) as Well

6)  Identify what 3-5 topics your audience is interested in and then provide it
Make your website, blog, e-newsletter and social media sites all speak to your ideal customer and focus on the topics of interest to them. What do they wonder, worry about, need help with? Make a list. For fiction authors that might mean letting them know about your creative process. For non-fiction authors – what can you talk about that let’s them know you understand their business and needs, and let’s them know you can help, without actually selling them.

6b) Weave a bit of your personality into your brand
You want to be seen as a person, not a robot. But be balanced about it. I occasionally talk about my hobbies as a potter and photographer, and that I am an aunt. But I do this occasionally, and naturally. It helps people get to know me, and helps me not be just another boring social media coach or PR pro. I know a real estate broker who says sometimes he hears crickets when he talks houses, but when he talks golfing and fishing, two of his other passions…he makes connections that later on turn into sales or referrals.

7) Don’t Try and Do it All at Once
Pick a site that your clients use most and start using what you’ve learned here to connect with your ideal audience. Yes it is a good idea to have a basic presence on the big three sites – Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and on your own website and a blog. At least set up the basics. Claim your name/branding on the others, but it’s okay to focus on one site first. Either start where your customers hang out most, or if you are not that comfortable using social media for business, you could start with where you are most comfy, as long as a portion of your clients are there. The conversation is happening out there – you just have to  join in.

7b) Now, if you are reading this and thinking, I’m already out here on these sites, but I feel like I’m not making headway, or are not really connecting with my customer
Go back to tips 4, 5 and 6 and really hone in on your customer’s and their needs and interests. Become that helpful resource, and connect with folks, engage them in conversations, begin to build relationships. And recognize that it takes time to both develop a reputation online, Melinda Emerson said has said that is was 18 months or so before she felt like it was really in the groove.

But a focused, helpful, and consistent online footprint will enable you to reach individuals, customers and colleagues you never would have reached via traditional means. “People buy from people they know and trust…” If they like what info you offer, and the way you handle yourself online…they often pre-qualify themselves and sign up to get your blog via email, sign up for your mailing list, then they buy your book, or even reach out to talk with your about hiring you, or bringing you into for a speaking gig.

8) Plan and launch your blog with focused content and an e-mail sign-up form
While you are dipping your toes into the social media pool, also begin writing content / blog posts so you can launch a blog in a few months. For non-fiction authors, a blog helps showcase or prove your expertise. It also helps people get comfortable with you, your style. When they subscribe to your blog or e newsletter do you consistently give them info that’s interesting and useful to them, is it easy to read? This preps them for buying your book once it’s out, and helping to spread the word, and even hiring you. A blog built using WordPress.org, on your own domain name, builds credibility, is a hub for your social media activity and helps others find you via search engines.

If you already have a blog – go back to 4, 5, and 6 and review it with that info in mind? Are you posting content of interest to them. Have you strayed too far from those 3 – 5 topics? Has the site too busy and needs a face lift?

9) Once you’ve gotten comfy with your first social site, pick the next and create a strategy to connect with your audience there
Don’t just link up your content from one site and have it automatically go to the other site.

10) Work it, be consistent and rinse, refine and repeat before your next book
While all of this may sound intimidating, with Melinda Emerson, we took it one step at a time. Once she felt comfortable with Twitter, we took a  bold move and launched a Twitter chat (when they were still a fairly new phenomenon), then I started her writing and planning posts for a blog, so she launched the site with several posts already there for reading; and she already had an audience of followers from Twitter. Then we worked on Facebook, then later on LinkedIn and she was off an running. She had laid out her goals and she “worked it.” She consistently put out good information, and focused on her audience’s needs and interests, and interacted with them.

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1. Part 1: 10 Things Non-Fiction Authors Can Do to Connect with Their Audience Before The Book Comes Out (Tips 1 to 5)

I was speaking with my one of my earliest social media strategy clients the other day. Her name is Melinda Emerson; she is a successful author and speaker, and along with her busy speaking and business consulting schedule, she recently landed a spot blogging for the New York Times http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/how-twitter-changed-my-life/. We were talking about the goals she had sketched out for herself in those early days before her bestselling book “Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months” came out. The social media strategy I laid out for her, which started with creating her nickname SmallBizLady, turned into a success we could not have imagined. You can do the same…if you learn the skills you need, hone your online message and “work it like a job.” Here are the first 5 of  ten things non-fiction book authors can do before your book comes out.

