Chats on Twitter can be an effective way to grow your brand

I was Tweeting out a series of tips on how to get more out of participating in a chat on Twitter during #MackCollier’s #BlogChat 9-10 pm ET, Sunday night. As I started to send out #ChatTip #4, I thought – this needs to be a blog post. Right Then @ConnieReece sent a tweet/message asking if I’d done a blog post – as she’d like to tweet out a link. So here it is. Check back over the next week, as I have solicited Chat Tips from other friends who participate in chats on Twitter, so I may be adding more to the post, and I’m sure others will add their tips to the Comments too.

Twitter Chat Background:

If you are familiar with Twitter chats – skip this paragraph. Twitter Chats are mostly informal gatherings on Twitter at a preselected day & time, often weekly, when individuals who want to talk together about a topic all use the same #hahstag (a word or phrase with no spaces, preceded by a # symbol) to talk about that topic for a hour or more. For a list of more than 120 chats (and counting) check out this online chart of Chats and info: Http://bit.ly/chatlist+ . Some folks just use Twitter search, I use @Tweetgrid, others use @tweetchat (some use @Tweetdeck) to read the tweets and participate in the chats. I have participated in numerous chats on Twitter and am the co-host of @SmallBizLady’s weekly #SmallBizChat Wednesday’s 8-9 pm (the chat started it’s second year in April 2010).

Now for my top Twitter Chat Tips:

1. #ChatTip: Star or mark as favorites, tweets from people who you want to connect with later so you don’t forget. After the chat, follow them, send an @username reply, or send them a polite (not spammy DM with no links). Also add them to a Twitter List of people you’e interacted with or to a list by the main topic they tweet about. @markalves had another similar idea: #ChatTip: Create a Twitter list named after the chat to keep track of new people you decide to follow. For more info on how to use Twitter lists – click 1" href="http://bit.ly/dedoiU" target="_blank">here or or 2" href="http://bit.ly/dq66O6" target="_blank">here to read a couple of interviews of me talking about some ways you can use Twitter lists.
2. #ChatTip: Before you participate in your next chat – find out the topic and a link to the chat info in advance – and share it with or invite someone who needs to learn about the chat’s topic that week. If they’ve never participate in a chat – show them how it works. Often times other experts or knowledgeable people join in the chat; but you can learn a lot by listening in and/or asking questions about the topic.
3. #ChatTip: If you DO attend a chat to learn (but don’t want to ask a question, or if the chat is just moving to fast) please pipe up and say hi; chat hosts love it. Its hard to gauge the audience if they are silent during the chat, then follow the account afterward, but never introduce themselves. Just don’t make that 1st tweet too promotional – some chats leave that until the end. But a quick “Hi all, I’m listening in and learning today” or if you retweet the chat topic, either lets them know you are listening in.
4. #ChatTip: Some chats have hosts and/or co-hosts, some bring in guests to answer questions. Some chats have registered a Twitter account in the name of their chat to help promote weekly topics or guests. Be sure to follow that @accountchat if a chat promotes it – so you can get the weekly details and the transcripts of the chat that some hosts tweet out after a chat. For example #journchat, run by @PRSarahEvans (One of the first popular chats) also has the @JournChat account. Sarah even tweets from that account during the event on Monday nights.
5. ChatTip: I often hear folks say – darn I missed #XYZ chat again. Try and set up recurring calendar reminders for your favorite chats. Gmail and Google Apps both allow you to create a calendar item and send an email, pop-up or even send a SMS/text message to your cell phone whenever you set it.
6. #ChatTip: Why Twitter Chats? These Chats provide a time and a place for people to share & learn in hour-long “meals” made up of 140 character “bites” (the maximum length of a tweet). You can grow your following by participating with useful tips, ideas and questions, or you can simply listen and learn, or do a bit of both.
7. From @KseniaCoffman #ChatTip: www.TweetChat.com or @TweetChat allows you to block people, in case they are spamming the hashtag (tweeting things not related to the chat, but using the #tag); click on ‘person icon.’ My addition: both that program and www.tweetgrid.com allow you to retweet, reply and mark a tweet as a favorite.
8. @DanRMorris’s #ChatTip: “Thanks for the RT. There’s a tip right there, Retweet and you’ll surely have the compliment returned.” My addition: Retweeting and replying are part of how chats work. Be selective, but retweet some useful tweets from others that your followers can learn from. This exposes your followers to the chat topic info, and those you RT might @reply or retweet something of yours – which allows their followers to see who you are and what you bring to the party. You also might want to warn you followers that you are participating in a chat, an that you may be tweeting a lot.

Enjoy your next Twitter Chat – I hope these Twitter Chat Tips were helpful.By the way – If you are curious about various Chat’s on Twitter – here is a link to a site where many chats are listed with dates, times, and who runs them: http://bit.ly/chatlist

If you have a #ChatTip of your own, please leave it in the comments. Also, I encourage interaction and community on my blog, so please feel free to include your Twitter @Username (with the @ sign) in your comment. I use a plugin that turns your Twitter @username into a hyperlink to your Twitter profile.

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When you S.T.A.C.K. the Deck in Your Favor you’ll have a stronger strategic marketing plan, and can better ensure that the hand you are playing is a winning one.

• Strategy
• Tools
• Audience
• Content (& Connection)
• Keep is Simple

STACK is the acronym I’ve created to remind myself and my clients of the elements needed for an effective integrated marketing plan. While the order of the steps isn’t exactly right in the word, these are the main elements that are needed.

Audience:

1) Research your Audience. Identify what messages resonate with them (what three to five challenges/problems do they have that your service or product can help them solve). Discover where they go to get their information – and not where you THINK they go – find out if they read newspapers, or blogs, and/or magazines (and even which ones if possible), or which of the social networks they participate in. What tools do they use, if any, when researching products/services like yours, or what colleagues/friends might they ask? Find the demographic stats for various publications and social networks, survey your current customers/clients/prospects – these are just two ideas to help with this process.

Strategy:

2) Develop an Effective Strategy. Too many small businesses jump into marketing and public relations activities with out creating a strategy and goals, especially when it comes to online or social media. You wouldn’t build a house without a plan, why promote your business or non-profit that way? An effective strategy lays out the approach you plan to take in reaching your market and goals.

Once you have researched your current and potential audiences, decide what your goals are in reaching out to them. What actions do you want them to take, what “call to action” will you use, what next steps along the way to a sale do you want them to take? Are you in a business that can create a quick one-touch sale, or like most businesses, do you need to build trust in the company or a rapport with your sales staff before they choose to buy from you.

