Twitter has become one of the most widely used tools for social networking and, increasingly, for business. Users of the Macintosh OS will find that they have a new feature that they may find very useful if they rely upon the service a great deal. Twitter, through this feature, allows you to send an update to all of your followers from anywhere without having to log into the service itself. It works as a simple alt menu function.

The Function

Using this service, you can send a tweet from anywhere within the OS environment. For example, if you happen to be working on the Safari browser and find something interesting that you would like to tweet to your followers, you can simply highlight it, click on it and select the option to tweet. This can vastly cut down on the amount of time it takes to send information to your followers and encourages more use of the system.

This functionality will be expanded so that it can be used on any Apple device. This means that users of these systems will be able to very easily send whatever information they want to their followers and makes it much easier for them to share information on the fly. Of course, if you happen to be a business user, you can easily send anything you want to the people that follow your business when you are offering a special deal on goods or services or when you just want to make sure that your business is in their minds.

Other Features

Twitter also introduced a follow button that allows users to instantly sign up to be a follower of a webpage. If you happen to be a business user, this is a very easy way for you to encourage your visitors to follow you without requiring them to take the extra step of finding and following your profile on Twitter. These buttons are added in the same way that any other social networking icons added to your site and make it very easy to expand the possibilities for communication with the people with whom you do business.

Twitter has also introduced an application for mobile browsers that makes it easier to use the service on the go. Much like other applications, it reformats the service in a way that is much easier to read on the smaller screens of mobile devices and which doesn’t require users to try to click tiny links on a small screen.

With all of these new features, the Twitter service is enabling users to employ it in more flexible ways and to ensure that they get the most out of the service if they’re using it for business. Adding the social networking icons styled button to your website is a great way to pick up new followers and using the mobile application is an excellent way to keep in touch with them when you are on the go and when you want to send them a quick tweet to keep them apprised of new offerings.

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If you are new to the idea of social media marketing then it’s important to start with a refresher course on the most important websites making names for themselves and how you, as a business owner or perhaps even a social media manager, can use these online tools to your advantage.

Firstly, do not copy and paste your profile information and status updates to every major website. You must create a strategy in which you use each social media website for a unique and relevant purpose. It’s better to not use a website at all than it is to create duplicate social media pages. Why is this? Because (a) search engines typically penalize web pages that feature duplicate content and (b) you’re communicating with the same audience saying the same thing.

Successful social media managers suggest that you strategize and decide upon a special purpose for each website that you decide to incorporate into your campaign. Let’s consider the four most important websites and effective ways to use them for business.

Face Book/Fan Page: Face Book allows business owners to create either a personal or business page. If the owner chooses to incorporate a personal page into business, he or she will be allowed more options than using a strictly business profile. At this point, the owner can create a fan page or business page and serve as an administrator of the page. He or she will then have the ability to add friends and perform standard Face Book features that are not available with a business page. Face Book can be used for business in the way of advertising new products, services or discounts, as well as sharing multimedia images. Face Book is also ideal for networking, as users can view friends of friends.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional website helping people to expand their network of friends and acquaintances. Unlike Face Book and MySpace, LinkedIn promotes a business first attitude. Features here include people finders, job listings and questions and answers. LinkedIn can be used to increase your visibility, connect with more companies and users, enhance your search rankings (since LinkedIn is web searchable) and perform company reference checks. Some people love LinkedIn because it allows them to “stalk” interviewers and potential employers, or potential employees on the management side. LinkedIn also uses keywords to its advantage, making networking much easier even for newcomers.

Twitter: Twitter limits all of your links and statements to 140 words. Twitter is ideal for sharing status updates, connecting with important people, answering questions, providing insight into the daily experience, and searching for relevant keywords to your business. There are also many valuable web tools like Who Should I Follow and Summize, which give you further advantages in searching.

MySpace: MySpace operates similarly to Face Book but with many more options in the way of formatting the page, creating a unique theme and lending you more web space. MySpace is popular among younger users and is the preferred social media site for web-savvy merchants and entertainers who want to focus more on visual spectacle.

