Remember when traditional media ruled the world?
You know…. TV, radio, and newspapers.

Now you see nearly all TV, radio and newspapers saying Follow me/us on Twitter.
Who would have ever imagined big media advertising and asking their audience to follow them somewhere else?

In my humble opinion, this is one of many indicators that technology has changed the playing field. And it’s good because the playing field is virtually now equal for everyone out there, including you. Whether you are in Fortune 500 company, own a traditional business, a stay at home mom, or just getting started online, we are all sharing the same or similar tools and resources to connect with one another.

Here are just a few of the many reasons why Twitter is a Big Opportunity to Your Success.

1. You can spread the news about your brand, product or service at the speed of lightning.
(even faster than traditional media like Fox News, CNN, ESPN, etc. That’s one of the reasons why traditional media asks us to follow them on Twitter, not to mention that’s where a chuck of people are hanging out now.

2. Pick your passion. Twitter recently reported that there are now over 50,000 third party clients, tools and apps that integrate with Twitter. These are great for user flexibility, customization, automation (when used properly), and much more.

3. There’s no limit on how to use Twitter with even more ways being created all the time. Some companies use twitter for special offers, customer service, traffic generation, building your brand, research, the list goes on and on. (what ever you do, don’t use Twitter for spamming-that’s surely the fastest way to ruin a reputation and you may even get suspended)

4. With my 20+ years of success and failures in my own businesses on/offline and in corporate America, Twitter is by far the most powerful business tool, when used the right way, that I have ever experienced. I’ve built a HUGE email list of subscribers, generated traffic consistently from over 130 countries and sales are coming in. Most importantly, the connections that have been made are absolutely priceless.

A last note before I close out this post, instead of seeing Twitter as a place to broadcast, see it as place to engage, build relationships and provide value. Then you will discover why Twitter is a BIG Opportunity to Your Success. We share how to capitalize on the Twitter opportunity, with Tweet Formula just click here. Even if you think you understand Twitter, ask yourself, am I getting the most out of it in the least amount of time? If not, we can help you do that.

Please leave us a comment and share your ideas, thoughts and stories.

Follow me Al Ferretti @AlFerretti

Follow Skeeter Hansen @SkeeterHansen

Never before have we been able to make connections so quickly with people on a local, national and global level, until we joined Twitter. (Thank you Twitter we love you)

One of our great connections on Twitter was made with Lisa @only2degrees and Darcy @darcylj. They are the hosts of only2degrees (only2degrees.com) internet radio talk show. All I’ve got to say is that Lisa and Darcy ROCK!

Recently, Skeeter and I were guests on the only 2 degrees show to talk about the benefits of Twitter and our product Tweet Formula (Tweet Formula). The time flew so fast and we had a great time. You can check out the interview with us on only2degrees.

If you enjoy connecting with people on world and personal views. I highly recommend that you send them a tweet, follow both Lisa and Darcy and check out their show. Hey, maybe you can be on their show too?

True Story….right before the show started we were talking about the weather in sunny California, where Lisa and Darcy are located. At that very moment, I checked the weather on my local newspaper website here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And guess what the temperature was?
It was only “2 degrees” outside. “Isn’t it ironic?”

And some people say we are all connected within 6 degrees, in our case it proved to be only 2 degrees.

Thank you Twitter, Lisa and Darcy for making it all possible.

Gratefully,

-Al Ferretti

ALERT: Twitter Discloses Attempt to Steal User Passwords

Being a former professional paperboy (not really) haha. Yes, I actually do have a background in the newspaper industry with sales and marketing and I’ve actually delivered papers before-those were the good ole days. Maybe you can relate? Regardless, I bet you are like me and can not stand hackers who steal peoples stuff. With that said, I wanted to share this post from the Wall Street Journal Blog and alert you of what’s going on. As always be safe.

As reported by By Jessica E. Vascellaro from the WSJ Blog

Twitter said it has identified a scheme to try to steal user account names and passwords and is asking some users to update their passwords as a result.

The micro-blogging service disclosed in a notice to developers late Tuesday that an unidentified person had been creating so-called “torrent” sites and forums for “a number of years” with the sole purpose of getting users to input user names and passwords the person could use to gain access to Twitter accounts.

The person “waited for the forums and sites to get popular and then used those exploits to get access to the username, email address, and password of every person who had signed up,” the notice stated.

Torrent sites are those that allow users to search for files sent through file-sharing service BitTorrent. Twitter didn’t identify any specific sites and forums it believes to be gathering the data.

The company said they “haven’t identified all of the forums involved (nor is it likely that we’ll be able to, since we don’t have any connection with them).” “But as a general rule, if you’ve signed up for a torrent forum or torrent site built by a third party, you should probably change your password there,” it read.

