Saturday, 6 September 2014
Twitter Tips for Beginners
I joined Twitter over three and a half years ago. While I’ve never regretted the choice, I was a skeptic at first.
The truth is that only in the past six months have I really grasped the impact of Twitter when properly used. I spent some time observing “power users” like Randy Elrod and Mike Hyattand mimicking some of their behavior. (See Randy’s 10 Commons Twitter Mistakes for more on his “secrets” to success.)
For a few years, I had a few hundred followers and thought that Twitter was more about me than others. In the past half-year, I’ve tried to build more community by focusing on others for a change. The results speak for themselves: my followers have tripled, and I’ve enjoyed using it a lot more.
If you’re just getting started or are still a skeptic, here are some Twitter tips for beginners:
- Tweet every day. There’s no way around this. You have to be consistent.
- Don’t tweet too much. Try tweeting a few times a day and observe when are the best times to interact with your followers by seeing when people respond. (I’m actually working on this myself, as I’ve realized I may be tweeting too much.)
- Share links to worthwhile, relevant content. By the way, while we’re on the subject, I’d love for you to share this post on Twitter right now. Just click this:
- Be generous. Share valuable information and ask for nothing in return. An example of someone who does this with humor is Tim Sidell (aka @badbanana).
- Retweet others’ posts using the old school “RT” method versus the Twitter.com-style retweet. A viable alternative is using the “via…” retweet method.
- Don’t use all 140 characters. Leave room for others to retweet you. About 24 extra characters is sufficient.
- Use hashtags to engage in ongoing conversations about specific topics.
- Don’t just talk about yourself or to yourself. Engage in conversations with others by @ replying to them. This is how you make friends (and followers).
- Follow interesting people on Twitter, and show genuine interest in them. Don’t be selfish.
- Be patient. Don’t sign up today and think you’ll have a thousand followers by tomorrow (unless you’re Charlie Sheen, of course; then you’ll have a million or two).
For more Twitter tips for beginners, check out: TwiTip.
Also, if you’re on Twitter, follow me: @jeffgoins. And if you’re not on Twitter, read these 12 reasons to start twittering.
Oh, and here’s a bonus tip (#11, I guess): Follow Gary Vaynerchuk‘s lead and go for broke with social media. No backup plans or exit strategies. No reservations or “playing it safe.” Connect with as many people as possible and get your message out. No matter what. (Your window of opportunity may be limited.)
Are you on Twitter? If so, what tips for beginners do you have?
If you’re a new reader, check out the subscription options. Also, I’d appreciate if you’ddigg this article.
Article Source http://goinswriter.com/twitter-tips-for-beginners/
Friday, 5 September 2014
Thursday, 4 September 2014
10 Tips for Mastering Instagram
I have a confession.
Yes. I love taking photos. Yes. I am a professional photographer.
But no. I do not carry my camera around with me all the time. Nor do I want to.
This is why I am absolutely in. love. with Instagram.
Available for Droid or iPhone, Instagram allows you to manipulate the photos that come from your phone, and create masterpieces.
And don’t worry – I am going to show you just how to do that.
A few general basic tips:
1. Depth: Camera phones don’t give you the ability to have the same awesome depth of field as an slur. So you have to create it with your shot itself. Use lines, repetition, and space with foregrounds and backgrounds to do this well. Focus on this, and you can use the Instagram “Tiltshift” effect to make your depth really stand out.
I created this shot at a lodge where I was photographing a wedding. I deliberately shot with the footstool in the foreground and set up my frame some direction with the windows in the background.
2. Lighting: If the need to pay attention to your lighting is true for normal shots, it is crucial for your camera phone pics. The lighting will make or break your Instagram photos. Take pictures in lighting that is soft when can see detail in the highlights and the shadows. Then, once you pull your shot into instagram, you have a variety of options for your editing to bring the photo to a new level of awesomeness.
Over lunch with my friend Mish, I was in awe of the stunning light that fell through the window and onto her face. I was so obsessed with the light I couldn’t resist taking her portrait.
3. Angles: You need all the help you can get with Camera phones, so be sure to shoot from unusual angles. Shoot down. Shoot from below. Shoot with objects in the foreground to blur out. The more creative you can be with your angles, the more interesting your shot will turn out.