Blogging: WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and SquareSpace are among the most popular blog sites online. Practically every popular social media site has limitations on how long posts can be, thereby giving the advantage to blog sites when it comes to full features and long commentaries. However, full-length blogs are among the most effective tools you can use for establishing professional credibility and targeting new leads with keywords.

All of these popular websites are being used to promote businesses and encourage interaction with the large online community. Have you signed up and filled out your profiles? More importantly, have you devised a short-term and long-term strategy as to your goals and objectives in each particular social media site? This attention to detail could spell the difference between success and an embarrassing waste of time ala PeopleofWalMart.com. Keep your social media page positive, welcoming and above all else, interesting!

“You have heard about social media, but you may not be familiar with how the idea works and what websites are the most valuable to pursue. Learn about the top social media sites and how you can use them for business.”

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The social media network Twitter has taken online communities by storm hasn’t it? You can’t go anywhere without hearing at least snippets of this social media website’s influence on both the general public and business tycoons as well. It’s not just a great way to meet and greet with the locals though. Studies have shown that a large number of small business owners and large ones are Tweeting away so as to promote their trade.

Why? That’s because Twitter can be used by almost anyone to connect with all kinds of people from all walks of life in a single social network that millions have used just as effectively. This makes it quite a powerful marketing tool but you still have to be careful how you’re using it. Knowing how to network on Twitter effectively does not mean you should jump ahead as soon as you get the chance to.

Don’t rush your debut on this social scene for one thing. You might commit a faux pas the likes of which can seriously damage any chances you have to increase your popularity.

Of course there are only so many friends you can make. If you want to build an effective network, you have to pitch your ideas to your followers in such a way that they don’t realize you’re trying to market to them. A good way to do this is to focus on the chit chat in general by avoiding any business lingo from entering into the conversation. You have to make them think that you have their best interests at heart rather than you’re there to make money off of them.

Sharing interesting videos or music on your Twitter account is also a good way to reel in your niche enthusiasts. If you find something in the news or on YouTube you especially liked, then you can share the link on your account page. If you reeled in those followers using your target market, then chances are they will like it.

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Ah yes, social media. You know there was a time when talking to your peers meant hiding behind false sentiments and apologetic gestures. Now you can let your emotions and comments free reign just by using Twitter as your medium of expression! It’s a great way to let those thoughts free but did you know that it can be also used for increasing your popularity? Knowing how to maximize your Twitter time can help you do just that.

Conduct Twitter Parties

Think a soiree without the mess which basically involves a group of your friends/family getting together online to discuss a particular topic you have interest in. No party invitations needed here all you need to do to announce your shindig and use a specific hashtag (#) announcing the time of the party as the host. If you know how to maximize your Twitter time effectively this way, you can manage a whole bunch of followers without a problem.

These kind of virtual parties are an excellent way to get up close and personal with your online pals AND without having to spend a nickel on drinks and snacks! You can also provide free gifts just like the real deal. Who knows? You might just (virtually) bump into a potential client.

Tweet your way into their hearts using Tweetchat

This is actually an external site but it’s one of the best ways to engage in Twitter parties. All you have to do is to go on Tweetchat, enter the aforementioned hashtag and you can post every tweet you want to put up. However, the great thing about this site is that it can be used to do other things as well. It can be used to discover your niche in the online market as well as an excellent way to meet people with the same interests as you. This will enable you to build your credibility and make lifelong friends as you do.

Follow the ‘Leaders’

Now you can’t expect all of them to follow you as soon as you put up an account. Once you get used to tweeting on a regular basis, you can start searching for new supporters and start following those that already have a following on this social media website. If you’re an activist for instance then you can follow organizations that do similar work to get to know what they’re up to. It’s also a good idea to read their recommended links and follow any influential figures they happen to represent. This will aid you in making a name for yourself online and increase your circle of ‘friends’ at the same time.