The tools you select to use below, and the content you develop, should support the strategy you build from the answers to these first two questions.

Tools:

3) Select the right tools. Once you’ve identified a strategy (based on the above steps) then you can select the tools that fit your needs. An example strategy: to help customers/clients (and prospects) keep your company in mind when they replenish product stock at month’s end or engage new services, you plan to have your business touch base with them, where they “hang out*” several times a month – *you’ve identified the places online or in print that they read/visit etc. Also identify the resources and people within your company who will learn to use these tools.

You’ve found that your clients do read e-newsletters (if they provide useful how-to information, and are only sent to once a month), and they use one or two social networking sites to gather information before they buy products like yours – some use LinkedIn and others use Twitter, two of the most prominent sites. You have also found that your most loyal customers, and prospective customers like them, also read two specific trade publications – most read one publication’s online edition, the hard copy of the other trade magazine is more read than their website – and they also read a few industry blogs.

This research allows you to select and/or refine the right tools you will use to reach your customers. Research the best e-mail/e-newsletter software “tools” or programs/services, preferably one that includes built-in options to promote your email communications* via social media sites (* this might be an online newsletter,  or an e-news or e-blast as they are sometimes called – short useful news or tip-based emails for example). And a service that has customizable templates – to make sure your emails don’t look generic, and that makes it easy to add a sign-up box right on your existing website.

You also plan to begin to build a presence on LinkedIn and Twitter – after first learning the dos and don’ts or getting the “feel” of each site – each social networking site has a different culture.  Just like local in-person events can have an unwritten dress code, and at some, handing out business cards is appropriate, while others it is frowned on – online sites take a bit of listening/learning before you jump in full throttle. These networking sites may be newer tools, but they still work in similar ways – helping to connect people with information and with other people, they are not advertising platforms. There are plenty of consultants and coaches out here who can help you and your company get up to speed more quickly.

Traditional advertising models don’t work well on most social media sites for most products – sites run on guidelines more like – “people by from people,” and “you’ve got to give to get.” That is – share information and expertise, be helpful, build trust first, and interact with people, participate…then occasionally refer to your own products or services. Remember those executive golf outings, you wouldn’t bring up your new product just as your client is teeing off, nor would you talk about it non-stop – it’s all about balance. One specific idea that works on most sites is to provide the type of “how to” info you’ve discovered in your research that your customers and prospects like to know about. How do you do this: ask and answer questions on LinkedIn, participate in groups; on Twitter pass along links to good industry articles/news, and answer questions people have, also pass on good info from others on Twitter (called retweeting or RT).
You can also decide if you want to use advertising as a tool – either in the online or hard copy editions of those trade publications or on one or two popular industry blogs. Another tool is traditional PR – submit editorial copy to the publications. Have a selected staff member write an article, or pitch a feature story/interview of a staff member who invented a new product that will make a reporter or editor’s reader’s jobs easier.

Phase two might be to tweak and improve your existing tools – your website, and even to launch a how to-based blog, once you have the feel for how your customers and prospects are responding to your new marketing strategy. Done carefully, these additional tools above can make it easier to bring readers to an on-site blog – this brings customers back to your site more frequently, and can be an effective community-building and lead generating tool.

Content & Connection:

4) Develop content to match the interests and needs of your audience. Don’t just pump out company press releases or product info, but craft your strategy so it meets your customers/clients needs and expectations. Use your content to build customer trust in your company, a relationship with your sales force or staff, or build a community that comes to your site for information and solutions – so that when it comes time to buy, they buy from you or recommend your company to friends/colleagues.

Another “C” that fits is Connection: You can’t adopt a “build it and they will come” attitude. There is a lot of competition out there. Build connections with your audience (customers, clients) that provide them with value. As I noted before – people buy from people they like/trust. Give them content that fits their interest and needs, and finding ways to engage with them directly is crucial in today’s interconnected marketplace. If your clients/customers and even competitors are using social media, you will need to add it to you PR / marketing mix sooner, rather than later. But as I cautioned above – don’t just jump in, research and move effectively. Your competition may be on Facebook, but your best customers, the 20% that buy the most, might be using LinkedIn, or visa versa.

Keep It Simple:

5) Simple Plans may be Best: By this I mean that you don’t have to use every tool in the tool chest. Once you’ve followed the steps above, put your strategy in place using just one or two of the tools that most effectively reach your existing audience or potential customers. Then build out from there. I’ll use a building analogy – don’t build a mansion if you only need a house. Start with the plan; gather the materials, tools and your team; build the framework; then the roof, and interior and exterior work; then furnish the building. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are sound strategic marketing plans.

This scenario I have laid out can used for B2B (business to business) product-based companies, and can be easily adapted to a B2C (business to consumer), non-profit, service-based companies, or even to the entrepreneurial start-up or solopreneur.

So my advice is: STACK the Deck in Your Favorâ„¢ – Strategy, Tools, Audience, Content & Keep is Simple – will help you build a winning hand and be more effective with your promotional, public relations, and strategic marketing process.

Cathy Larkin is a PR professional with 20 years of experience who is having a blast (when appropriate) incorporating social media into the mix as she helps small businesses and non-profits, individuals and solopreneurs learn to create and execute integrated marketing strategies.

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This is post number three  in the Better Blog November Challenge, or #BtrBlogNov that I declared a few weeks ago. Twenty plus people have signed on to this free project because we all want to improve the quality/quantity/range of our blogs and blog posts. This is the second set of info & exercises: Honing Your Message.

Link to #BtrBlogNov intro post: http://bit.ly/jmSOM

Link to #BtrBlogNov Week 1 Exercises: http://bit.ly/dffN5

Link to Twitter list of people who re giving it a try: http://bit.ly/4iLz2Z

Reminder of main monthly BetterBlog November goals:

To over one month, create a better blog – Focusing on ways to:

1. Create better quality blog posts

2. Increase the quantity of blog posts

3. Either increase the Range or the

1. Diversity of blog posts or

2. The focus of our blog posts, depending on which our site needs most

Today’s exercises are the second step in putting the basic structure behind your blog, that will help improve your blog posts . I promise – after this one, the rest are all about blogging directly. If working behind the scenes isn’t your cup of tea, please give it on more shot – it’ll probably only take a half  hour.