1) Begin to Build an Online Platform, Before the Book Comes Out

The tips and steps below are some of the basic planks in that platform. Melinda had her book all ready to come out when it was postponed by one year Initially, She was not happy about the delay. No author wants to wait longer to have their book finally published, but as her online social media strategist, I was very happy. I remember her reaction to my statement, “Melinda, you might not feel it right now, but this is the best thing that could happen to you.” She was not amused. I replied something along the lines of, “Right now, no one really knows who you are, so why are they going to buy your book over someone else’s?” Let’s get you out there online and start working this social media stuff to get people to know who you are and what you bring to the table. (This also works if you are preparing for your second book to come out as well).

2) Know What Goals you are Trying to Reach

Melinda wanted to sell out her 1st printing of her book within the first year, which we did due to our early planning. First, we positioned her with a mission to “End Small Business Failure.” Then she started providing good, quality information to small business owners on Twitter. Over time, we expanded to Facebook, LinkedIn & a blog. We worked to build a platform that helped her get more speaking gigs, secure business coaching clients, and land in major media publications. Two years later she even landed a spot writing for a major publication; which eventually led to her New York Times opportunity.

3) Set Up Short-term Goals

If your main or only goal is to make money writing non-fiction books – that is probably a fantasy. Get clear about what you want your book to do for you. It is harder to do than you think to sell books, and to make money at it. But if your goal of publishing a non-fiction book is to sell books, and then leverage the authority to land media appearances, attract customers to your business, land paid speaking gigs, get paid writing or blogging opportunities, and to help people while you are doing it- those are doable goals. So sit down and scope out your short and longer term goals – both realistic and…let yourself dream a little. I think she had writing for a big publication in her sites even in the early days.

4) Identify Who Your Ideal Audience Is

Too many people start out in social media without a plan or a strategy. Planning starts with who is most likely to buy your book, your services, bring you in on a speaking gig, or whatever goals your outlined above. There may be a primary ideal client, then a secondary group. Another of my clients is a succession planner – he basically helps people sell their businesses. He kept using jargon terms in his blog posts and enewsletter, which his fortune 500 clients would understand. I asked one day how many of his clients are mom and pop, family-owned businesses. He said 25% or so. I asked, “They don’t call it succession planning – they want to know “how to sell my business.”” He agreed, so we worked an occasional post or article targeted to this clientele and his sales increased. Put yourself in the mindset of your readers.

5a) Determine Where They Hang Out Online (and Craft Your Branding to Catch Their Eye)

We started Melinda on Twitter first. I knew that it was filled with small business owners of all types – right in Melinda’s sweet spot. And we are both glad we did, as her branding came out of that first time we went on Twitter. She said, “Cathy, what am I going to do? There are already two Melinda Emerson usernames out on Twitter.” I replied, don’t worry, we’ll find a username that tells them what you do.” We did a little brainstorming, and I said, “How about @SmallBizLady?” Melinda said, “I like it!.” She has said it was one of the best branding decision’s she made. It’s easy to remember, it says what she does and it has a ring to it. A few months later, I suggested starting a Twitter chat called #SmallBizChat (it’s kind of like an online talk show, but using tweets). The rest as they say is history. That chat helped position her as an expert, and gave her access to having other big names and authors on her chat. Melinda also moved on to use LinkedIn and Facebook. but we started with Twitter, because I identified that for her, it would be the easiest way to get her message to reach a broad segment of her audience the fastest.

5b) Don’t Forget to Network Offline, in Person (IRL – in real life – as they say) as Well

Attend conferences and mixers that your ideal customers or readers attend. Try and land speaking gigs  as well. You can also attend and speak at conferences in your industry, this will help build your credibility with your peers. However, attending or speaking where your audience or clients are is key. Do both. Add your Twitter username to your name tag. Make it easy for people to connect with you…wherever they feel most comfortable. Once you have your book, negotiate to see if you can do back of the room sales.

Stay tuned, part two coming in a few days with tips number 6 to 10.

