The Productive Entrepreneur

Building Your Network With Twitter

Twitter can be a very useful tool for networking, but it's not always easy to get started. You probably know a few people to start "following" but if you goal is to build your business network, you'll want to quickly expand that circle. Here are a few tools to help you do that:

Add your current contacts. First, use Tiwtter's tool to search the contacts in your Web-based e-mail accounts (like Google, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, etc.). This is faster than searching for each contact individually.

Follow interesting people! Now that you have a base of contacts, start expanding your network by finding people with similar interests. Try Twellow, a Twitter search tool that allows you to search by name, profession, or interest category.  Once you find some interesting folks, follow their conversations for a while to learn more about relevant topics and news. Another one you can try is Mr. Tweet.

Join the conversation. Monitor Twitter conversations by designating a search for keywords using TweetBeep. When others tweet about your search terms, you'll be notified by e-mail, and then you can join in. Monitter is a similar tool.

Keep up on local events. As convenient as it is to network online, to build a truly powerful network, you also need to show up in person at local events and meetings. CityTweets can help you find those events and hook up with others in your area that can recommend places to go for in-person business networking.

Turn Twitter Into A Productivity Tool

I realize that those of you who don't use Twitter on a regular basis or at all might wonder how helpful this tool can really be. Forget the "keep in touch with friends" aspect for a minute and consider the possibilities as it applies to small business and entrepreneurs. If you are in an office with other people and need some feedback, you can just walk over to another desk and bounce ideas around with a colleague. However, many of us work solo and keep ourselves busy in our own offices without much person-to-person contact during a work day.

So who do we talk to when we need to discuss an idea or receive feedback on a decision we are pondering? Twitter is one way we can make a quick connection and get some different opinions. Of course, you can get carried away and end up spending way more time tweeting than you planned on. But if you are careful about how you spend your time and when you use it, can also be a valuable way to spend your time when you need honest opinions and quick feedback.

WebWorkerDaily blog author Aliza Sherman posted 10 ways to use twitter to increase you productivity, and she also threw in 10 ways it can be a waste of time. I encourage you to apply the productive tips, and consciously avoid the time wasters!

A Small Step into Blogging - "Tweeting"

"Tweet, tweet!" If you haven't heard about Twitter yet, or don't think it's a business tool that you can use, you need to keep reading. Twitter is is a free "micro-blogging" tool that allows users to publish short messages (called "tweets") via computers and mobile phones, and keep up with others by reading their posts. The messages are limited to 140 characters or less, which means your messages have to be pretty short and sweet. Twitter users sign up to follow other Twitter users, which makes this software a very effective networking tool.

Businesses can consider Twitter as a way to create their own free publicity. You can use it to promote products, post announcements, even offer customer support in real-time. To better understand how to use Twitter for your small business, you can watch this video produced by Jim Kurkal for Small Business Trends.

Blogging Resources

As I said before, your best way to get a good feel for blogging is to read blogs on topics you enjoy and that pertain to your business and industry. And, no surprise, there are also blogs out that that are about blogging! These are great resources to refer to whether you're just starting out, stuck on subject matter or topics, or needing some inspiration. You can also find a number of sources that can help you learn how to make money with your blog, is that's one of your goals.

Here are a few of those resources, and there are many, many more.

• ProBlogger.net - Author Darren Rowse is widely accepted as a leader in the blogging field. His blogs are full of great tips, advice, and blogging best practices.
• The Top 50 Female Bloggers - as the author of this post writes, "If you want to know who the blogging world is talking about, these are the names and faces to keep in mind." This list will give you a number of great examples of business women using their blogs to carve their place in their respective industries.
• BlogTalkRadio - At this site, you can listen to blog radio show host Wayne Hurlbert interview many successful business entrepreneurs about blogging, SEO, and their use of technology.

Start With a Blog

Perhaps the easiest way to get a start with use social networking as a marketing tool for your small business is by starting a blog. Today, blogs are everywhere. In fact, some business owners have chosen to simply maintain a blog rather than a traditional Web site.

Simply put, a blog is an online journal. Personal blogs can contain random thoughts, opinions, reflections, while business-oriented blogs can focus more on the concepts of doing business and the products and services offered by the business. Blogs are great for product and book reviews, business tool suggestions, educational articles, and other advice that pertain to the business writing the blog.

Blogs allow you to post up-to-date, relevant content with plenty of keywords that will help search engines find you. And once they find your blog, they can easily learn more about your business. The other great thing about blogs is the ease of receiving feedback. Readers can leave "comments" and you can respond to those comments. Not only are you able to interact with potential clients and customers, but you can get a feel for what your clients and customers are thinking and wondering. Offer them a genuine answer and find a way to fill their needs, and you've just created new business for yourself!

If you're not sure how to get started, I recommend exploring some blogs that pertain to you industry or business interests. Spend a few weeks reading them to get a good understanding of how to present your posts and what to blog about. Leave comments if you feel so inclined. Start your own blog when you feel like you have a good handle on the topics and issues that matter to your customers and clients.

When you're ready to design your blog, you'll want to start with online  blogging software tools such as Typepad, Blogger, or WordPress. Each one has it's own benefits, so you'll want to read about their features carefully and consider your own comfort level with creating and customizing Web pages. Adding blog entries is quite easy on all 3!