Twitter is a useful tool for both personal and business needs. If you are new to Twitter, it may be helpful to learn how to use it to your best advantage. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to get you started.

Twitter was revolutionary when it started. It’s a platform that uses short messages to communicate with others. It could be up-to-the-minute information about you or communication with clients and co-workers on projects and the like. And, you can follow others just like on other social networks.

With Twitter, there are very few established rules. Most of the advice given on how to use Twitter is about etiquette and using the service to connect with other business professionals, clients and the like.

Do’s on Twitter

So, let’s take a look at some of the positive things to do on Twitter.

Follow others – It is not just about you; it’s also about connecting with people. Get involved in what is going on in your area of expertise. Follow people with similar interests. This gives you a higher visibility and can help establish you in that niche on Twitter. If you see something interesting, retweet it so others can follow too.

Tweet – It’s just like posting on Facebook. Leave meaningful information for others. You can talk about yourself, but not too much. Intermingle some useful content with your conversational pieces.

Create a compelling biography – Use your bio to its utmost. You have just a few characters so use keywords that are searchable to describe yourself and help others to search for you and find you.

Be professional – This includes using proper grammar in your tweets. Abbreviations don’t lend themselves to professionalism.

Don’ts on Twitter

Don’t tweet every second – You often hear about people who tweet about eating dinner, inappropriate habits and every other thing they do all day. This is not what people want to hear from you. In fact, it is one way to lose your ranking and current audience. It just clogs up the works for those following you.

Be careful what you say – Once you have entered something on the internet, it will be there forever. Inflammatory tweets reflect negatively on you and can come back to haunt you later.

Don’t be too negative – People who are always looking on the downside crash the party. Misery loves company but you will lose yours if you persist.

Learn to use hashtags properly – Hashtags can help you and others to follow a conversation more easily. But, use them the right way. Don’t put a hashtag on each word in your tweet. And, don’t hashtag a run-on tweet.

Using Twitter doesn’t have to be complicated or hard. Be yourself and use the above advice to make the most of your time there.

Search engines matter because without them you would receive minimal traffic to your website. Use them well and you will receive very targeted traffic to your website. Targeted traffic turns into customers and repeat visitors. This means it’s not only where you’re placed on the search engine rankings, but the keywords you use as well. You want to make sure you’re attracting targeted traffic to your site.

The world of search engine optimization and keyword development can feel overwhelming. It seems there’s a lot of information to learn, know and use. However, when you drill down, it’s actually quite simple. You want to optimize your website for a few primary keywords. These keywords ideally will have an acceptable amount of demand and supply. They’ll also be keywords that your audience is likely to use to find your information.

Then you optimize your pages for those keywords. You also choose some secondary keywords to support the primary ones. These may be keywords with less demand and less supply. However, they’re still keywords your audience is using to find your information.

How do you use these keywords? Content, content, content. Content gives the search engine spiders something to index. It also provides material that others may link to. This is an important part of SEO.

To help you manage and master your SEO efforts, there are literally thousands of various tools and gadgets. Some of these tools help you check the keyword density on your web page. They make sure your keywords are represented enough to help but not so much that your content reads poorly. There are also link checkers, keyword research tools, and so on. Here are four SEO tools you might find useful.

1. Keyword suggestion tools – This is where it all begins. Keyword suggestion tools help you learn and research your primary and secondary keywords. The most common of these tools is the Google AdWords tool. It’s free and quite useful. There are also keyword tools that you can pay for. They offer a bit more information than the Google tool.

2. Ranking checkers – Ranking checkers help you determine where you rank for various keywords and search engines. It’s a great tool for setting goals and tracking your progress. For example, you might set a goal to move up two pages in the rankings using article marketing. You can use a ranking checker to test and track your success. (You can also check to see how your competition is doing.) You can get a free rank checker from SEO Book by clicking here.

3. Link checking tools – Link checking tools help you determine the effectiveness of your back links. You can learn who is linking to you and how popular their links are. Again, you can also check to see who is linking to your competition. There are some basic, free tools that provide basic information. Or you can hire a service to analyze your back links for you. Click here for access to a free reciprocal link checker.