Have you tried having a virtual party on Twitter?  Do you have a tips to share below…

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We all know that Microblogging has become one important tool for promoting business activities. Over the years, since the inception of Twitter many businesses have taken advantage of the platform to expand their operations. For sure, Twitter today stands as one of the biggest and most useful social media platforms on the Web. Nearly every business that is being marketed online makes Twitter a targeted. However, unfortunately not every business succeeds. Why? Simply because even though Twitter is extremely easy to work with, it sure does have some norms that need to be considered before you can garner positive effects from it.

So, if you are a business owner and you want to learn how to exactly use Twitter to promote your small business then here are some tips for you:

Use a separate business profile:
If you run a small business and want to promote it through Twitter then you have two options; either use your personal account or use a special business account. The best way to go by is to use a separate business profile and promote it through your personal profile within your friends and connections. The reason for using a business profile is that other businesses will be able to connect to you easily. It is a trend on Twitter that businesses do follow other business profiles in order to expand their horizons. You can gain the benefit too from this technique!

Keep your Profile Updated:
Similar to your website and the way it works in Google, the same applies to your Twitter profile. If you want people to keep visiting your business website or else you need to update them with the current news. However, make sure you don’t create hype while selling. This is one of the biggest blunders people can commit while they are using social media for marketing their businesses. Remember, most of the people there are to connect with others and not to buy stuff so as soon as they spot the marketing lingo they would get in the refraining mode. What you need to do is to tweet in a manner which is friendly yet attractive to your followers.

Provide Feedback:
Once you start tweeting through your business account, your followers would show curiosity and ask you about stuff. One major mistake businesses do on Twitter is not to respond to their followers. The best way to keep your followers amused and engaged is to provide feedback to their queries. This way they will know that the profile is being run by an actual human being and not a bot.

Inspire your followers:
Do a little research on Google and see what profiles are most successful. You will come to know that people who have added a bit about themselves and how they found success with their business are the ones with the most followers. You can use the same technique too but make sure you are not overdoing it. It can be a major turn off for your followers if they see you are trying to be edgy.

Leave some tips that you’d like to share below.

photo credit: Naf : 4D

It is quite interesting to see that nearly every major social media website has brought numerous changes in its interface and functionalities this year. We can say that 2010 has been a revolutionary year for social media and internet businesses. More and more people are now aware of the power that social media possess and how it can be used to boost the profitability of their business. Search engine marketing has seen a slight decline since the phenomenon of social media marketing has hit the World Wide Web.

Twitter, one of the most popular social media websites, is used by businesses to spread the word about their brands. It is a great advertisement medium that can send a new notification regarding updates or anything else to others within seconds. So far, Twitter has been a major player in the industry, and with the new changes it has implemented, we are expecting that it might be the biggest one. Although sidelining Facebook and LinkedIn is not as easy as it seems, Twitter is all ready for it!

Here are some of the prominent changes that Twitter recently made:

A Renewed Design:
We weren’t quite bored of Twitter’s interface, but for sure there were several things that were missing. The new design of Twitter offers a neater timeline. The details pane has also been improved and it is now richer than ever. The good part is that as soon as a new tweet is made, the way it is presented is more effective than the way it was previously. But, Twitter does not compromise on the simplicity of its design. Even now, the design has been kept very simple and easy to understand by newcomers. Finally, the infinite scroll has made life easier. Thanks to this mechanism, you don’t have to click on ‘more’ to view more tweets. The list keeps going on for as long as you want it to.

Multimedia changes:
Honestly speaking, the multimedia changes Twitter has embedded are awesome for viewing content. Uploading photos and videos directly on Twitter is now easier than ever before. Basically, this was done in collaboration with a number of other platforms such as Flickr, YouTube, Kiva and so on.

Additional Details:
This is something all us Twitter peeps were waiting for. Previously, you never had the chance to view additional details about an author, but now you can. This means that now when you click on a Tweet, the details pane provides you with additional information regarding the author or the subject. Also, you can see replies to those tweets and so on. This is actually a very useful change especially for those who find potential customers on Twitter.

But we must say more improvements are still needed we have two recommendations that would make our experience better.  These go hand in hand if we receive a direct message or an @reply while being active on Twitter it would be nice if it gave us the number next to the title so that we could see these as they came in real time instead of having to click on the tab.