Closely aligned with reviewing your blogging goals, is the questions of audience/readers/community:  who are you writing for? This question is really two parts – the first is who are you hoping or trying to write for – who do you want to read your blog. The second is who is actually reading your blog. So the next task is to review our audience, readers, the community we are perhaps trying to build. Who is reading our blog, and are they who we had hoped to attract, or who we hope to attract in light of our refined blogging goals from week one.

We may need to adjust our blog posts to both meet those goals and reach the audience we want. Just like with our goals, you may find that you have several audience/community segments. Again, just like the goals, you may feel the need to prioritize them.

For some of us, our audience may be small, in this case a shift is fairly easy. For others, who have either been blogging for quite a while, or who hit a popular topic and promoted it quickly, that can be more complicated. Some folks may have begun blogging about one aspect of a subject, and either became very specialized and focused, or became very diverse – writing about all aspects of a subject, or even strayed far and wide from your core topic. Neither one of these realities is necessarily bad, if your audience loves it, and it is meeting your goals – keep doing what you’re doing. Others may find that their new goals may not match their existing audience, some may never have thought about who they want to read their blog, others may find the fit between goals and audience/community works just fine.

So the exercise Part one:

• Take a few minutes, review your blogging goals and in light if that, jot down a few bullet points about your intended readers, audience and/or community.
• You may find that they are perfectly aligned with your goals. You may find the goals and audience are way off. If this the case, and the audience is strong – perhaps you need to reevaluate the goals – you may have found niche audience that you didn’t mean to attract – but if they are there – I would take them into account.
  

I can hear some readers asking how do we figure out about our audience. One measure is comments and social media mentions.So the exercise Part 2:

• Are you getting comments on your blog, and do they reflect who you thought would be commenting.
  • If you are not getting comments, it may not be because your blog writing isn’t strong or focused, it may be that your promotion of your blog has not been effective, or your topic has a lot of competition. DO NOT DESPAIR: These are issues we will tackle later on in this series.
  • If you have comments, are they consistent? Do all of your posts get them, or only a few? Are there any patterns – does one type of post resonate more with your readers than others. Ar e there some post that get many comments
  • Looking at discussions on social networking platforms that you participate in is another form of audience. Do your posts get retweeted on Twitter – take a look at who retweets them; or do you get comments on Facebook? Do client prospects read your blog posts on LinkedIn and then contact you for business  (which has happened to me)?
• Do you ave an analytics package on your blog – either google analytics, WP stats etc. If so, take a look. See if you can find out how people are finding you. What kewords are they using to find your posts. Are they coming from another person’s blog, or from Twitter or face book. Looking at your statistics can help tell you somethings about your audience. Are your blog posts being picked up by Google? Do people find your posts through organic searches.
• Have you set up your RSS feed and allowed people to sign up or subscribe to receive your blog posts via RSS, and via email. If so, have you looked at Google’s Feedburner (or other program) stats? Again, if you don’t have many, don’t despair. It’s not about numbers, it’s about starting somewhere and building on what you have today. For those who don’t ‘get’ RSS readers – it is a free service that allows people to sign up and receive your blog posts as they come out using a free piece of software called a feed reader – kind o like a magazine rack our on the internet (or via email if you set it up that way too).

Extra Credit Exercise number one: Review your Blog Assets. In light of defining/refining your blogging goals and your audience, take a step back and look at your blog as a whole. Does the blog itself support these goals and work to attract your intended audience.

• Does your blog header and tagline reflect your goals and will it attract the audience you want?
• Do your blog post categories also reflect your goals and will it attract the audience you want?
• Do the static pages on your site, if you have them, reinforce those goals and work to attract your audiences or build that community?

Better Blog November Resources and Extra Credit number two: If you are hankering to get on with the blogging part of things, which will come on Wednesday, take a look at Chris Brogan’s list of 100 blog posts I hope you’ll write. As you read his list, use your new blog ideas  file and/or notebook (from week one) and jot down ideas that occur to you that will fit your revised blogging A goals and your renewed audience appreciation.

Note: In my first Better Blog November post I mentioned a character who often gets in the way of our blog post writing, her name is Resistance. Between a busy week and fighting an oncoming cold, I let Miss Resistance step in the way of my second post last week. But, as I also mentioned in my intro post, if you fall off the Better Blog November wagon, just hop back on board. So I am taking my own advice and ignoring her, even if I’m a little late. Thanks for hanging in there!

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This is post number  in the Better Blog November Challenge, or #BtrBlogNov that I declared a few weeks ago. Twenty plus p eople have signed on to this free project because we all want to improve the quality/quantity/range of our blogs and blog posts. This is the first set of  info & exercises.

Link 2 #BtrBlogNov intro post: http://bit.ly/jmSOM

Link to Twitter list of people who re giving it a try:  http://bit.ly/4iLz2Z

Reminder of main monthly goals:
To over one month, create a better blog – Focusing on ways to:

1. Create better quality blog posts
2. Increase the quantity of blog posts
3. Either increase the
   1. Diversity of blog posts or
   2. The focus of our blog posts depending on which our site needs most

Here is Monday’s Nov. 2, Better Blog Project (TM)- A little bit of strategy can inform and strengthen your blog writing. By the way, I am doing the exercises too:

• Identify our blogging goals
• Create basic structure to capture our ideas when/where we find them – that works for you
• Resources for finding blog ideas

• Blogging Goals - Write down why you are writing your blog, try for 3 to 5 reasons.
  • Try and jot your own ideas down first. Then look at the list below afterwards. Then of your 3-5 goals – rank them in order – think about which of these goals will help you create a Better Blog - then keep that in mind when writing your posts. Maybe put it on a sticky note on your computer screen:
    • Some goals: To reinforce your brand, increase your/your company’s name recognition online; to get more readers; to share information about a certain field, niche, or trend; to sell products, get clients, customers, or find business partners; to promote a cause; to monetize your blog and make money directly; to explore a topic; to find connections with others; to get speaking gigs; to learn bout the process of blogging; to get asked to blog for other larger sites; to get freelance writing gigs; or to get a fulltime job etc.
    • Most probably it will be a mix of several of these goals, but as above – ranks the top three and find a mix or balance that will help you create a better blog.
  • Explore your old blog posts, at least the titles to see where you have been, where there are holes you can fill, duplicates to trim, ruts you got in, gaps you left (in the topic, or in time). See what patterns (both good and bad) you can find.
  • Extra Credit: If you are very motivated, and have a blog statistics package set up for your blog (Wordpress blog stats or Google Analytics), check them out – find out which posts have been more popular – see what keywords people used to find your site or a post. Don’t get overwhelmed; we might come back to this one later with more detail.

