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3 Types of People To Avoid On Twitter

You know, Twitter rocks, or at least I think so. But not everyone agrees. My interaction with thousands of people on Twitter has lead me to believe that it is a valuable tool for meeting new people, learning new things and expanding your circle of influence as an Indie Business owner. For example, Indie Beauty Network member Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap Company, who just started Tweeting a few months ago, says that Twitter accounts for 30% of visits to her website, and that she was booked to speak at a conference directly because of Twitter networking. You can't shake a stick at that!

Let's face it, social media like Twitter is time consuming. And it is sometimes difficult and frustrating to deal with multiple personalities. This is especially true if, like me and most Indie Business owners, you are also managing a home and want to maintain some level of privacy. But the reality is that, marketing is time consuming, business is business and if you're home-based, you have to figure out how to connect everything in a way that works for you and your family. And with 75% of Americans on the Internet, this boils down to resisting the urge to maintain so much privacy that your business goes down the tubes.

The growth of Twitter and other forms of social media reminds me of rap music. Years ago, everyone said it was a fad, it wouldn't last and that no one would be paying attention in a few years. But love it or hate it, rap is an integral part of our culture. The same thing holds true for various form of online social media like Twitter.

That's why today, at The Nova Studio's Business Boot Camp, I am leading a workshop on using social media to "Become the News You Want to Be." I will have my laptop and projector, and so will the Boot Camp attendees. We will discuss e-commerce websites, online newsletters, Twitter, blogs, etc., and how all of them work together to help promote your brand and increase sales on the Internet. We'll launch a blog in the workshop so everyone can play around with being their own media outlet.

Back to Twitter

Whether or not to embrace Twitter, and to what extent, is a question you need to answer as an Indie Business owner. The answer will be different for everyone, but the important thing is that, you need to assess it on its merits vis a vis your own business.

Like everything else in business, making connections on Twitter has benefits and drawbacks. In my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Having said that, I have concluded that certain types of people are more suited for online social networking, including Twitter, than others. In my experience, it's best to avoid 3 types of social networkers.

1. The High and the Mighty

I was talking with a newspaper reporter a while back. Like so many other staff reporters around the nation, she was recently laid off from her job at a major metropolitan daily. "Leanne" told me that she would never use social media to interact with other people because "real journalists" just don't do that.

Leanne has nothing to offer anyone on the social media circuit because, at least for now, she thinks she better than them. Even if she joins a space like Twitter, chances are she'll have 6,000 followers and she'll be following 2 people. Unless you're a presidential candidate or something similar, that alone indicates a person who views himself or herself as somehow more important than others. It also indicates an attitude of superiority. A self perceived "queen-ish-ness" that says, "I have something to teach you, but you have nothing to teach me."

I like to connect with people who feel they have as much to learn as they do to share. They are naturally friendly and giving and tend to have roughly the same number of followers as they do followees. Rather than coming to the party empty-handed and expecting people to bow and worship, they come bearing gifts. They come seeking to help and be helped.

If someone is too high and mighty to mingle with the masses, explore new things and find out how the world of online networking can benefit them, they'll get nothing out of it. The high and mighty should stay away from Twitter. And I tend to avoid the few I've come across.

Connect online with people who are down to earth, approachable and who appreciate the value you bring to the table.

2. The Rude and the Mean-Spirited

A few weeks ago, after enjoying one of my favorite online marketing newsletters, I asked the publisher what he thought about Twitter. His response was this: "Groan." For real. That was the response.

So being my naturally curious self, I wrote back and asked him why he was groaning at me. First of all, he's a "marketing expert" so I thought it was odd that he didn't have a substantive comment (even if negative) about Twitter. Second of all, I was taken aback by the way he treated me as one of his readers.

I must digress for a moment.

I never groan at my newsletter readers. I may not like what one of them says, and they may not like what I have to say, but groan at one of my readers? Not so much. My readers are part of the reason why I have a business! I care about their opinions. I seek them out, even when I disagree with them. Unless it is clearly in jest, you won't catch me groaning at anyone, much less one of my treasured and valuable newsletter readers.