4. Keyword density tools – These tools can analyze a page or your URL for keyword density. There are a number of keyword density tools. Again some are free and some are paid tools. If you’re going to pay for this service, make sure it analyzes keyword phrases and not just one or two word keywords. Click here to access a free keyword density checker.

New SEO tools are being developed every day. Take advantage of these resources to strategically position your business. The easier it is for your prospects to find you, the faster you’ll achieve your business goals.

If you’re thinking of sharing about your business via Facebook, creating an effective profile is important. It’s easy to go into Facebook and set up a profile that doesn’t do much to reflect what your business is all about. A few tips can improve that. Here are some tips for using for Facebook profile effectively for your business.

1. Be careful – It’s wise to exercise care when you set up your profile for business use. Facebook terms of service says that your profile cannot be used for business purposes. However, you should be fine as long as you are actively using the profile for personal purposes as well. You may or may not already be on Facebook to socialize, but it’s a good idea to consider how to keep your business and personal information separate. It’s also a good idea to limit who reads your status updates so that your personal news does not conflict with your professional news.

You can use Facebook’s privacy settings to control who sees your updates. You can also specify who sees an individual update as long as you use the Facebook lists feature. And remember, privacy settings aren’t perfect; some cross-over is possible, so take care what you post. Some things you don’t need to share!

2. Your name – Most business people suggest using your real, full name in your profile – another good reason to pay attention to privacy settings. But you’re a business, so you want your name out there so make sure to list your business information on the “About” page of your profile. Using your real name makes it a lot easier for people to find you.

3. Your avatar – You will need to choose an avatar. Some successful business people suggest using a professional picture of yourself, but it’s entirely possible to get a good photo with your home camera. Let your “look” reflect the mood of your business (you don’t want to be pictured in overalls, for example, if your business is a professional marketer; but overalls would be an excellent look for a landscape design business). If you have some photo software on your computer, you can adjust the background and so forth to construct a good avatar.

You do not want to use your business logo as your avatar. This is a clear violation of Facebook policy and could get your account suspended. Whatever your choice for your avatar, make sure it is one you’re comfortable with. Consider your avatar’s look, colors and branding message to see if it makes an effective business-like message or not.

4. Think like a client – If you were a prospective client of your business, what would you like to see on a profile? Be thorough and truthful, but keep your prospects in mind. There are some things your clients don’t need to know, and other things they should know – remember, this is a personal profile being used to help your business. Include those aspects of yourself that coincide with your business intent.

Today everyone is saying, “Take me to the cloud.” But what does that mean? And, is it a good thing for your business to get involved in?

What and Where Is the Cloud?

We are talking about cyberspace. You know it exists and you can see the results of it, but touching it is as elusive as putting your hands on a real cloud. Nevertheless, it is a revolutionary idea in network sharing and storage.

So, what is the cloud exactly? Well, if you are using the internet right now to read this article, you are a part of the cloud network. Companies used to set up IT networks on their own, installing, running and testing software applications. Whenever there was a problem, everyone turned to the IT expert to fix it. This took money and time which could cost the business money in man hours and lost productivity.

Cloud computing offers a break to companies both large and small with an easier way to store information. Instead of each company managing their own applications, third-party vendors offer access to a virtual network that they manage. Each company only pays for the amount of usage that they need.

This one area houses hundreds of apps that each company can customize for its own uses. It’s like having one central location for housing all business but with the ability to function according to the specific needs of each.

How Can Your Business Benefit?

Because the cloud is in cyberspace, you are not limited to one area when using it. In fact, the cloud was made for mobility. No matter where you or any of your associates are, you can upload information to the cloud that can then be viewed by others who also have access to the network. They can make changes to the document and then send it back to you in a flash.

Want to hold a meeting? You can do that too. Sharing ideas across the miles but within the same company has never been more accessible. What may have taken precious time through emails, faxes or phone calls can now be handled all at once via cloud computing.