• Exercise: Create two documents to support your play/work with your blog, in whatever way works for you
  • A document for blog ideas – A computer file in which you jot down blog ideas, possible titles, a few sentences, and where you can copy & paste links into the file for reference. Create a shortcut and save it to your computer desktop, so you can open it quickly when you have an idea. I can tell you how, if you don’t know how to do that, or what that is. (also carry a paper notebook around with you to catch those ideas too). Why on the computer for most of us, for me, if I write the whole post on paper, then try and rewrite it on the computer, I can get lazy, it seems boring, I find excuses to avoid it. Your choice. I’ll have another trick in Monday’s version of this email.
  • A Document for the strategy part of crafting a better blog. This can either be on paper, or on the computer, but you want a place for your musings, brainstorming, where you can see the arc of you blogging as it unfolds during our explorations. Suggestion: One file & one notebook, not 3 notebooks – then it’s hard to find what you are looking for. (Tip, if you jot an idea down on a scrap of paper, instead of rewriting it (which I sometimes avoid doing, or end up losing it) instead: just tape or staple it into your main notebook). This is a clarification – thanks to @ NJDreaming – one of our BBP bloggers.
  • Start using these files/notepad today -when you get the seed of an idea, train yourself to jot it down, now (as long as it is safe, like you’re not driving or operating a train or something. ;~)

Resources & Tools:

• • Tools that may help you remember blog post ideas – Evernote: http://www.evernote.com/, http://www.rememberthemilk.com/, http://www.delicious.com/. Or your cell phone – use the reminders function, or send yourself a text, or an email: indicate “blog idea” in the subject line (create a folder/label to store these).
  • I’m creating a Delicious.com account to save interesting articles on blogging as inspiration to all of us. You don’t have to sign up for Delicious in order to read my Better Blog Project Delicious files. I have saved the above noted links to my new Delicious account: www.Delicious.com/BetterBlogProject.
  • Extra Credit: I suggest you also start your own free Delicious account, as a way to bookmark cool articles to reference/link to in posts, comment on, or just learn from. Be sure to keep your tags/keywords simple to help you find items later. If it is by a popular blogger I make their name (or twitter name) one keyword, and month/yr as another.
    • Note: Delicious is now working with yahoo, if you don’t already have a yahoo account, you will have to set one up to create a Delicious account. Sorry, it’s new. Tips, create it, when it confirms your account details, at bottom hit: Edit Marketing Preferences- a uncheck all of them (your choice); also check the notifications and decide if you want to hide your profile (i.e. – only use it for Delicious.com, or create another social networking out post) and what notifications you want sent to your new yahoo email account. To keep active you have to login and do something once every 4 months or they can delete the account. Also go to my profile and check hide my age (which it automatically displays). That sounds complicated, but will save you from getting a bunch of junk.
    • Then continue and create your Delicious page, which is much easier. Say yes to the toolbar, then when you find a post you want to save, just hit Tag, login (I rarely log out) and it saves it for you, you add keywords so you can find it later. Cool!

Happy Blogging – No pressure just take what you find useful and move it forward!

I have to add two more inspirations behind this project – @problogger Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to a better Blog in 2007 (link is on Delicious page and will be in Wednesday’s info, he also has an updated ebook version for $19.95 Click here to view more details ) and http://www.nanowrimo.org/ National Novel Writing Month (also in November) – I thought if people can write a novel in a month, we can improve our blogs in a month!

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So some of you know, I had an inspiration, thanks to @journalistics during an online Twitter event called @journchat, to create something called The Better Blog Month Project AKA #BtrBlogNov.

Twenty one hardy souls signed up to participate in this free project, which I’m eager to do myself. There are many other ingredients that go into making a better blog, but this month we are concentrating on content, on the actual blog posts (along with some strategy around and behind the posts).

Basic Goals:
To over one month, create a better blog – Focusing on ways to:

1. Create better quality blog posts
2. Increase the quantity of blog posts
3. Depending on which our site needs most, either increase the
   1. Diversity of blog posts or
   2. The focus of our blog posts

Basic Structure:
Those who signed up will receive and email Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the month of November 2009. Each email will have:

• The topic of the day, and Some points to think about
• An exercise
• And some resources/links to help people brainstorm, or to provide more information (most of these are not planned as must reads, as I know our time is limited, but they are there to provide more information for those who want/need it).
• For those who haven’t signed up, I’ll post a brief version of the day’s tasks, and to help get the community involved, I’ll ad some comments based on my experience doing the exercises, and ask for tips from all of us bloggers out there.

The Weeks are loosely themed:
Week 1: Getting Started on a Better Blog – Behind the Scenes Strategy
Week 2: Honing our Message
Week 3: Building our Inventory
Week 4: What comes Next
(Thanks to John Reddish @GetResults for helping me brainstorm the weekly titles)

Each day’s info are simply ideas, jumping off points as it were, gathered from several years of blog reading, time spent reading and absorbing information about blogging from other great bloggers, many years of writing in my work, a year of blogging, and are also informed by my 20 years of Public Relations experience. If I suggest one way/idea, feel free to make it work for you, but if you meet resistance, be sure to ask it to step aside and let you get on with playing and working; don’t let resistance move in front of you and block you from our goals.

I hope this inspires others to create better blogs this month too!

Cathy Larkin, www.WebSavvyPR.com , 484-802-7576, Find me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR (@CathyWebSavvyPR), Find me on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin

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Connect the Social Media Dots

Many small businesses owners are jumping onto the social media band wagon. If you are one of them, hopefully you have done your research and determined which social media sites make the most sense for your business (primarily based on where your customers or clients are spending their time). If you are already active, see below for a tip that can help you connect with clients and get business.

Use Social Networking to help Clients Connect the Dots for your Small Business

I have a tip, especially for solopreneurs who provide services such as business and life coaches, authors, independent PR and marketing pros, virtual assistants, mompreneurs, bloggers who are in business, and others. Don’t think of each social media site you participate in as a stand-alone site. Connect your various profiles to help your audience, and potential clients/customers, connect the social media dots and form a strong image of who you, as a business owner are.