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When you leave the site for several hours, at the end of the day, or especially on Friday (if you don’t tweet much over the weekend or on holidays), don’t just leave that last tweet exchange with a twitter pal hanging out there, or don’t just have your last tweet be: “G’night to all my twitter friends, catch you later.” Instead tweet a tip, blog post and link, or retweet someone else’s good content – but make is something that is of interest to the type of followers you want to attract to your brand. If it’s a good tip – you might get more follows & several retweets, and maybe another follower or two. Those last tweets are a part of how people judge your brand.

Those personal tweets are fine, they show you are a person and not just a ‘bot and they humanize your brand, but think about it. They hang around for hours, until you tweet again, until a scheduled tweet of yours comes out, or if at the end of the day – it’s there all night, until you tweet again in the morning. That’s not very effective.

It’s fashionable to say that the half-life of a tweet is two hours or something like that, but people check the site from different time zones; they check their twitter lists of the people whose tweets they don’t want to miss at various times;  and people are using twitter search to find tweets that are relevant to their interests all the time; they may also be searching for your company or name anytime. Did you know that when someone clicks on your username, it also shows your last two tweets. It’s part of  what I use to decide whether or not to follow someone.

So, create a great tip of your own, with a keyword woven in, that’s of interest to the audience you want to attract…That is an effective use of a last tweet of the day. A second option would be a link to your recent blog post, or even a retweet with comment of someone else’s good content that is of interest to your audience.

For example, often my last tweet of the day, is a “Twitter Tip” about making your last tweet of the day useful. It often gets retweeted quite a bit. It’s great for me, since I am a PR professional and social media strategist and coach, it fits the interests of my audience.

My friend and former client Melinda Emerson just wrote a post on 12 Advanced Twitter Techniques to Grow Your Small Business, and I left a shorter version of this tip over there, but didn’t want to write a whole post and take over her comments section. So I wrote a brief comment there and am expanding it here.

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For example, this conference is of interest to families and tweens/teens, and I knew that the two children’s publications in the city are monthlies, with early deadlines, so my first release and call went to those two editors, confirming that we just barely could make the July issue, but really should have pitched them in late May to get into the hard copy June issue that is distributed free in the region. However, their online issues have an online submission form, to which you can submit at any time.

But What if You Have More Time than Budget?

If you’ve looked into hiring a PR pro to help promote your event, and the budget just isn’t there. There are DIY options; it can be a lot of work, but it can also be rewarding.