And, your business can lower the cost of overheads by utilizing the cloud. With a third-party vendor managing the operation, they handle upgrades to software, technical questions and support for you. If there are problems, you will be up and running again as quickly as they can help. That also means that anyone accessing your applications is also back on the grid.

But, do your homework first. Make sure that the cloud is what your business needs and that it can meet your specific criteria for security and ease of operation. You decide if the cloud can move you forward.

Twitter is a really great way to socialize and keep in touch, but it can be more than that. You can use Twitter as a tool for various things, from business to advertising. It provides a personal link with your customers and clients that may be lacking in the usual online business relationship. Here are some tips for using Twitter effectively.

1. Keep it short

Regardless of what you are tweeting, you’ll want to keep the message short and to the point. Twitter is not like email; it’s more like text messaging to a group.

2. Make a decision

Regardless of how you plan to use Twitter, go ahead and make that decision before setting up an account. If you want to use it for business purposes, determine who your potential customers would be. If you plan to use Twitter for personal reasons, make that decision ahead of time, too. It can get confusing and problematic if you try to toggle back and forth between business and personal messages on your Twitter account.

3. Avatar

Choose an avatar that reflects your purpose in using Twitter. A fun picture of your dog in a Santa hat may be great for your personal account, but not for your business (unless you sell dog Santa hats!). You may even want to find a professional to take a picture of you specifically for your Twitter avatar.

4. Username

The same things apply to a username as to the avatar – make sure it fits your Twitter intentions. Also, make sure it coincides with your avatar so that the two become synonymous.

5. Advertise

Twitter offers advertising programs that you can use to boost your business. You can sign up with one of these on the Twitter site. They work by connecting Twitter users with advertisers.

6. Share links

The brief nature of Twitter makes it a great vehicle for sharing links to websites, videos, and so forth. This can be a quick and effective way to share the newest and latest products or information with your customers. Sharing links for others can also be a way to generate income. You can share your own links, too.

7. Get a mobile device

Giving your Twitter followers up-to-the minute tweets is what makes Twitter unique. You’ll want to embrace this aspect of the medium, and invest in some kind of mobile device that you can have handy at all times to read and send tweets.

You remember the saying “KISS” (keep it simple silly)? If there is one place in business where this is true, it is in your approach to your website. Here are a few tips to help you give your website a quick little KISS.

#1 – Simple is best. When it comes to selling information you don’t want to use a full content-rich site. The best approach is often a sales-letter type website where you answer all the concerns of the reader and show them exactly why they need your product.

Stick to a simple sales page without many graphics or clutter. Keep the reader focused in a congruent order – reading down the page – until they get to the order button.

#2 – Build trust and credibility. It’s no longer enough to simply have a long sales page saying how great your product is. Reader’s today want to know that there is a real person behind the website they can trust. You can build this trust and credibility by including a few important pages on your website. They are:

FAQ – A frequently asked questions page is great because although it is directly answering the reader’s concerns, it’s also emphasizing your sales message. Include this page on your information product sales page website for great results. Make sure you include an order button within your FAQ page.

About Us – People buy from people they like and trust. Include an “about us” section so that your potential customer can learn more about the person behind the website. Include business information as well as a little personal information about the business. This is a great way to connect with your customers and build trust.

Contact Us – Including your contact information on your website is really important. No one wants to buy from an anonymous source. Remember you’re asking these people to trust you with their money, so you need to give them a reason to do so. Include clear contact information including an address, email option as well as telephone number.

Customer Feedback – While you don’t want to give exact testimonials or sales figures to remain compliant with the FTC, you can include positive comments your customers have sent you. This can be information about how your product has helped them or even about your customer service. Positive comments can go a long way towards building trust and credibility.

#3 – Make it clear. The final component to include in your website structure is a clear call to action. Make it easy for customers to order your product. Include links to your order page and reinforce the order in a summary. Let them know what they’re getting for how much and how the item will be delivered.

All of this information not only makes it easy for your customer to understand what they’re getting from you, it’s also a simplistic formula to follow.