What I mean is, if you are active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and also have a blog, you should consider connecting these services to one another to make it easy for your existing and potential clients to find out more about who you are and what you do. Each site offers your audience a different perspective on you and your business. For example, if I answer a question on LinkedIn, and someone finds value in my answer, they may connect with me via LinkedIn. Once they do, they can read my most recent blog posts right there on LinkedIn (I use an app to pull the full post onto my profile). If they again like what they read, they may click through to the blog directly, and read what I have to say in other posts. From my blog they can see links to my Twitter and Facebook pages, if those are sites they use, I’ve made it easy to connect with me.

Blogs and Websites

A good website enhances and expands on the information about your business and skills that may be on LinkedIn. A well-written blog provides even more opportunities to showcase your expertise. A static LinkedIn page shows where you have been, and some of what you have accomplished. A blog gives you a forum for sharing your knowledge in a way that helps your customers learn something, do something better, and understand something new, especially if you business provides a service. If you provide a product, then you can use a blog to tell them about ways it can help them, about trends in the industry, about what features they might want to see, and it can be interactive. Once you get a blog going, and if you are active in social media, you will begin to get comments. Be sure to read them and comment back. A dialogue with someone on your blog can really make you stand out among your competitors. Your image in their minds becomes stronger, you helped them connect the dots in a very strong way. People involved in blogging and social media love to share a good story, blog post or positive customer service interaction. They might just help to spread the word about you.

On my blog, I have profile “badges” or small clickable buttons leading to my LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook profiles, and on each site, I link over to the others.  These are the next “dots” that folks can use to connect who you are, and what you have to offer. For a blog or website, you can set up what’s called a profile badge for each site, copy the code, and then add it to your blog or website. Or you can use a service like retaggr or the WordPress plugin Follow-Me.  Ideally, you are active on all of the pages you link to, and are providing different, but related, content on each site that helps this hypothetical client prospect connect the dots and fill in an image of your business, to get a further feel for who you are and what your expertise is.

LinkedIn

A LinkedIn profile at it’s basics provides an online work history or resume, so someone can get a feel for your background. It can be much more (but that is fodder for another post). So fill it out completely, and be sure to add links to all of the sites where you are active. Also, be sure to update your status at least a few times a week. As a colleague Irene Koehler noted in a recent Twitter #SmallBizChat that I hosted, don’t forget that Google ranks LinkedIn profiles fairly high in their index for your name. So why not put on your best face and show that you are actively engaged by updating your status. Better yet, ask or answer a few questions on the site. It gives you another way to showcase your expertise or knowledge on a subject.

Facebook

Facebook and Twitter allow you to interact with people in a public way (there are private options to communicate on each site too). Both sites allow you to share links to interesting online articles and resources; to provide value to your clients and prospects, and your friends. People tend to begin using Facebook to connect with family and friends, but solopreners and small business owners often begin to see it’s value for connecting  their business and their clients who use Facebook. When you reach this point, try setting up a Facebook Fan Page or a Facebook Group, once you have defined how one or the other fits into your larger strategy for providing value to your clients.

Twitter

Twitter can be another dot in creating the image of your business. Twitter is great for connecting with anyone who shares an interest in things you are interested in. It is often a mix of business and personal information, if you only post links to your site, your connections there won’t grow quickly. For my POV on Using Twitter, click here. It can take getting used to, but has been very successful for many small businesses, as it is opt-in. If individuals like your info, they “follow you,” or click a button and then see your messages on their page. Since all you give out in a Twitter profile is an image, short bio, and a website or blog link (no phone numbers, no email addresses), it is easier than other sites to connect with people you have never met, nor worked with before.

For me, Twitter is a way to source links to great content (blog posts, news articles, software and tools, breaking news and industry info) that is of interest to me and my audience. It also allows me to easily interact with people asking and answering questions. Following someone’s Twitter stream or tweets  (as the flow of short 140 character messages arecalled) gives you insights into an individual. How they use twitter (once they get the hang of things – I don’t judge anyone by their first few weeks of activity) can tell you a bit about how they are in business. Do they just send out notices about their own stuff? Do they interact with others in a positive manner, do the provide value, do they show a sense of humor, do they help others, do they answer questions asked of them. It is kind of difficult to lie about who you are in 140 character bits over time. Your personality shows, and that can be a good thing for helping clients connect the dots about you and your business.

How Do You Connect the Social Media Dots?

Let me, and my readers, know how you connect the social media dots for your clients, customers, or audiences. Feel free to ask questions about ways you can connect with your clients, or let me know how I can help you connect the PR and Social Media Dots for your business or organization.

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To follow or not to follow, that is one of many questions that arise when people first set up an account on Twitter. Perhaps an even greater question is who should I follow on Twitter?

At the request of digital journalist Nicole Brewer, a reporter for www.CBS3.com and  CWPhilly57 TV here in Philadelphia, I have creted a list of suggested people to follow on Twitter. This post will accompany a TV broadcast and web story she is writing about using Twitter in May 2009. It’s just a a place to start.

I know that “who to follow” is a highly subjective topic, so I am including a diverse list of people, both local and from further afield. I’m trying to include people who are active and engage or connect with others, and those who tweet about various interests, hobbies and cool things to do, not necessarily big brands or businesses.

I’ve tried to select those who will be friendly and will hopefully interact with you on Twitter as you check it out. I’ve tried to pick the type of folks who, at a party, will come up and say hi, but not the type who will slap their business card in your hands before they even shake your hand.

You can always ask me questions on Twitter too – I’m @CathyWebSavvyPR. To see one POV on how and what to tweet about click here. For very basic tips on how to set up your page and tweet click here.

A few Music Peeps to follow on Twitter:

WaltRibeiro / Walt Ribeiro I’m The Internet’s Music Teacher and NYC Organizer for Digg. I Salsa Dance, write Orchestra Music, and can solve a Rubiks Cube. You Rock (and roll) [Note: Walt used to live in Philly, but is now in NYC. He helped me select a few music scene peeps on Twitter.] [NYC/Philly roots]

boggia Purveyor of YesterPop & builder of Brand New Classic Rock since 2001.

SpintoBand Local Philly indie rock band suggested by @waltribeiro

matthyzer / Matt Hyzer Professional piano player, music arranger, church organist, jazz player

Mom Bloggers to follow on Twitter:

Cecilyk / Cecily Blogger * Writer * Mom * Sober * Fat Chick * Wife * Liberal * Philly Girl [Note: She was featured Nicole Brewer's CW Philly TV broadcast]

classymommy MBA turned SAHM of 2. Founder/Editor Classy Mommy, Social Media Consultant, Runner, Mom Expert, Brand Advocate & Consultant [SAHM = Stay at Home Mom]

DealSeekingMom / Tara KuczykowskiCFO, Mediator, Chef, Chauffeur, Fashionista, Cheerleader, Physician, Psychiatrist, aka MOM (of 5).

momadvice I am founder of MomAdvice.com and momma to two beautiful kids.