• Do an internet search for newspapers in the metro area. Sort through the information to find the bigger daily papers and the smaller weekly papers. But don’t ignore that second category, these smaller papers often have a loyal following, and are hungry for interesting stories, but there are no guarantees in PR.
• Don’t forget to use sites like Twitter or Facebook, if you are active. Especially on Twitter, reporters are out there, looking for stories or promoting their stories. You might be able to make a connection there that will lead to a story.
• Many newspaper websites list the general email address for stories online – often features, editor or calendar at newspapername dot com.  They also often list contact phone numbers, believe it or not. Look for the contact us button at the top or bottom of the page. Sometimes they just list the main number, you can call and say – who handles events of interest to kids, or who handles technology events or info, or who covers cool new business events? You should be able to get a name, email and maybe even a phone number.
• Once you do, do a search of the paper for their stories – see if you can find any connections that can help you pitch them. Pitching the right editor or reporter can be to ticket to a great story being published.
• Contact the regional convention and visitor’s bureau and/or the state tourism office – both can be found via an internet search. Many CVB’s, as they are called, are tasked with filling their city or region’s hotel rooms. Just the thing that a local conference will hopefully do. They may be willing to either share a basic press list with you, send your release out to some of their contacts, or at least clue you in on which publications are most well-respected, and note more targeted publications for your event, like those kids publications above.
• Once you have secured your local venue or conference location, ask them for assistance – either a local press list, or which papers are most important, and even if they might be willing to promote your event themselves.
• Be bold, but polite and reach out to the local media yourself, once you’ve sent the release. I’ve had another out of town client say, I know who to call and how to connect with my local press here in my city, but I haven’t felt comfortable doing so in another city. As menitoned above, many newspaper sites have either a general contact number on their websites, or even the editor’s number, use them judiciously.
• Be polite and concise, reporters are very overworked, their staff has been cut to the bone, and are often working on deadline. I’ll often start a conversation with, “Hello, I’m Cathy Larkin handling some regional PR for xyz event. Are you on deadline or do you have a minute to talk…” If they respond that yes they have 2 minutes, make your pitch fit their time. “I just sent you a release on xyz conference earlier today, I’m hoping you received it, and wanted to know if you had any questions. Also I just received the high resolution head shots of several local speakers. Would those be of interest to you?” They will probably be non-committal, but say sure, send in the images.
• By the way, many newspapers are working on older machines. They want a 300 dpi image 4 x 5” or so. Don’t send them the 32K version of a head shot copied from a website, but don’t fill up their swamped email box with a 1600K or 1.6 mb image either. Get someone to re-size it – 300 dpi – a 250k-400k file size should work fine. I just had a reporter say, yea, make it a bit smaller 1.6 mb sounds too big, we’re still working with Windows 98 machines.).
• Tip: resist the urge to call 4 times and make a pest of yourself, or to email 6 times. I’ve seen it happen; I’ve heard stories. It does not make them more likely to run your story, it makes them LESS likely to do so. Get in, say your piece, and get out. Sometime they’ll say, yes, it’s in the story file, we’ll let you know if we need anything else. Or “I can’t seem to find it, can you send it to me again?” – that’s a good sign, something you said caught their interest. Have it cued up and ready to go.
• With events, head shots and images of local speakers, or nationally-known speakers can make the story work. If you have a good image and someone else doesn’t your story might get highlighted. It can sometimes be crucial to getting into the smaller weekly publications. So find out where your speakers live, especially the ones local to your conference. Ask them what is their local newspaper, what’s their town and in what county do they live (often newspaper names and coverage is tied to a county). Send the release with the image attached, and include a short 2 sentence photo caption that mentions conference date, location & speaker’s name, town or county and the title of their talk, or “will speak about web design.”
• Make sure to send the event release to the local and regional AP (Associated Press) offices. If they decide to pick up on your event, it can get sent to many other papers. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is a very good thing! Call them, let them know what you are sending and why it is interesting/unique etc. The AP website lists the regional offices contact info online.
• Also don’t forget the local assignment desk / assignment editors of the local TV stations. This can also be found online. Tip, try calling them in the evening, after the 5-6 pm news and before the 11 pm news. Often the are there and not busy then the way they might be during the day. These folks are the ones who select which stories get pitched to various reporters. So make friends with them. Be sure you have someone local, who is comfortable on camera who can talk about the conference, or if you are not far away, make yourself available.

When writing your release and pitching it to local media, go the extra step to find the local angles, or what’s the one thing that makes your event unique, or is there a national trend you can tie it to. This can help set your release and event above others and get the, “yes we’ll run a story.”

And don’t forget to say thank you. If a reporter runs a story, send a thank you email. or Say thanks on social media. Thank you emails are few and far between from what my reporter friends say.

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Pin Plus Interests equals Pinterest purchased from iStockPhoto.com

So, everybody seems to have a post about Pinterest. My post is a Pinterest poll, to find out when you are using this “newish” and fast-growing social media site, and if you are not yet using it, plus a short description for folks who are new to the site, and a few how to tips for all.

Why am I interested? I’ve been asking if people are using Pinterest at various meetings and events (not geeky events, but like at my pottery class) and LOTS of people are saying yes I use it and I love it. More so than other new or hot sites in the past. So I’m curious.

Here’s the Poll Link:  When do you use Pinterest? http://poll.fm/3jug4

What is Pinterest?

Skip this if you are on it already, or read it and comment below if you would describe it differently.

Pinterest is a cross between a social media site and a bookmarking tool (like delicious.com) for webpages and images on the web – but VISUAL and easy to use. When you find an image or webpage you want to remember and/or share with others, you use their little tool, a “pin it” button, to select the image you want to pin, then it opens your Pinterest page, and you virtually “Pin” the image and a link to the site you pinned it from to a virtual cork board – under whatever category or title you think fits.  This is all easier to do than it might seem from this description. Here is the Help page with lots of simple info about how the site http://pinterest.com/about/help/

When you login to pinterest, you see the most recent images/website links pinned by those people that you have selected to follow on pinterest. And those who follow you, see what you pinned. If you like something – click it and check out the original blog post or product behind the pin. You can also just “like” the Pin, or re-pin it to one of your own boards.

