HomeBusinessWiz

How to Write a Good Twitter Bio

Barbra Sundquist — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:36:50 +0000

The biggest challenge in writing a good Twitter bio is that Twitter allows you only 160 characters. That means your bio must capture the attention of a potential follower in about 20 words.

Writing 20 words shouldn’t be tough, but it’s actually harder to write succinctly than it is to write at length. Here are five important tips to help you write your Twitter bio, along with some good Twitter bio examples.

Tip #1 – Include Your Area of Expertise

Your expertise should be included in your Twitter bio, showing off what you are good at. This is an opportunity to highlight what’s unique about you so people can decide if they want to follow you. Here’s a good example from a personal trainer and fitness coach that clearly states her area of expertise (helping clients overcome their mental blocks):

@coachkate1 Kate is a Health & Fitness Coach who helps clients overcome their mental blocks to living a healthy lifestyle.

Tip #2 – Use Your Keywords

Don’t neglect your keywords on Twitter. Using relevant keywords in your bio helps people who have the same interests to find you, and will also help you show up in search results. In addition, using keywords in your bio will help you pop up in Twitter apps that group users together by interest.

For example, can you guess what keywords the @mashsocialmedia bio is targeting?

The latest happenings in social media, plus tips on using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare and more.

If you guessed “social media” plus the four major social media sites mentioned, you’d be correct.

Here’s another example of someone who does a good job of using keywords in her Twitter bio:

@MyMelange #Italy & #France travel planning, #travel consulting, #food tours Writer. Queen of the carry-on bag. How can I help with your next trip?

I don’t need to tell you that @MyMelange (Robin Locker Lacey) specializes in Italy and France travel planning: it’s clear from her bio.

Notice Robin’s clever use of hashtags, which makes it even more likely that she will be found in the top results when someone searches Twitter for those words.

Robin finishes her bio with the question “How can I help with your next trip?” which addresses the advice in the next tip – “mention what you offer”. Robin’s clever question makes it clear that she offers Italy and France trip planning services.

Tip #3 – Mention What You Offer

Mention what you offer within your Twitter profile. Show potential followers who you are and how you can be useful to them.

My friend and colleague Natalie Tucker Miller has a company called “Ageless-Sages”, which provides picture books for elders. Here’s how she mentions in her Twitter bio what her company offers, while at the same time including her other main activity as a coach certifier and educator:

@NatalieTM Helping families reconnect through Picture Books for Elders™ Teaching the magic of loving all phases. IAC Lead Certifier, coach educator.

Here’s another good example that shows how to mention what you offer in an engaging way:

@danielgoh Beer hawker, entrepreneur and owner of The Good Beer Company. Food fanatic. Avid geek. Blogger and social media enthusiast.

When you read Daniel’s bio, you instantly know that he’s interested in beer, food, business, blogging and social media. Pretty efficient use of 19 words!

Tip #4 – Write with Personality

Last, give a sense of your personality in your Twitter bio. Are you funny, sincere, sarcastic? Don’t be afraid to be real – that’s what people enjoy. Letting your personality shine through takes a profile from ho-hum to intriguing – which will make people want to follow.

Looking again at Daniel Goh’s bio above, you get a sense of his personality from the use of words such as “hawker”, “fanatic” and “geek”. Someone who uses those types of descriptors is probably witty, unpretentious and enthusiastic about his interests. I follow Daniel, and I can tell you that he’s definitely all three of those things!

Tip #5 – Remember, It’s All Public

In the previous tip I advised “Don’t be afraid to be real”. I’m now going to put a caveat on that. Remember that everything you write on Twitter is public and shows up in the search engines, even if you’ve deleted it.

That bitingly funny Twitter bio you wrote and then deleted after realizing that it could offend some of your customers? It’s not really deleted. It’s indexed in the search engines for anyone to see…forever.