Multi-talented local Philadelphia peeps to check out or follow on Twitter:

KimWood / Kim Wood I’m just me ! Mom, Blogger, Real Estate Agent, Runner, Pescetarian talking about Life in Pennsylvania. I want *connection*.

LDpodcast / Whitney HoffmanAttorney/podcaster/Podcamp Foundation Director of Operations/ Pediatric Logistics Specialist [Note: Whitney is responsible for getting me into Twitter - I'd been checking it out, but jumped in after attending Whitney's Podcamp Philly event)

gloriabell / Gloria Bell People Connector, Social Media Enthusiast, Life Lover, Friend, Hugger, Organizer, Thoughts/Musings at http://asseenthroughmyeyes.wordpress.com/

tweetupphilly / Tweet Up Philly!Putting the SOCIAL in Social Media in Philly (tweets by @waltpsu and @jenz036)

Twitter Peeps in Philly Food and Culture:

PhilaFoodie Adventures in food and wine in Philadelphia. Restaurant critic for Philly’s City Paper. Lawyer.

avenueofthearts Philadelphia premier entertainment and cultural district.

visitphilly Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, as tweeted by Caroline

greenphilly / TU-GreenFreeman, Emily, and Joe: Temple University seniors analyzing How Green Philadelphia is {Note: new to Twitter – but might be of interest]

Folks who are knowledgeable about the larger realm of social media and blogging

BethHarte / Beth HartePrincipal of HMC. Marketing. PR. Social Media. Adjunct Prof. History addict. Avid reader. Art/Culture buff. Fan of beer, cowgirl boots and brilliance [Note: She was featured Nicole Brewer's CW Philly TV broadcast]

chrisbrogan / Chris Brogan President, New Marketing Labs, a social media agency and education company. Email: blog at chrisbrogan dot com [Note: VERY useful info - not local, but I met him at PodCamp Philly]

copyblogger / Brian Clark I create new media content for fun and profit. [Note: Not local, but great info]

problogger / Darren Rowse I blog about twitter and tweet about blogging. Sometimes I blog about tweeting about blogging and tweet about blogging about twitter. [Note: he also created a blog called www.Twittips.com, also not local]

mashable / Pete Cashmore The hottest Twitter news, Twitter tips and Twitter help. Plus, the best social media links around! . [Note: Not local, but great info]

IreneKoehler / Irene Koehler How can I help you leverage social media and networking for your business or career? Coach, speaker; plus tips on my site. Happy to answer questions. {Note whe is hosing a free, Twitter 101 webinar 5/28/09]

And me – CathyWebSavvyPR / Cathy Larkin Naturally curious, I love sharing cool stuff. A Social Media / PR Guide 4 small biz, museums & authors who do cool things linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin

Small Business and Freelance info:

smallbiztrends / Anita Campbell CEO, Small Business Trends, an online small biz community reaching over 250,000 each month. Small business success … delivered daily CA [Note: Not local]

debbieweil / Debbie Weil I translate all this stuff for the non-digerati; author of THE CORPORATE BLOGGING BOOK; background photo: Tim rock climbing in CA [Note: Not local]

FreelanceFolder FreelanceFolder is a blog and community for freelancers and web-workers [Disclosure: We have worked together on a few projects]

alexknowshtml / Alex HillmanCommunity Architect, Catalyst for Hire. I’m an expert in misadventures. I co-founded IndyHall, a community coworking space in Philadelphia.

smallbizlady / Melinda Emerson Melinda Emerson is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach-expertise includes small business start-up, leadership and work/life balance. [Philly. Disclosure: We co-host a chat @SmallBizChat on Twitter about small business together]

Some of these people I have never met except on Twitter, some folks I have met in person after ‘meeting’ them and interacting with them on Twitter, and others that were recommended to me by my Twitter followers. Please add your suggestions below too!

Please feel free to add twitter peeps I missed in the comments section of the post; and please include why we should follow them. Oh, and I encourage people to include their twitter usernames (or handles as they are called) at the end of your comment – because it is all about building community and engaging with each other.

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I just wanted to help out some of the folks who are new to Twitter from some of the major TV coverage. So I started tweeting out a few tips to new folks and thought I’d put them here. While the Oprha show was live. This post is a bit rough, I have taken the twelve 140 characte rmessages or ‘tweets’ that I sent out and added them here, then edited them to add a bit more info. I’ll come back and edit it later, but wanted to get it up to help folks learn a few of the ins and outs of “How Does Twitter Work.”

#NewToTwitter? 1: Welcome, fill in bio, add website link if you have one, add a photo, & hometown.

2: to follow someone, hover over @name, click link, read bio & recent tweets. If they seem cool, hit follow

3: Remember to check your @username tab to the right 2 see messages/tweets folks R sending 2 you

4: Under your username & photo click followers to see who followed you & decide to follow back or not.

5a how to Retweet – if you like what someone says, and want 2 show yr followers that message – 3 steps… It’s also a nice way to find new people to follow.

5b how to Retweet – copy the tweet (not username), then hit grey arrow 2 reply, add ‘RT’ b4 @username

5c how 2 Retweet. put one space after @username & paste original tweet. If it is to long, U can edit, but only 4 space

retweet example:

RT @CathyWebSavvyPR #NewToTwitter ? 1: Welcome, fill in bio, add website link if you have one, add a photo, & hometown

5d Here’s a good guide 4 how to Retweet: http://bit.ly/h9je thanks to @duzins

5e if you think a link or point you are making is worh rtweeting, try stopping at with 20 characters left  – that leave room for the other persons username & the symbol RT.

6 If see a tweet or cool link, hover over it & hit star – that puts it in your Favorites tab for later

7a advanced: go to bottom of page, click search. Put in phrase #NewToTwitter & see all tweets using that # or tag

7b advanced: Tw search put in any phrase or @username 2 see all tweets using that @username # or ‘hashtag’

8 don’t forget to hit your browser refresh button, it will bring new tweets 2 yr screen, but be sure to follow/favorite 1st

9 Direct messages – if two people follow each other, you can send a message that only they see. click direct messages tab to the right, select a name from drop down box

10 some help? in order for Oprah to “see your message” you need to use the @ sign b4 her name try @Oprah

11 What to tweet about: answering “what am I doing now” is a part of Twitter, but only a part. Tweet about your interests; what you are reading online (include a link);, what fascinates you. Tweet something to help folks that have similar interests find you.