Why would you use Pinterest?

That is a subject for another post, but I use it to book mark interesting sites so I can find them later, to collect images that appeal to me or interest me; I’m a photographer by hobby. I am also using it to let people know who I am as a person, not just as a PR/Social media consultant; as a break from my work day; and I am learning to use it so I can help clients use it for their businesses. To find me there go to Pinterest.com/cathylarkin

Look for a future post with links to some of the best posts out there on Pinterest – the pros and cons. Some artists and bloggers love it – it drives traffic and new customers or readers to their sites, other artists ans bloggers hate it and see it as a way that others can steal their images or work. It’s complicated, but the huge surge in popularity has put it in the forefront of social media sites. Here is a link to my @Pinterest board of articles on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cathylarkin/pinterest-how-to-info/

Pinterest Tips:

Be sure to bookmark the actual product page or blog post on the site, not the homepage. On some sites there are several items or images or blog posts on that home page. If you just hit pin this, and select an image, although it looks like you posted a specific image and link, you’ve posted the image, and a link to the home page. If I am that blogger and I write three more posts, then your pin get’s disconnected from that post. so always click the headline of a post, then pin the image from that page.

If you go on a pinning binge, try and vary the subject a bit - otherwise you might fill the welcome screen of your followers with all of those ice cream recipes and make them so hungry that they unfollow you. Pin a few ice cream recipes, then a few cute cats 9or whatever else you like), then back to ice cream etc.

At first you will follow people, and all their boards, to get started, but begin to be selective, follow selected individual boards of a person - the things that you also like or think are interesting. And if you have kids who use your computer (or are using this for business), be aware that one person’s taste in art may include tasteful (or less so) nudes, and one person’s funny or humor board, may shock you or make you raise your eyebrows. So my advice is to be selective. Everything is public on Pinterest, tehre are no private boards,and others can see the boards you choose to follow.

If you are a blogger or sell products on the internet be sure to get the “Pin it” button for your site: here’s the link: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ – although several social share plugins for wordpress sites have already added the Pin it button to their services.

Pinterest is still in Beta, and invite only, but it is faster to get an invite by asking someone who is on the site to send you one. If you want an invite , just leave a ask for one in the comments below and I’ll send one to your email address.

Share your pinterest tips, times you use the site, if you love it, hate it or don;t get it.

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Take a Step Back – Look at the Big Picture Once in a While:

Small biz owners can get so caught up in the day to day biz operations we need to occasionally take a step back from our work, and from the lure of social media and blogging (or avoidance of same) and think a few things through. Take some time to really identify your ideal customers and clients, and your secondary groups. Think through their needs, interests, and WIFFM (What’s In It For Me). For more on this see my post: Social Media and blogging can turn cold calls into warm leads.
Do Your Customer Homework with Pew, Nielsen or Hubspot Demographics
Try not to make assumptions – don’t assume they aren’t on Facebook or Twitter. look up key terms to see who’s talking about them. Check the online demographics research from sites like Pew Online Research Center (example: 65% of online adults use social networking sites) or Nielsenwire (example: What Americans Do Online – Social Media, Blogs and game dominate). and Hubspot.com Example: 12 Mind-Blowing Statistics Every Marketer Should Know.

DIY Customer Research:
You might even create a free online survey of your own (you can use Survey Monkey or Zoomerang or do a Facebook or LinkedIn Poll), send it to your email list – you do have one don’t you? Or create an in-person/on paper survey if you have a bricks and mortar operation, or if you attend trade shows (or for the #handmade crowd, if you attend craft shows, or wholesale marketplaces).

• Ask your customers what they like about your product
• What makes yours unique, memorable, useful, fun etc.
• Ask what they would like to see more of, less of, new features, new styles or colors etc.
• Ask them if they use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and how often.
• Do they read newspapers, magazines, books, ebooks, on kindle or iPad?
• Ask if they research items to buy online.
• Ask what their hobbies are. You might find you have a lot of golfers who love your hand creme, so you could develop packaging that takes advantage of that, as an example.