Analytics are a business owner’s best friend. They can help you optimize your strategies and tactics. They help you get a better understanding of what your customer wants and needs. Website analytics can be the most valuable asset you have. However, choosing the right analytic tools can be overwhelming. There are many to choose from. Here’s a brief list of some of the more popular analytic tools, and advice on how to choose the right one for you.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is free. You simply register with Google if you don’t already have an account. Sign up for the analytics tool by providing a bit of information about your website. Then it’s merely a matter of cutting and pasting the code into your website.

You can choose your settings and the data you track. Google tracks visits, average time on site, page views and the referral source. It also tracks geographic data and can be used to track split testing results. It’s a comprehensive analytics tool that provides just about everything a website owner could need.

Piwik

Piwik is an open source type of analytics. That means it’s free. It’s also open for development. This can be a big advantage if you want your analytics to accomplish something new. Piwik is designed to be the open source alternative to Google analytics so their offerings are similar. With Piwik your analytic data is on your server. You own your data. Additionally, you can customize your interface to suit your needs.

AWStats

AWStats is another popular analytics tool. Again, it provides much of the same data as most other analytics tools. However, it also provides some unique data. For example:

• Visits of robots
• Worm attacks
• HTTP errors
• Number of times your site is added to a visitor’s favorites

AWStats doesn’t work with all websites. You’ll need to double check before you install it. It can work with all web hosting providers which allow Perl, CGI and log access.

Site Meter

Site Meter offers two options. They offer a free version. They also offer a paid version that starts at $6.95 for 25,000 page views. The rate increases depending on your page views. Site Meter offers a vast amount of information including page views, bounce rate and time spent on your site. Site Meter also tracks the path your visitor takes when they arrive at your website. This is extremely valuable information. It can help you tighten your website content and copy to achieve a desired result.

Which Analytic Tool Do You Choose?

Decide which data points will be most useful. What do you need to know to optimize your website? Also consider who you trust with your data. If you utilize a service, then they have access to your website data. If you install the software on your server then you’re the only one that has access to your data. Also make sure you can easily read and understand the reports. All of the tools mentioned provide demo data and reporting.

Once you have a trusted source and the data you need to grow your business, it comes down to price and personal preference. Most analytics tools are free or very inexpensive. Choose your tool, install it and start taking advantage of the information website analytics provide.

You would like to get in on the social networking scene, but maybe you aren’t quite sure where to start. Whether you are interested in promoting your business through social networking or just want to catch up with friends, it can be intimidating if you aren’t sure how it works. Facebook is a good place to start for social networking. To start using this popular networking site, here are some ideas that tips that can help you take the first steps to getting on the networking scene.

What Is Facebook?

You can think of Facebook as a way for people to stay connected. You update your status and read the status updates of other people, and you can search for people whom you know and who know you. You “friend” people and accept friend requests from others. You can join and start groups, and invite others to join. Facebook allows you to share sites, pages, and information that you like.

1. First, log on to Facebook.com and follow the on-screen directions for setting up an account. It’s quite user friendly, and you can change the information you put in your profile at any time.

2. Your profile should say pertinent things about you, whether it’s your business or your personal account. You do need to decide whether or not you are going to go at this from a business or personal perspective, because the general opinion is that personal and business communications on Facebook should be separate.

3. Once you set up your account, you can search for friends using the Search feature. Facebook allows you to search groups, or search for people according to a certain demographic (people who share your graduation year, for example, or your home town). Once you have a few friends, you can search for friends of friends – those mutual friendships you share. Then your friend list will start growing.

4. Privacy settings can be adjusted according to your preferences. Check into the guidelines and make sure you have the settings where you want them. You are in control of who sees your profile and updates. You can also block people you don’t want to contact you on Facebook.

5. You can communicate with your friends in various ways. If you “write on their wall” then you are posting something others can see. The friend whose wall you wrote on would have his or her own privacy settings, and your friend decides who sees what’s on his or her wall. So just beware that the wall is considered “public.”

You can also send messages to individuals. If you hover your mouse pointer over a person’s picture, the option to send a message comes up. Messages sent this way are not readable by others.