The Mini Profiles:
This is a very unique feature which is currently exclusive to Twitter. When you click on a username, you will be able to see his ‘mini-profile’ without navigating away from the page. So, you won’t have to lose your place on the website.

photo credit: mkorcuska

LinkedIn is a social networking site that is meant for businesses.  This professional networking giant
was founded in December 2002 and was officially launched for public use in May 2003.  LinkedIn is open for worldwide use and as of August 2010 LinkedIn reported over seventy five million users. This site is multilingual which enhances its international appeal.  The site caters to English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and French speaking users.

LinkedIn is comparable to the other social marketing networks in that you make connections to other people.  These connections may be classmates, coworkers, colleagues or other friends in business.  This is a great place for not only larger corporations but also smaller businesses as well as self employed individuals and freelance workers.

Let’s face it, the employment market has become pretty brutal in the recent years and many job-seekers have lamented that they wished that they knew somebody that knew that certain somebody that could help them get a job.  LinkedIn makes that possible.  It is a great resource for both the job seeker and the employer.

For the job seeker, there are several companies that advertise openings right on the network.  You are able to follow companies that you are interested in working for.  This allows you can do some research on the company, read reviews and feedback about the company, and follow that company’s growth, including employment opportunities.  So as a job seeker, make sure that your profile is accurate and free of any errors.  This may be your first introduction to your perspective employer.

For employers LinkedIn provides a place to find new employees.  You can view the previous employment of prospects and you can also see some feedback and recommendations of people who are interested in your company.  Social media tells a lot about a person and you can learn how technically savvy they are and what level of netiquette they practice.  Employing those that are tech savvy is very important to today’s businesses.

LinkedIn also allows you to connect with former classmates and colleagues and see where they are in business.  You never know when you might have a friend in a business that you need.  You may need a lawyer and of course a lawyer needs clients.  This is an incredible networking tool.  It’s definitely better than rummaging through thousands of business cards or having your business card end up at the bottom of someone’s pile.

photo credit: mkorcuska

There are many benefits to using TweetDeck such as enhancing your communication, information and organization on Twitter which these benefits cannot be overemphasized. One of my favorite benefits of Twitter tools – TweetDeck is time management.

Many Twitter users are taking advantage of one of the top Twitter tools which is (TweetDeck) to save time. Take your time exploring the main navigation buttons. This way, you will learn to navigate and effectively use TweetDeck which in turn can save you tons of time.

When you rollover on the profile icon, you will get a wide range of options such as Reply, Direct Message, Retweet, Unfollow, Follow and Add-to-Group. Using these navigation features, will assist you in managing your time using this Twitter tools – TweetDeck.

Here are ways to manage time with TweetDeck

When you want to share some ones content TweetDeck saves you from having to search for links or content they make re-tweeting simply. All you have to do is add the letters RT or press the retweet button and the information gets shared. So, there is no need going through a rigorous search process and wasting your time this action only takes a second.

TweetDeck can also help you manage your time efficiently in the Twitter platform by using the Column view. You can achieve multiple views without going to sub windows; right from the same main viewing window, you can accomplish several views via Columns and effectively manage interaction with followers. If you are using TweetDeck, you can create columns for those following you, mentions, direct messages as well as save different searches that may be of interested to you and your business.

Twitter Tools – TweetDeck; another great way to achieve things quickly and easily on TweetDeck is the use of symbol such as “?” to search for questions to provide answers, you providing the answer makes you look like the expert. Indeed, this is another great way to manage time on Twitter; rather than carry out a rigorous search, you can have all the questions at your finger tips by merely typing in the question mark tag – “?”.

Using TweetDeck’s filter option you can achieve things faster; for instance, if you want to read tweets from a particular friend, instead of going through the hassle of searching through every tweet message, simply click on the username dropdown list to select only the person’s username to get just his/her tweets in a single column.

Thinking you’ve got no time for Twitter? TweetDeck is a powerful tool that can help you manage your time more effectively. No doubt, Twitter is a great business tool for finding a great deal of information about your prospects and customers it gives you the opportunity to build relationships.