The attacks are one of several breaches that have affected the mircoblogging services in the past year. How many users were asked to reset their passwords remains unclear; a Twitter spokeswoman said the number of people affected is “very small.”

Article Source

Tweet Formula will show you the tools and techniques that work for any business.

Find out how and discover why it’s your solution by watching this short video.

Branding Yourself with Twitter starts with 3 important items that can make a huge difference for you on Twitter.

During one of my Twitter Coaching Sessions the other day I was asked, how do I brand myself with Twitter?

My question to those that want to brand themselves with Twitter is this, what do other Twitter users see of you more than anything else?

Your Photo, Name and Tweets!

We are all getting tweets from different people all day long and the first thing that you and I look at is the Photo, Name and the Tweet.

I don’t need to say much about the photo other then just have a nice photo.

Your Twitter Username on the other hand can be some what more challenging when trying to pick the right one.

As a rule of thumb but not always I would try to use your name, either your first or first and last name. Try to avoid using numbers and letter that don’t mean or spell anything, for example: @pwlu7670

If your name is not available and you are marketing a product or service online try picking the name of one of your products, just think outside the box and pick something that will be easy for people to remember and connect with.

The other thing people see is your tweets. Are you engaging and sending a variety of different types of tweets to others?

Are you active with your Twitter account? Sending out a couple of tweets a day is not considered being very active?

Do your tweets have value? People don’t want to know what you had for breakfast or what time you went to bed.

I like to send out tweets with a link to a page about Twitter Tips, Tools and Applications.

I also send out quotes in my tweets and ask questions, for example I ask people what is their favorite quote and then I retweet the quote. This is a great way to connect with others and start sharing tweets.

If you are going to send out links in your tweets you should send them out in moderation. Send out other types of tweets in between the tweets with links. Providing value in your tweets in the key to getting people to trust you.

When branding yourself on Twitter think about the message your sending through your Photo, Name and Tweets.

Follow me on Twitter @skeeterhansen

Follow Your Pal Al Ferretti @alferretti

Have any questions, comments or success stories leave them in the comment section we would love to hear them.

Twitter Training for Beginners and Advanced

1. Are you a home based business owner, into internet marketing, own a traditional business, and/or a blogger?

If so, then stay with us, as we have something very special just for you.

2. Are you tired of spending endless hours and dollars trying to get more traffic, leads and sales only to get little or no results?

We know exactly how you feel, we’ve been there. Until we discovered how to use Twitter the RIGHT WAY to generate traffic, leads, sales and make connections with people faster than ever imagined.

In our first 30 days, we generated traffic to a new website from over 130 countries. Yes Countries, some of those countries we could not even pronounce. The great thing is that we continue to generate more traffic each month which brings in even more leads and sales, by just using Twitter.

We have been serving and giving back to the Twitter community since December of 2008 with training guides, worldwide conference calls, radio stations throughout the US, this blog here at Twitterwatchdog.com, and much more.

So we created Tweet Formula (Tweet Formula) to teach and train you exactly what we did to generate all that traffic, which has built us a huge list and generated more and more sales month after month. Let’s not forget the priceless connections we made with people who are far smarter than we are.

So whether you are a beginner, advanced or a pro with Twitter, you’re sure to get better and faster results in less time with Tweet Formula.

Hey, there’s a reason why its the #1 training and support system to help you succeed faster online with Twitter. 10 easy steps to follow.

Here’s what we mean…

JUMPSTART ON TWITTER

Step 1: Why now is the Time with Twitter

* Discover the untapped benefits Twitter can provide you.
* Learn the advantages Twitter has over other social sites.
* Success stories of people using Twitter for business.

Step 2: Getting Started Fast

* Setting up your Twitter page for success.
* The #1 Twitter method to locate people.
* Proven Tweeting techniques that save you time.

Step 3: Twitter Lingo Made Easy

* The power of retweets and how to use them effectively.
* The benefits of using #hashtags.
* Maximizing the Twitter list feature.

ACCELERATE ON TWITTER

Step 4: Top Three Twitter Applications

* Tweet with Flexibility and ease.
* Managing multiple accounts.
* Scheduling tweets into the future.

Step 5: Four Great Tools to Find and Follow People Quickly

* The best methods to generate followers locally and globally.
* Powerful keywords to target people in your niche.
* Using the Twitter Advanced Search effectively.
* Following Techniques that deliver results fast.

Step 6: Connect and Network like a Pro

* The Three Secrets the pro’s use and why you need them.
* Tips for Engaging that will work for anyone.
* Learn how to Connect and Build Relationships faster.
* Ten tips that work to Network with people.

Step 7: Personalize your Tweets with Ease

* Two photo sharing options that help personalize your twitter stream.
* Learn the benefits of sharing videos on Twitter and why.
* The best 4 ways to wow your followers.