I was enjoying this particularly good cup of chai and reading when I looked down and saw this shot. A small moment of diversion was all it took for me to create this shot!
4. See the world in Squares: One of the most important considerations to keep on your mind when taking photos with Instagram is the crop factor. Think of the old polaroids – this is what you’ll get with Instagram. Its a sad day indeed when you take a fabulous shot and find yourself unable to work with the Instagram 1×1 crop.
During a morning run I found this shot while taking a breather at one of my favorite neighborhood ponds. It is now sitting as my phone background, reminding me of how precious these peaceful moments are in life.
5. Borders: Instagram has some really cool borders to incorporate into your shots. From paint-brushed to vintage, white to black, these borders give a lovely artistic feel to literally any shot you take.
This is another shot I took during a long roadtrip from Denver, CO to Portland OR. And once again, it is taken with the breathtaking light of dusk.
Some Specific Considerations:
6. Landscapes: Lighting is one of the most important elements of a landscape image. If you can get gorgeous highlights and shadows in a scene, the shot will take care of itself – and don’t forget to throw some “tiltshift” for artistic affect.
After a little weekend excursion, I was riding back home with a friend when I looked out the window and saw this dusk light. We didn’t stop driving. I just clicked my camera through the window. And it is one of my favorite landscapes.
7. Portraits: So… Portraits?!? With Instagram? Yes. In fact, you can create some gorgeous portraits with Instagram worthy of a living room wall. Once again, finding a soft and even quality of light will be your surefire way of a cool portrait.
Last week I was working at my studio, about to grab a snack when I saw this light flooding my kitchen. I knew that this was the kind of breathtaking light that good portraits are made of. Inspired, I took a few minutes to capture this self pic – and I do have to say, I really like it.
8. Details: I have been incredibly impressed with how lovely detail shots can turn out using Instagram. Even if you have to crop in a bit, use good light and good composition to get a really sweet shot.
I actually captured this while driving with a bride to our portrait location. It was one shot, one kill, and the bride and I both love how it turned out.
9. Moments: One of the things I love most about Instagram is the freedom to take beautiful pictures without making a big affair of each shot or loosing the artistic expression that makes your shots unique. Every day moments that have vibrant colors, interesting textures, and sweet stories can become art.
Sitting at a little coffee shop editing, I was mesmerized by this man who sat next to me. He came in to very simply read the newspaper with a good cup of coffee. I took his picture in his natural environment and am so pleased with its’ story.”
10. Capturing beauty: Instagram is for anyone, and everyone. In a day and age where we always carry our phones, there is nothing more lovely than having the ability to see and capture art wherever we go. On a walk. While working. Over coffee. On a roadtrip.
Instagram will enable you to make art too.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter
Sarah Evans is the director of communications at Elgin Community College (ECC) in Elgin, Illinois. She also authors a PR and social media blog.
Your Twitter community is your life line. The strength of your community determines overall what you will (or won't) get out of the microblogging platform. What do you want to useTwitter for? I wanted to build a community where I could engage in dialogue, stay ahead of the social media curve, and share some laughs.
I just shared my objective with you. What's yours? Start with your community objective and then go for it. Use the 10 tips below as your guide to grow the community which benefits you (and your audience).
1. Do… Create a user-friendly Twitter ID (@yourname)
Your Twitter ID is part of your personal brand. Plain and simple. Your first choice for a Twitter ID should be your name. There is nothing stronger for creating your personal brand. If your name is taken (as mine was) find a way to keep it as close as possible. (I added “PR” in front of my name, which worked for me as it reinforced my name and my expertise.)
There are only 140 precious characters available in each Twitter post. The longer your Twitter ID, the more space it takes up, thus limiting your interactions. If at all possible, stay away from numbers or an underscore. As your community grows, you’ll have many names and IDs to remember. Throwing in numbers and underscores makes it more difficult. This could ultimately minimize your interactions.
Are you reading this and thinking you should get a new username or a stronger personal brand? It’s actually pretty easy .
2. Do… Search for people to follow
It’s completely normal in Twitter culture to “follow” people you’ve never met. In fact, it’s encouraged. Begin by looking for people with common interests, hobbies or professions. I also like to follow people who are experts in areas I know nothing about.
