WHITE HAT SEO BLOG

As you are used to choosing the right meat for that BBQ, or the correct bread making machine, so should you chose the right social media site for your company.
The simplest way to choose a site is to do so with one that works for you. Pretty simple really.

You can be in various social sites and then narrow it down to the ones you feel most compelled to use.

Do you need a very friendly, young, hip hop site? Or do you need a serious business-like site? That depends on whether you are selling high priced sneakers to a young crowd or a warehouse full of these sneakers via B2B.

Alternatively, if you do not find a social media site that fits your needs, then go to Ning.com and create your very own.

The pros and cons to using a smaller site like Ning.com is that they do not have the visits, media exposure and is not as well known as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Therefore, just as you need the right meat for that great BBQ, you will need to find the right show size for those sneakers; otherwise it will be one sore foot at the end of the BBQ.

Your business will go nowhere fast if you have little or no followers. Even followers who join your group may come and go as quickly as night and day.

If you have nothing to say, then don’t. Your customers (followers) are interested in what you have to offer, i.e. how did that idea come about, the ease or difficulty in bringing the product to market, the funny side of the problems you faced, etc.

Reply to some of your followers, not all of them. Followers will be interested in what you did or say about something, but they will not follow 150 of your replies to each and every question asked. Keep the tweeting interesting and above all, informative and fresh.

Your bio is one of the most important FIRST THINGS to do after you sign on to Twitter.  “I develop anti-fart machines for Chihuahuas” tell people quickly who you are and what you are about. Maybe they have a grandmother who needs one and they will follow you!

Finally, be yourself. Don’t mimic others in the same business as you. Be an individual, full of ideas, will and wit, and tell people you enjoy what you do and wish to help others by your 140 character post.

As with any web presence or a face to face meeting, there are caveats to look out for, particularly with etiquette.  Here are the 3 dos and don’ts that could make or break you’re tweeting.

The 3 do’s are:
Share! Found a funny pic? A new recipe? An article about you? Tell someone! New product? Put that ever important link. Tell others about links other than your own. It makes you look fair and not judgemental.

Re-tweet. This means to reply to someone’s tweeting.  Converse! Someone commented on the item you sold. Acknowledge it with a positive or helpful re-tweet.

Shake hands. Remember that from the old days?  Get to know the people who are following your tweeting. Ask them who they are and how you can help. Maybe ask them why they are following your daily or hourly posts.

The 3 don’ts are:
Disregard your avatar. Put up a picture, any picture. No picture could speak volumes on how you run your business. Does this business care?

Not following. One of the endearing and very useful tools with Twitter is that people can “follow” your tweeting. Some people believe that you must follow everyone who follows you. Not at all. That is impossible. But follow the people or businesses that interest you.

Over expose yourself. Remember that song by Celine Dion, the theme to the Titanic? I won’t bore you with my rendition of it. Did you ever get sick of it? Too much about you will make your customers’ un-follow you and go with your competitor.