Tie Your Research Back Into Your Blog and Twitter:
Like digging in the rich compost next spring, turn what you have learned into fuel for your blog and social media sites. What three to five topics interest your customers, one of them may be ways to use your products, or how your items are made, or gardening or in my case,my customers want to hear about PR, Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn, blogging & small business.

My Ratio of Social Media Activity – 60:20:10:10 -
My rough ratio of social media activity is:

• Make 60% of your tweets, updates & convo about them – your customer’s or client’s interests, needs, WIFFM;
• 20% who you are – tell your story, your hobbies, make your brand human;
• 10% sales messages – Twitter connections often come to you after a while – w/o your pitching them…if they like what they see. But don’t be afraid to remind them that you are in the business occasionally. be clever about it too.
• & at least 10% fun or randomness. At one point I followed 1 random person a day, some of them turned into customer, friends and sources of good info.

With social media, as in any networking event, you never know if that one random person you strike up a conversation with, turns into your next big referral. It’s kind of like a highball drink over ice – 60 % is the ice cubes, 20 % is the tasty beverage, 10% is the lemon or lime twist, and 10 percent is when you put it altogether and share it with someone else. Yeah…kinda like that. And if you notice the image above – each drink is made a bit differently, my ideal ratio might not be your (or your customer’s)…cup of tea!

This is just a guide and it is roughly what I try to follow, or suggest for others to try if you are not sure what direction to go on Twitter.

Tomorrow I’ll post a link to the transcript of #HandmadeChat, a conversation with a bunch of folks on Twitter (I was the guest/expert) where we talked in detail about this topic. Lots of good info there too.

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Related posts:

1. Social Media And Blogging For Business Can Turn Cold Calls Into Warm Leads
2. Tips for Connecting the Social Media Dots
3. How To Create a Social Media PR Plan

Here are my ideas to consider when branding a business, company, business venture (or even a product) in the digital age:

1) Does the name say what you do? Secondarily, does it do so in a catchy or memorable way? Finding a name that clues in the consumers you want to attract to what your company does should be a primary objective of most brand names; in addition to the considerations listed in the other post.

Ideally you want a business name to be a mix of memorable and catchy, plus tell people what you do, and have no competition in the marketplace. An extra benefit would be if it also gave them a feel for your company in a way that would help the name appeal to your specific consumer base: mainstream and solid, edgy and fun, or comforting and helpful – for example. I realize that this is a tall, almost impossible order, but the exercises you go through to create a great a brand can really help your business in the long run.

I also realize that many big-name companies violate my suggestions, but it was a long, long time from start up until Apple Computers became “Apple” and Google became household names / brands.

2) What’s the competition for your name? At minimum, do a Google/Bing search for the company name and for the main keywords under which people will be searching for you. Does someone with a similar name to the one you were considering own the top several spots? That may be hard to break into. Click on the sites to make use they are full sites, not just placeholder web pages.

2b) Do a search of the Government Trademark database. Whether or not you eventually decide to trademark your name, you should know who already owns what trademarks, and in what categories, around your name. Start with a search of the US government’s trademark “TESS” database. A basic search is simple, but consult with a trademark professional for more information; trademarks can get complex. This may save you from a cease and desist letter from lawyers sometime in your future – long after you’ve selected your name and set up your business. I currently know two business owners who are embroiled in a dispute over a business name and trademark.

2c) Can you buy/own the .com URL/domain name. Yes, .co or .net CAN be OK, but .com still currently rules the internet. If someone else owns the .com, but has not developed it, do some research, it may be held by a domainer who just wants to sell the name, or it might be a company just about to get angel funding and create a fancy site that will eclipse your own .co or .net. You can check the domain name Whois database to learn a bit more info.

A side note here – DO NOT – let your web designer, business manager or other staff member purchase your domain name for you – if they do it  in their name – then technically they own the name.  (I have recently seen this done to one business owner, and know of more than one business dispute arising from this practice). Buy the domain name yourself, and DO NOT lose the username, password and pin (especially if you register the name for ten years). Most web designers are good people, but I have witnessed disputes where people were threatened with losing the domain name around which their business was built.

2d) Check the Username of Handle on social media sites before you settle on a name. If social media is going to be a part of your marketing and PR strategy, then make sure the brand-name “handle” or username is not already taken especially on several of the prime social networks that your customers use. If you own the trademark, it can take time, but you can get the handle back from someone else. But not if you just own the .com; only the Trademark might win it back. If the name you want is taken, but you don’t have the trademark, you can try similar, related or alternative names. But be sure the username/handle passes the memorable and tells what you do test.