A few tools to get you started:
• Twitter search - This is the only search function actually hosted by Twitter. It’s extremely easy to use and offers comprehensive results.
• Twellow - An application similar to Twitter search except that you can search by categories (which makes results more targeted).
• TwitDir - I like TwitDir because it offers a search function and breaks Twitter users into categories like the top 100 people followed and top 100 updaters.
•A more recent addition worth checking out is the Twitter people directory, WeFollow
3. Do… Learn the lingo. You’ll want to join the crowd. Trust me.
As with any new network there is a learning curve. Twitter has a quirky lingo all its own. But don’t let that hold you back from interacting. If you don’t understand something, ask someone. That’s how I learned!
A few of the essentials:
• DM = Direct Message
• @ = Use to reply and always include proceeding a Twitter ID in a reply
• RT = Retweet
• Tweet = Sending a message on Twitter
• Tw + any other word. A fun practice on Twitter is to develop a new twist on old words. For example, Tworld = Twitter world, and Tweeples = Those who use Twitter. You get the picture.
It’s an evolving list. Who knows, you might even invent the next “tword.” You can also check out basic Twitter commands.
4. Do… Know who “@” replies to you
It may not seem overwhelming at first, but soon after you gain friends on Twitter, conversations tend to move quickly. How will you keep up with it? My personal favorite isTweetDeck (however it can slow down the functionality of your PC). A great alternative to TweetDeck is Seesmic Desktop. I recommend a combination of the following:
• Twitter search - If you use Twitter search, also subscribe to the RSS feed. I set up two searches, one with the “@” in front of my Twitter ID and one without. You will get different results for each query.
• Tweetscan - I use Tweetscan as my quality check to see if I’ve missed any replies. You can also see a trends search cloud before you type in your search query.
• Google Alerts - Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (Web, news, blogs, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
5. Do… Add your Twitter ID to all of your signatures
Pimp out your Twitter name (and not just on Twitter). As social networks like Twitter continue to go mainstream, you’ll want to be able to connect with new users.
A few opportunities to pimp out your Twitter ID:
• Add under your name when you comment on a blog
• If you friend someone on another social network, add a personal message which includes your ID
• Include a “follow me on Twitter” signature on all of your email accounts or for yoursocial media email signature
6. Do… Reach out and say something
No one likes what I call a “virtual voyeur” (i.e. someone who watches social media interactions without responding). Everyone is putting him or herself out there and as far as my experience has shown, people are pretty darn accepting and helpful. Something as simple as a “good morning” often leads to a response. If that doesn’t work, try something a little more aggressive like, “someone say hello!”
7. Do… Read the bio of those who follow you
Know something about those who follow you. The information you get from a bio makes it easy to engage in dialogue. If someone lists knitting as a hobby, send them a link to a knitting blog you came across. It opens the door for dialogue and that is what your community is all about.
8. Do… Promote others and share your best information
Twitter is all about karma. The more good you put out there, the more you receive. When you find others with great information, don’t be shy in sharing with your community. It’s a great feeling when you promote one of your followers (instead of yourself) and it results in dialogue among your community. It ultimately reflects support for you and credibility for your follower. Win-win!
9. Do… Learn the etiquette.
Most important is to learn about when you should “@” versus DM (i.e. Direct Message):
• Sending personal information like a phone number or email address. (It may seem like common sense, but I encourage you to NEVER post personal information like your social security number over ANY public forum.)• A conversation which will consist of multiple “tweets” or a lengthy discussion with more than three posts. (Many people on Twitter will “unfollow” someone who sends multiple “tweets” in a row. Trust me.)• Asking multiple questions to the same person or the same question asked to multiple people. (Your content becomes less valuable when people see the same thing repeated too many times…especially right in a row.)• Correcting a mistake you’ve identified in someone’s blog post or “tweet.” (This isn’t required, but it is considered a common courtesy. The person who made the mistake will thank you.)• Thanking each of your new followers. (It’s a nice concept to thank each of your new social media connections, but keep in mind how many responses you’re sending out each day or within a 10 minute period.)• Making a request to someone. (Want to ask someone to write a guest blog post or partner on a project? Don’t put them on the spot in a public forum. Once you agree on a partnership, then by all means, tweet away!)• Constructive criticism…this is your call. (If you have some pretty serious feedback to give someone, consider the most appropriate venue.)• Getting someone’s attention! (Want to make a connection with someone, send them a direct message to get things started. A lot of people on Twitter get direct messages sent to their email or mobile phone.)