Even if you just use Twitter for friends (and not for business purposes), keep in mind that business contacts can and will read your Twitter page. Unlike Facebook, Twitter is a completely open platform; people do not need permission to follow you. Sure you can block someone; but they can still do a Google search for site:twitter.com/yourtwittername and see every tweet you’ve ever published. Try it

Socializing on Twitter is not the same as socializing in the privacy of your own home, or even your local coffee shop. As my mother used to tell me about gossip, don’t say anything you wouldn’t want published on the front page of the newspaper. Twitter is the digital age equivalent of the front page of the newspaper. So yes, be real and be professional as well.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Barbra Sundquist — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:35:42 +0000

You’ve probably heard of affiliate marketing, but maybe you’re not quite sure what it is or how it works.

Affiliate marketing is when a business pays a commission to other people for referring customers. There are thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of different affiliate programs online. You’ve probably clicked on affiliate links without even realizing it.

For example, suppose you’re reading an article that mentions a particular book and the book title is linked to an Amazon sales page. Chances are the owner of the website is signed up for the Amazon affiliate program and has inserted their “affiliate code” in that link. If you end up buying something from Amazon within a day or so of clicking their affiliate link, they will get a commission from Amazon.

Here’s another example: if you happen to be reading my article How to Use AudioAcrobat to Record Conference Calls and Teleclasses, you might decide to click on one of the links that bring you to the AudioAcrobat website. If you subsequently decide to sign up for the AudioAcrobat service, I get a 33% commission every month for as long as you remain an AudioAcrobat customer. I currently have about 40 people who signed up for AudioAcrobat under my affiliate link, which translates to about $300 a month in commissions. Not bad for one article!

I also get commissions each month from Amazon, but the amounts tend to be small. In contrast to AudioAcrobat’s 33% recurring commission, Amazon’s typical commission rate is 5% – 7%.

Besides Amazon, another big player in online affiliate marketing is Clickbank, which provides a marketplace for information products. Here’s how Clickbank works: say you write an ebook or course. You can list your product at Clickbank, and then other people can get a commission (often 50% or more) by referring buyers to your product. Conversely, even if you don’t have a product, you can promote other people’s products and get the commission.

In order for affiliate marketing to work there are really only three things needed: 1) someone with something to sell (the seller or merchant); 2) someone else who promotes that product and collects a commission (the affiliate), and 3) a way for person #1 and person #2 to connect.

There are a couple of ways that person #1 and person #2 can connect. Sometimes it’s done directly: the seller has a form on their website that says “sign up for my affiliate program” (see an example here on my how to write a bio website). Another way for sellers and affiliates to get together is through what’s called an “affiliate network”.

An affiliate network is sort of a broker or middleman between sellers and affiliates. Clickbank is one well-known affiliate network; another is Commission Junction.

Normally an affiliate network will list hundreds or even thousands of products for sale, from many different sellers. The affiliate signs up for the affiliate network (normally this is free, but there can be some conditions such as having your own website or proving that you have a track record in affiliate sales) and then can choose from the different products offered by all the sellers. One advantage to both sellers and affiliates of using an affiliate network is that the affiliate network looks after all the administration and payments to affiliates.

Affiliate marketing is not a new phenomenon (think of door-to-door sales companies such as Avon or Regal), but it has really exploded since the Internet has been around. Prior to the Internet, it was much more difficult for sellers and affiliates to connect with one another. And customers were far less likely to to access products that were being sold through an affiliate arrangement. The Internet changed the game because it makes it easier for all three parties.

How to Sell Video on a “Pay For View” Basis

Barbra Sundquist — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:26:32 +0000

If you look at the box below you’ll see an example of what you can do with the new video delivery platform called RivusTV that makes it easy to sell video on a “pay for view” basis. This promises to be an effective marketing tool for any with quality video content.