Now get naming!

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Related posts:

1. Cathy Larkin’s Web Savvy PR Tip 1 – Social Branding

Small Business Savvy Storm Tips:

The East Coast is Not Used to Storms Like Hurricane Irene:

My brother, who lives in Louisiana, called. He’s been through several Hurricanes and pointed out a surprising point to me – that the storm surge from Hurricane Irene may come up the Delaware River (which I am less than two miles from) and it may flood smaller streams that feed into the Delaware. There is one such stream at the end of my street, luckily down hill from me. He sent me the link to NOAA’s Interactive Storm Surge Map: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ssurge/risk/index.shtml?gm

When I ran the map, I set it for category 2 hurricane at the top of the chart. Try it for the expected category when it may hit you, then zoom in on your area and look at the color coding at the bottom to see the depth of the storm surge - turquoise is 6-10′. To my eye, an awful lot of Philadelphia, PA; Wilmington, DE; and New Jersey are in that area, (and those are the place just near to me – parts of Maryland New York are at risk as well) – it’s not just the coast like we usually see when east coast hurricanes often turn out to sea.

Things a Small Business Owner Can Do Today in the Face of a Natural Disaster

I am not an emergency management expert, but there are several simple actions you can take to secure your business against the storm, there are resources listed at the bottom of this post for more information. At minimum, do two sets of computer back ups of your important files and store one in office, in a high area in a waterproof container, take the other set home with you and keep it safe and dry. Perhaps set up an online back up like Carbonite; better late than never. At bare minimum, email yourself the most recent files you are working on or might want in the next week, using a web-based email system like Gmail that you can access form any computer. Also put those files on a thumb or flash drive or external drive of some sort, and seal it in a ziplock bag.Make copies of your last several years of taxes. This PDF list by the Small Business Administration has the best list of things to consider – even at the last minute like today: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html.

Flooding Risk from Storm Surge Along Coast or Coming Up Inland Rivers

If your business looks like it is at risk for flooding, you may need to take more serious measures. Sand bags around significant places were water might slip in. Move important files out of basement areas or out of the bottom of the file cabinets. Unplug computers (and phones if you can) before you leave for the weekend – and get your electronic cables up off of the floor, or move items to higher floors, if available. I know someone who had a basement office that got just a few inches of water, but it got into some of his electronics and surge protectors. Drape computers in trash bags to protect from incidental moisture. What is the minimum equipment you need to continue your business in the short run, and can you make that happen? See the link to Irene storm surge listed above.

Wind Damage From Natural Disasters to Businesses

In case of wind damage, also consider moving important files, computers and copiers away from windows, especially in tall buildings, as the winds at the 25th floor may be much higher than at ground level, and sky scraper windows have been broken in other urban hurricanes, according to the Weather Channel. If your business or home is along the shore – you may need to be boarding up windows and piling up sandbags. Follow the guidelines for your state or county government, and please head evacuation notices.

Small Business Resources for Before and After a Natural Disaster

For larger issues of dealing with a natural disaster in your business, or in your larger business, check this Wall Street Journal Online article and the FEMA business and other links below – they will get you thinking about supply chains, personnel, alternate locations and more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703296604576005060742737534.html

• This article points several other good ideas, photograph your premises and machines, and back them up online – to aid in insurance claims; have a plan for getting in touch with staff in the event of a natural disaster: http://www.stormfischerinvestmentgroup.com/Protect-Your-Business-with-a-Disaster-Readiness-Plan.c2743.htm
• Ready business – prepare. Plan. Stay Informed:
• http://www.ready.gov/business/index.html
• http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html
• For those not under immanent threat of a natural disaster, consider these two items from FEMA. Although they are targeted to larger companies – there are still things a small business can learn from them:
• FEMA’s pages for business: http://www.fema.gov/business/ or http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/howto/index.shtm
• Or - The Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry (A download/PDF: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/business/guide/bizindst.pdf
• http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/PrepYourBusfortheUnthinkable.pdf

What are your tips for helping a business survive a disaster?

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