GO PROFESSIONAL ON TWITTER

Step 8: Best Practices that work and Mistakes to Avoid

* Eighteen simple and powerful techniques that produce results.
* Avoid these mistakes other Twitter users are making.
* Reasons why you may get suspended.

Step 9: Features and Benefits of Automation

* Using automation the right way.
* Nine simple ways to leverage your time .
* Automate Tweets that generates traffic 24/7 without spamming.

Step 10: Position your Business on Twitter for Success

* A marketing strategy that delivers results.
* Generate more customers and profits faster.
* Attract the right people that want to buy from you.

Maybe you are happy with your results and would rather spend the time and energy to figure out what it takes to succeed on Twitter?

If not, we invite you to check out Tweet Formula

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you.

-Al Ferretti and Skeeter Hansen

Recently I wrote about a Top Retweeted user (@LoriMoreno) is Suspended by Twitter. Her account was reinstated within 24 hours.

For some time now, people have asked us… What do I do if my twitter account gets suspended?

As of late Twitter seems to be suspending more accounts without warning. Actually, I don’t know if there’s ever been a warning sent prior to a suspension. Nevertheless, if you or someone you know gets suspended, here are some tips to follow to prevent a cardiac arrest. (Take it from an EX-suspended Twitter user. Yes it happened to me several months ago)

1. Begin by taking a patience Pill. (It’s likely not the end of the world as we know it)
Then Read the Twitter Rules to see if maybe you made a mistake that you were unaware of.

2. Now that the patience pill is working it’s magic. You can submit a ticket to Twitter here or follow the link through your suspended account. Be calm and polite when writing Twitter. In other words, whatever you do, don’t go postal and go off the deep end.

3. After submitting a ticket with your plea… you’ll need to patiently wait at least 24-48 hours to receive a reply back via email from Twitter. In the meantime, you may create a new account (if you don’t all ready have one) Then tweet and notify some friends/followers that your account got suspended. Most importantly, be good.

4. If Twitter sends you an email be sure to reply back to them (remember what ever you do, don’t go postal. Better yet, be on your best behavior)

5. If you have a 2nd twitter account established, you can also tweet one of the Twitter Spam patrols. This has been reported to help expedite the process at times. Simply tweet one of them your suspended account and ask if they know why your account was suspended. @ginger or @delbius

You may also be interested to read 4 common Twitter mistakes.

Leave us your comments about Twitter Account Suspensions.

Confused on how to use Twitter the right way?
Take advantage of this step by step Twitter System

Follow ME Al Ferretti @AlFerretti

Follow Skeeter Hansen @SkeeterHansen

I was speaking recently at a conference and as I stepped down from the podium…a well-dressed man was waiting to tell me he recognized me from Twitter. “I have a question for you”…why do you follow so many people on Twitter?”

Apparently he hadn’t read my Twitter Watchdog post about My Twitter Philosophy

He went on to tell me he only follows a few very select people who he “is nurturing” because he wants them as clients. Well, I thought…focus is good, and then I remembered…

Many years ago I was doing the marketing for Ford Motor Co. I was feeling pretty great about how well we were doing, getting prospects to go to their local dealerships and test drive new cars. But, as soon as I get “puffed up”, something always happens to set me right again. This time it was an irate dealer-owner in Quebec.

He called the agency and screamed at me that my foolish mailing had brought in a blind man who requested a test drive of a new car, a big Explorer. His salesman wasted an hour driving the guy around…and it was all my fault, because my list selection was stupid. Then he called the Chairman of our agency to tell him to kick me to the curb.

I apologized profusely. Not sure how a blind man even read my direct mail letter…and then went back to work, humbled.

Next morning at 11:00 AM I get a call from that same dealer. This time his voice was filled with gratitude. The blind guy had brought his brother in that morning and just signed the papers to buy a fully loaded Explorer. Imagine!

So if one blind man can buy a big old car…who might be the person who buys your service, your product…your next great idea?

I think (for what it’s worth):

1. Follow people back, if they’re real people. I followed @aviationartlife because she had a weird logo. Turns out, she’s Cecilia Karr and her husband is an Aviation Artist. I own an agency..never know when I might need him. Meanwhile, we’re friends.

2. @Ms_effective tweeted me about contributing a section of her new book. I gave her some of my secrets of feeling great before presentations and she wrote about them in her new book, 101 Quick Tips Effective Communications by Debbie Mayo-Smith. She’s in New Zealand and month she sent me a half dozen copies of the new book…with my secrets in it. Love that!

3. Then there’s @kansasauthor who writes directly to me often. He didn’t like the fact, I kept calling him Kansas, so I looked up his name, Tom Mach. Found out he wrote a great book entitled, Sissy. I ordered it last night from Barnes and Noble.

So, I’ve made dozens of new friends. Maybe I’m not as focused as the guy with the Armani suit..but Twitter is definitely making me happier.

Lois Geller Follow me on Twitter