The course author is Ed Dale, a well-known internet marketing educator. Ed also happens to be my mentor, so I’m keenly interested in what he’s doing. In this offering, he has created a mini course on the best way to record your iPad and iPhone. You’ll notice that the course is about 30 minutes long, but get this…it’s priced at only $1.99. This makes it affordable and kind of a “no-brainer” purchase for anyone interested in the topic.

Seeing what Ed is doing here has sparked me to think about how I might package some of my longer video courses into small “bite-sized” courses. What about you? Could you see yourself doing something similar?

Two Free Ebooks for Entrepreneurs

Barbra Sundquist — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:45:46 +0000

Sources of Insight, a blog dedicated to personal effectiveness, offers two free ebooks of interest to home business entrepreneurs:

1) You 2.0, a free e-book designed to help readers find their purpose and develop the foundation to be at one’s best in any situation

2) The Zen of Results, which addresses the question “How do you do less, but accomplish more? ” With its focus on personal effectiveness and personal development, Sources of Insight is the go-to source for people who value profound knowledge for the mind, the body, emotions, careers, finances, relationships and fun.

J.D. Meier of Sources of Insight explains what readers will learn from the two free ebooks:

You 2.0 cuts to the chase to help readers quickly find their purpose — their why, their how, their values, their strengths and their personal success patterns. Once these are mapped out, an individual has a firm foundation to be his or her best in any situation. By finding and living this process, individuals are able to lead a life by design, not by default. I call it ‘You 2.0′ because it’s about renewal and taking yourself to the next level.

The Zen of Results is about personal productivity. The approach in a nutshell is:

Scannable outcomes to guide your activities and tasks.

Life frame to organize and balance the important hot spots in your life.

Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, Friday Reflection to guide your week.

Daily Outcomes to guide your day.

The Sources of Insight website is a collection of wisdom of the ages and wisdom from modern sages. The site’s ultimate goal is help people get more from life and be their best by featuring the books, people and quotes that focus on the principles, patterns and practices one must draw from for personal success. Information on Sources of Insight is organized into different subtopics such as emotional intelligence, intellectual horsepower and leadership to make it more actionable and relevant for visitors.

Guest posts by best-selling authors are regularly featured. In these posts, authors share their own lessons and experiences on getting results. Past guests include Jay Heinrichs, author of Thank You for Arguing, Michael Michalko, author of Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques, and Rick Kirschner, co-author of one of my favorite books, Dealing With People You Can’t Stand

In addition to providing this wealth of information, Meier shares his own personal lessons learned while testing results and applying the insights and actions featured on his blog. Meier also shares “book nuggets,” blog postings focused on insights and distinctions he learns from the books he reads. In each nugget, Meier shares key points or quotes from the author, along with the lessons he takes away and how he applies them to work and life. Meier also shares what he terms “people insights,” the inspiration and knowledge he has gathered and learned from both well-known and everyday people.

4 Step Simple Marketing Plan

Barbra Sundquist — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:26:43 +0000

by guest author Rich Gee

Many business clients ask me how they can review their business and develop a simple marketing plan. There are many great books and gurus out there who will help you do this – unfortunately it takes a lot of time and effort.

If things aren’t working or you’re not getting the same penetration you did a few years ago, you probably need to modify something in your business mix. As I’ve always said, “The best businesses are the ones who are nimble and flexible. When it’s time to change, make that change.”

I’ve developed a simple 4-step exercise to help you get a better handle on your business. So here goes:

1. Look at your PRODUCT (or service)

What are your best selling products? What are your most profitable products? Why?
What products are growing? What ones are shrinking? Why?
What new products can you add? What products can you modify?
What products can you kill?
Can you change your product pricing/packaging to reflect market shifts?
Who’s buying what, when, where, and why?

2. Survey the MARKETPLACE

What’s happening out there? Is the market growing? Shrinking? Moving?
Are there new competitors out there? What are they doing? Offering?
Are there new opportunities out there to develop partnerships?
If the marketplace has changed, you need to modify your efforts.