12 Check out my earlier Blog post on why Twitter is useful “How to Use Twitter – One POV. Each of us uses it differently, there is no one way, but here is my Point of View. http://websavvypr.com/how-do-you-tweet-how-to-use-twitter-one-pov/pr/admin/2009/01/

#NewtoTwitter #13 Check out @twitter’s help, just above your photo on right or click link http://help.twitter.com/portal

Tip # 15 – remember to have fun, explore, follow folks just because, tweet things you and others might find funny, useful, or interesting. Also if someone’s tweets get to busy, follow a few more people, and their tweets will get spread out by those of others.

Here are a couple of other articles on getting started from other folks:

http://www.10000words.net/2009/03/top-7-mistakes-new-twitter-users-make.html

to find me on twitter: http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR

http://www.briansolis.com/2009/02/finding-tweet-spot-top-tips-for.html

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Someone on LinkedIn just asked the question, “has blogging had it’s day in the sun, or is adding a blog to a website still useful for SEO purposes.” I decided to copy my answer and tweak it to fit my blog. The answer is YES Blogs are still a useful business tool!

Why are Blogs a Useful Business Tool?

More people than ever are reading blogs. Blog readership is on the rise among internet users.

“More than two-thirds (68%) of online Americans say they visit online blogs, communities or social networks, and 33% engage in product research online to help them make purchase decisions.” That’s way up from the past when the answer was often – what’s a blog.

According to Nielsen, “the average online American went online 62 times, visited 115 domains, viewed 2,580 web pages and spent nearly 75 hours online in January 2009.” http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/average-american-visits-115-domainsmonth-8151

SEO for Blogs – Organic Search Works Wonders:

However, as far as SEO is concerned, the ability of a blog post to get a company to the top pages of Google has not diminished. Especially if the post is well-written and optimized for organic search (i.e. keywords and key phrases are worked into both the post/page title and into the text of the post that also provides useful targeted info). Google’s algorithm takes into account the newness of blogging info, whereas a traditional website gains pagerank more by its age and incoming links, and well as SEO (this is glossing over a lot to make a point as blogs also benefit from these two factors). A well-written blog post, with a bit of SEO finesse in the post, combined with the way the blog it set up (proper permalinks and SEO plugins for example) can go get a post on Google within hours.  Until Google changes its algorithm again(how it selects the search results we see), this should remain an important factor.

Can a Blog Expand the Reach of your Brand?

Another benefit I have noticed is that blogs and social networking work together to help reinforce a brand’s depth of knowledge on a subject. Clients who have found me, often mention reading a blog post of mine that I had pulled into my Facebook or LinkedIn page, as the thing that nudged them into contacting me. Social networking tools (and tips and tricks) can help integrate your blog into your profiles as more than just a link.

Good Content is still King

I remember a Google staff member being interviewed on a tech blog and he said something that has stuck in my mind and worked for myself and for clients – the best way to get onto Google’s 1st page of results is to have the exact words/phrase that someone is searching for on your page (blog or traditional website). This brings up a point about balance – you need to balance writing for humans with writing for search engines. No keywords stuffing either; write a good post that incorporates a few selected keywords and synonyms.

Can a Blog Serve as my Whole Website?

Many websites have actually moved to using a blogging platform, or blogging software, as a content management system and as the entire website. Create most pages as static pages, then use one page for the dynamic, changing blog posts. WordPress.org makes it easy for the client to update their own content, without having to run to their web guys for every little change.

How Does Business Blogging Work?

I usually stay away from absolute statements, but corporate blogs have to be done right. These tips do apply to almost all blogs, but in order for a company blog to work, you need to allow comments and interaction with readers/ customers.

• It has to be transparent – that is whomever is blogging needs to disclose that fact. A faceless corporate blog no longer works nearly as effectively as a blog from a specific individual (not necessarily the CEO), or named team of bloggers, or at least from a department.
• It also does not work well when used as a bullhorn to shoot out 90% company praise & press releases. It does work best when it addresses issues that it’s prospective readers would find useful and/or interesting; what’s in the news in the industry, what’s new a the company. Yes you can include press release-type material, but at a rate of 1 in 6 or 1 in 12 posts.
• A company’s blog can create the feeling of a personal connection with this formerly ‘faceless’ company.

So my advice is don’t just add a blog onto a company site, but first identify the blog’s potential audience, and objectives. Then create a plan and tactics to reach that audience and achieve those goals. Don’t forget to integrate the blog into the overall public relations and social media strategy.

The Do Blogs Provide Value Anymore Take Away Point:

Yes, they still provide value. These ideas outlined above work for the small business blogger and entrepreneur as well as the medium-to-large-sized company; for the mommy / mom blogger and the niche blogger too. Blogging is a form of social media; it is about give and take; it’s about creating and building trust in your brand. If you treat your blog as just another way to polish your brand’s image, it will more than likely end up tarnished.

Cathy Larkin & Web Savvy PR -

Your Public Relations & Social Media Guide – I bring new media tools to the traditional PR toolkit to expand your brand and build your business. I talk “tech talk,” but translate fluently into “plain English.” I help individuals and organizations set up their blogs (or add one to an existing site); I help people expand the reach of their brands by creating, and helping them execute, a social media PR plan; and I coach people on how to tackle specific aspects of PR and social networking sites; call me 484-802-7576, or Cathy [dot] Larkin {at} WebSavvyPR {dot} Com. Or find me on Twitter.

By the way, if you are using http://Twitter.com, I do not mind if you add your twitter ID/username to your comment, in addition to the website link the comment form requests. It makes it even easier to create community and connect with folks, so feel free. I will not treat it as spam, unless of course the comment itself is spammy.  The correct way to make a link clickable in comments is http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR.  If you are new to Twitter, feel free to check it out and contact me there, just remember to click on the @Replies tab to see messages sent to you!

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After participating in an on-line event, I was asked for a dream list of what a PR pro would like to find on a Mommy Blogger’s site to coordinate PR/blogger promotions (giveaways, contests, goody bags, expert guest blog posts, quotes for blogs and even virtual blog books tours) – in a paragraph. Not an easy task, so I sent a shorter intro to the ladies from MomItForward (and #GNO or Girls Night Out Tuesdays 7-10 pm MST on www.twitter.com), and have expanded it here on my blog. These techniques can be applied to any specialty type of blog to create win-win situations for your readers and our clients.