6. Groups are a nice feature of Facebook. Take some time to participate in groups within your specific niche.

If you would like more strategies for using Facebook for business, I suggest taking a look at Facebook 4 Biz…a new session is starting on Monday, January 9th. Get more information about the class and sign up today at:

www.facebook4biz.com

Web 2.0 is a very popular phrase these days, although a lot of people really don’t know what it means. It’s basically marketing your business via social networking sites. The whole idea is to enable you to get into a conversation with your customers. So instead of pushing your sales message at them, you will be listening to their needs, and meeting them.

What is a “2.0 site”?

It’s just another word for a social networking site. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are prime examples of 2.0 sites. They could also include your own blog.

No matter which 2.0 marketing method you choose, the most important tip is that you get involved helping others. Today, more than ever, trust is very important for businesses. Customers are very wary of people trying to sell them something.

Web 2.0 is a way to get you past this barrier, and help people trust you. It’s no longer enough to just have a sales letter and email list. You have to involve your customers.

What’s the key to success with 2.0?

It is genuinely trying to help people. One of the best ways is to answer their questions. Sure, you have a reason for doing it: trying to increase trust, and ultimately your profits. However, when you genuinely answer questions with an eye to really helping them, people will be more likely to trust you.

When they know you really want to benefit them, they will trust what you have to say more. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” So the key is to get involved in discussions, and establish yourself as an expert.

Where are the best places to market?

Forums are awesome places to get involved and start answering questions. There is a lot of discussion going on here. Therefore getting involved and answering questions will really establish you as an expert.

On some of the sites, like Squidoo or Twitter, you can add informative posts. Assuming they are interesting and have good information, people will then leave comments on them, which you can respond to.

Also, video marketing is very effective. And if you do good keyword research and post them to the right sites, you can get your videos ranked in the search engines. Finally, you can start a blog on your own domain, and get that ranked. Basically involvement is the key.

Finding and establishing a way to connect with your potential clients via social media is what web 2.0 is all about. Start getting involved and you will benefit with increased profits and expert status.

Do you have trouble understanding Twitter? Whether you want to use it for marketing or social purposes, you still have to understand the language. Here is a list of the more popular terms to get you up to date.

Twitterism – Any word that is only used by the Twitter community. They are generally formed by putting the letters TW before a basic word, like Twaffic in place of traffic.

Tweet – Your 140-character or less message. This is the backbone of the site.

Twitterjacking – Where people hack other twitter accounts and pretend to be that person. Celebrities are particularly vulnerable to this.

Twitterer – Any user of the site. Also called Tweeple on occasion.

Twitterverse – The whole society of people who use the site. This includes both those using it for business and those just using it for social reasons. Also sometimes called the Twittosphere.

Twittersona – Someone’s Twitter persona.

Retweeting – Alerting those following you to another person’s tweet. You are basically quoting that person’s tweet and reposting it on your account. Just make sure it’s clear you didn’t originate it. You must add RT at the beginning and then provide the username of whoever you are quoting. For instance, if you are quoting JanetSlack, you would say RT @JanetSlack and then the message. If you don’t format it this way, you are actually claiming their tweet as your own. This is a violation of Twitter policies, and could get you in serious trouble.

Followfriday – This is where you provide the usernames of people that your followers should follow themselves. You don’t necessarily have to include a reason. You format it #FF @the username of whoever you are suggesting.

Twaffic – All the visitors you get from using Twitter.

Tweekend - When you devote an entire day of the weekend to using the site.

De-Follow – When you stop following someone. It’s a play of the standard “de-friend” term used by most social sites.

Hashtag – Tagging a specific tweet by placing the hash prior to the tag. For instance, you would put #pgatour if you were talking about the PGA Tour.

Mistweet – When you send one of your messages to someone you didn’t intend to.

Tweeps – Used to describe people following you that you also interact with on other social sites.

There are many more terms to learn, and this just gives you a rundown of the essentials. You will discover the rest as you start using the site more regularly.

Twitter can be a very effective marketing platform for your business. Hopefully this article has helped you understand this complex world a bit better, and will help you use it properly in your business.