3. Analyze your CUSTOMERS

Who were they and why did they buy your products? Where did they go?
Who are they now? Are they in a different area to access?
Have their lives changed? More money to spend? Less money?
When was the last time your reached out to your current clients?
When have you talked to your past clients?
When have you re-approached the prospects who got away?
You can always plan to retain and extend your clients. And get new ones too.

4. Review your COMMUNICATION

Did your access routes (advertising) to your customers change?
Has your media changed? Newspaper/Magazine/Radio into Web/Groupon/Patch?
Are you varying your messages? Different packages/price points?
How do you talk personally with your customers/prospects?

How would this simple 4-step process work for your business?

About the author: Rich Gee is a certified business and career coach, based locally in Connecticut. His web site is Rich Gee Group, and you can submit your business and career questions to Rich at richgee@richgee.com.

List of Question and Answer Websites (For Backlinks)

Barbra Sundquist — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:53:40 +0000

How to Hyperlink Signature in Windows Live Mail

Barbra Sundquist — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:49:09 +0000

Windows Live Mail does not automatically hyperlink a web address when you create a signature. What you can do is create your signature in HTML format and upload it in Windows Live Mail. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open a new message window.
2. Create your signature in the normal way (i.e. not in html).
3. Alt, F, F, change the file type to html, name and save the file.
4. Click on the File tab (Alt + F), click Options then select Mail
5. On the selection tabs select Signatures
6. Under Signature, click New
7. Under Edit Signature, select file then click browse.
9. Locate the folder where you saved the signature that you created through HTML editor. Then click Apply and Ok.

What Does It Cost For a Business to Use Paypal?

Barbra Sundquist — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:54:18 +0000

Recently I was asked by a small businessperson: “Does Paypal get profit from my income?” I took that to mean “what does it cost to use a Paypal business account?”

Paypal does takes a small transaction fee each time you get paid through them. The exact amount varies depending on a couple of different factors, but generally it’s about 3%. So if your client paid you $100 you would get about $97.

The transaction fee is the only cost (there are no setup or monthly fees to have a Paypal Business account).

Yes, it’s a drag to have to pay a transaction fee, but I find it’s worth it for the convenience. For my business, I like being able to send a Paypal invoice to someone and all they have to do is click a link to pay. They can pay either with the funds in their own Paypal account or using any major credit card.

I find that I get paid faster using Paypal than if I have to wait for a client to send a cheque in the mail. Not only is mail slower, but clients have to find the time to write out the cheque, address the envelope, find a stamp, and mail the envelope. Paypal is so much faster and easier for clients, and it also gives them the option of using a credit card.

Note that once you have more than $3000 a month coming in to your Paypal account you can apply to have a lower fee.

Go here if you want to set up a Paypal business account.

Free Home Business Ebook

Barbra Sundquist — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:23:22 +0000

Charlene Kingston from Social Media DIY provides a great little ebook called 5 Truths About Working From Home. It’s a free download that covers these points:

* How to create a healthy and effective workspace.
* Building a success team to support you.
* Health tips for using a laptop computer.
* Overcoming the isolation of working from home.
* How social media helps you to stay visible professionally.
* Finding people to help you with challenging tasks.
* Why your daily schedule and routine are important.
* Coping with the downside of a zero commute.

In addition, Charlene interviewed four successful home-office workers who share their stories, their challenges, their tips, and their insights into making your home office situation work for you.

How to Send Money with Paypal

Barbra Sundquist — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:30:59 +0000

Do I need to sign up for a PayPal account to send money?

Yes. To sign up and send money:

Go to the PayPal website and click Send Money at the top of the page.
Enter your information and click Continue.
Create your PayPal account.
Review your payment and click Send Money.

And that’s it! The recipient will receive an email telling them that you have sent them money using Paypal.

What information is required to open a Personal PayPal account?

To open a personal PayPal account, you’ll need to provide your name, address, phone number, and email address. You’ll also asked to create a password for your PayPal account and choose two different security questions to answer.