10. Do… Find out who some of the big players are
Twitter is not a popularity contest and it’s your choice on whether or not to follow these "top tweeps," but they do tend to share a lot of great information. Did you know Pete Cashmoreand other Mashable “tweeps” are on Twitter?
Stay tuned for a follow-up to this post on what NOT to do.
Sarah writes her own blog PRsarahevans.com and is the director of communications at ElginCommunity College (ECC) in Elgin, Illinois. She also worked for Advocate Health Care, the largest health care system in Illinois, as the manager of communications and government relations at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. She brings a comprehensive background in the knowledge of non-for-profit and health care management. Her personal mission to engage and employ the use of emerging technologies in all communication makes her effective in reaching a dynamic audience.
Image courtesy of iStockPhoto, Sveta
Monday, 1 September 2014
7 Tips for effective Email Marketing
High success rates come when you put forth the effort to ensure your lists are clean and current, your content is sound and simple, and your ability to track results helps you fine-tune future campaigns to increase engagement.
Most small businesses operate on a very tight marketing budget. They usually have one person dedicated to handling email marketing; often, that person is also wearing other hats. Being able to efficiently create, send, and track email campaigns that work takes trial and error and lots of practice.
Below are seven tips to help you be successful in getting the most out of your email marketing efforts.
Tip 1: Start with clean-list-building practices. It's important to create a list based on people who have already expressed an interest in hearing about your product or service. When you have consent or the proper permission to send an email to someone, success rates and deliverability go way up. You want the sender to recognize you when you send them an email. You also might consider segmenting your list so you can be more accurate when personalizing your content to a more specialized audience.
Tip 2: Keep lists current. The age of your list also matters. People's interests change and their addresses change. Send a campaign at least every three months to make sure your list is still good. Lists that are over a year old put you at risk of getting blacklisted or blocked; once that happens, it is very hard to get your emails delivered. If you are concerned that you might already be blacklisted, see the current list of sites at the end of this article; use them to search your domain and IP address to ensure you're in the clear.
Tip 3: Have an online presence. Stop using a Gmail (or Yahoo or Hotmail) address to promote your brand. Get your own domain and website. Include an email submission form on your homepage to help build your list. When you send an email with your domain name in the address, it is more likely to be recognized and opened. To improve delivery in the future, add a call to action at the beginning of each email asking your email recipients to add your address to their address book.
Tip 4: Develop engaging content. Personalize emails when you can. Keep content simple with a good balance of text and images. Spammers don't usually "waste" time doing so, whereas some marketers want to dazzle with too many images. Emails with JavaScript and attachments also send a red flag.
Tip 5: Test. Trial and error is very valuable for testing email campaigns. We provide our customers with an A/B or split-test function, which allows them to divide their lists and test campaign content. One quarter of the list is sent one concept while another quarter is sent a different concept. Based on which quarter's content has the higher opening rate, the winning concept is sent to the remaining 50% of the list. These tests give emailers a better understanding of what works.
Tip 6: Track performance over time. Gaining a window into your campaign's open rates and click-through rates will help with tracking growth and success over time. This data helps you to get insights into what content and subject lines are successful and how to improve your approach.
Tip 7: Hire an Email Service Provider (ESP). ESPs help with monitoring your email deliverability and bounce-backs and ensuring your compliance with anti-spam regulations. When you send your email campaign through an ESP, it will include a standard opt-out and global opt-out link as well. If you have no design experience, ESPs can help provide templates to make email campaigns look professional.
Never underestimate the power of email marketing. Although social media has been getting a lot of buzz, not everyone is always logged into Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. But most people constantly check their emails, even when they are not at their computers.
Meet people where they are at and have fun while you are doing it!
Article Source http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/25918/seven-tips-to-increase-your-email-deliverability#ixzz3C38LSgio
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