What PR Pros Want to Know – The Basics

PR people are hoping to find a match between between our client/company/expert’s product or info and your reader’s interests and needs. With 18 plus years of PR experience, including handling PR for Winterthur Museum’s Licensed Products Division (products inspired by the museum’s collection), I can say I wish blogging was as hot then as it is now, I would have loved to have had you all to reach out to. Marketing & PR tools have changed, but reaching out an connecting one-on-one hasn’t – relationship building is what PR is all about.

The Type of Info a PR Pro Hopes to Find on Your site, Includes:

A good About Us page, telling briefly what you and your site are all about (intro to the site and how it works, who your readers are, what niche do you reach, and who the sites author(s) are). A good PR Info page also tells us more reader demographics along with some site statistics/numbers – see tools below. Also useful are sections on how you like to work: what you will do to publicize the promotion, what you need from us, and note any success stories you’ve had (some of this can also be indicated is on a document that we can request – if your readers don’t need to know the details).

At it’s best PR/blogger promotions - can be win-win situations. Bloggers get cool items to review/use/giveaway (or info/advice/guest post from an expert ), which helps your readers, and builds your brand. PR consultants get exposure for our client/brand and our product/info, and hopefully generate some action from your audience: web traffic, conversation about the product/expert/brand, or product purchases. At it’s worst this process can leave both the PR staffer and/or the blogger frustrated. Communication, beginning with a good About Us and PR/media pages (and/or a promo sheet that can be emailed on request), can go a long way toward creating successful promotions. If mommy bloggers are getting bombarded by off-target PR pitches, you can send them a link to this page, to tell them what type of promos you look for, who your blog reaches, and how to you prefer to work. Ideally, the PR person/company should have similar promotional info on their site, or at least identify a contact name for the person who handles promotions (and info about their needs to send on request).

The Details for Both Sides:

The Ugly PR “Pro” and the “Bad” Blogger

Now we all know of those stereotypes, that sometimes PR types and bloggers get off on wrong foot. A Public Relations staffer will grab a list of mommy bloggers and sent out a pitch to all of them, without ever reading the site to see what their niche is. An we have heard stories of bloggers, grabbing a list of PR folks and doing the same, without finding out what products or experts they cover. This is Social Media after all- on both sides of the isle – let’s be social. Our internal SPAM filter has been hardened again the mass e-mailed request. Take the time to reach out and connect with each other, maybe even before you need to work together. Find out each other’s interests, niche, needs, clients, audiences; then target your requests. ‘Nuf said. Twitter and it’s short message format can be a great tool for this – it’s how I met Carissa and Jyl of #GNO/MomItForward.

The Ideal Information a PR Pro Hopes to Find on your Site Tells us:

• A short but good About Us page including: an Elevator pitch (A couple of good sentences that sum up what your site it all about), Bio/history of you and the site (when did it start, why/how, quirky stories, do you support any charities – keep it brief), how your site works, & who your readers are, (not just moms, but single work-at-home moms, or grandparents caring for their daughters children, moms of infants or teens. This info helps us fit our products/exp[ert to your audience). And contact info, so we can get a hold of you and connect.
• Who your readers are Demographics - specific niche/interests (single moms, grandparents, moms with infants, moms with school-aged children etc; age ranges of the moms. Nice extras would be: marital status, #/ages of kids, income levels, region of the country, do they travel, amount spend online ea. month) Survey & polling tools noted below can help; or ask some info when people sign up for your newsletter.
• Some site statistics/numbers that help. If your numbers are good, you look good; although it is not all about the numbers, I have to admit, they do help. (some of this would be cool for your readers to know - Other info is less useful to them, and might be included on a PR Promo sheet that's available on request).
  • monthly average unique visitors and page views (weekly/daily if relevant or available)
  • amount of repeat or new traffic vs. new traffic
  • are there traffic spikes during times when you do a promotion/ giveaway/expert guest blog post, if so what's the traffic increase.
  • The average number of people who participate in your giveaways /promos
  • the average number of comments that posts generate
  • the number of members if your site is member-based
  • your Google Page Rank
  • any indications of large sites that routinely send you traffic (BlogHer network, Twitter, Digg) or mommy networks you participate in
  • any major or seasonal events you celebrate on your site
  • also any media coverage you have received online, radio/TV or in print.

This Type of Info can be Obtained by Setting up Free Online Tools Like

• survey monkey
• polldaddy
• Google Analytics
• Twitter Counter
• Feedburner RSS reader stats
• Quantcast
• Clicky
• Hubspot Site Grader

Please, don't be intimidated by the list - this is the "Dream List" remember. You may not need everything on this list, (each tool has it's own pros and cons), but by using them, you can help a PR specialist choose to work with your site over someoneelse's. Besides, you'll probably learn quite a bit about your readers and your own site too. If sorting through the tools and info is not your favorite thing, there are plenty of people out there who can help, from sending questions out on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to finding a how to blog, or even working with one of us PR or Tech types

What Bloggers Can Tell Us & Make it Easier for you:

• how you like to work
• what product types or experts you are looking to feature
• be sure to note any seasonal/holiday or major events you celebrate
• what you will do to publicize the promotion (Facebook, Twitter, social media release?)
• what info/items we need to provide you (links to the product’s page for more info or so readers can purchase it, a product image & requirements, a short blurb about it, or a link to an expert guest-blogger’s bio
• what you can provide us with, if we agree to promote it too (your logo or head shot, a site badge (showing participation in the project), dates/times the promo and any events will run, links to the promo page)

My final note to ask that we work together to find creative ways to track our success; which will be good for both of us. Agree to both monitor our site traffic, monitor product/promo mentions via Google Alerts and other tools, work out special discounts or promo codes to track traffic and other results: product sales, brand awareness or increase in members/comments/site participation.

Thanks to Jyl & Carissa at MomItForward for the opportunity, and to you for reading. There are plenty of folks like me who can help you sort through and find the tools and ideas that meet your needs and those of your readers. Every promotion is different, but the goal is the same – a Win-Win for both Great Bloggers & Classy PR Pros.

Cathy Larkin & Web Savvy PR – Your Public Relations & Social Media Guide – Bringing new media tools to the traditional PR toolkit to expand your brand and build your business. I talk “techtalk,” but translate fluently into “plain English.”

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