OK, so back to the topic of convo.

In response to my query, the marketing expert said, among other things, that he did not want to think about Twitter any more than he wanted to think about eating scorpions or buying a McMansion. (Scorpions are a delicacy in some cultures. But I knew he wasn't thinking about that ...)

I responded that I thought my blog readers would be interested in knowing the perspective of a marketing expert on a topic that is so relevant to online success, so I asked if I could interview him on the topic. The reply was biting, along the lines of: (1) I took his comments out of context; (2) don't share his comments publicly; and (3) don't email him anymore.

Wop! Bam! Boom! Wouldn't you say? Hmmm, I hope I get a newsletter this week ...

So, the moral of the story is that if you can't generally play well with others, and be tolerant of their opinions, Twitter is not the place for you. On Twitter, most people are about sharing. Sometimes, they share too much about themselves but at the end of the day, if someone makes you nuts with self-promotion or "too much information," guess what? Unfollow! How easy is that??! You can wipe them out of your life just as quickly as you invited them in.

Connect online with people who are respectful, professional and who play well with others.

3. The Sweet and the Softy

I got an email a while back from a person who said she was quitting Twitter and maybe even her business because some people had said something mean and insensitive directly to her on Twitter. And to make matters worse, people started unfollowing her because of the exchange that resulted.

Amazing how cruel people can be in 140 characters or less.

Anyway, this business owner was hurt and disappointed, perhaps rightfully so. That may be true, but let's be real here. In order to be in business today, you have to have some pretty thick skin. Potential sales fall through for reasons that are unfair. People say mean and untrue things about you and/or your products online. Everyone's a critic and everyone has opinions. Not everyone is going to like what you have to say, how you look, that you eat animals or that you vote Republican or Democrat. That's life!

If you can't take the heat, get out of the Tweets. (I made that up.) For maximum business success, however, I suggest resisting the urge to throw the baby out with the bath water. There will always be mean-spirited critics, but no matter what, other people at Twitter and elsewhere will be in your corner cheering you on and helping you along the way. Seek them out. When you find each other, your life will be enriched both personally and professionally.

I think Indie Business owners are in the best position if they budget some time to communicate about themselves and their business online. Twitter is a great place to do that, but not if you don't have a bit of thick skin to deflect some of the comments that might otherwise be hurtful, even devastating.

Try to avoid Tweeting with these people. Try to avoid becoming like these people.

Connect online with people from all walks of life to increase your sphere of influence and expand your world view, but be careful of connecting with people who bruise easily in business. There are other ways to connect with such people, and social media may just not be one of them. And try not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

What do you think?

What are your opinions about Twitter, and social media in general? Love it? Hate it? Hate me for telling you about it??! Post your experiences here and help others decide whether Twitter and social media in general is or is not for them.

Related Posts

It Takes a Global Twitter Village
Ahhh, the Tweet Life
Who to Follow on Twitter
Tweet With Me

For more fun, Indie Business social media tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.

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How I Maintain My Social Network Without Losing My Shirt

Thank you for the great collection of comments, tips and insights you are sharing on yesterday's post about making connections on Twitter. One of the themes of the comments is that, if you're not careful, Twitter and other social media become colossal time suckers with little to no return. Indie Beauty Network member Anne-Marie wrote, "It can be a bit of a black hole if I follow all the cool links that show up on people's Tweets." And Indie Beauty Network member D'Anna Catterson said, "It can be quite addicting!"

I have found these things to be true. If you don't discipline yourself in any fun social situation, you'll find yourself hopelessly unproductive. Who hasn't experienced staying at the party or talking on the phone so long that some other important detail of life or business is not tended to? We've all done that, so we all appreciate the power of using a system to ensure that our social connections are maintained while our businesses continue to thrive.

Here are my Social Media System recommendations and a little about how I incorporate social media into my business model.

1. Reserve Your Brand At Major Social Media Outlets

Using a popular social media outlet just because I or someone else says you should is a reason to at least make a note to check out the website so you can make a first impression decision about whether it might work for you. If it does not appeal to you, open a free (if available) account in your brand name anyway so that, if you decide to use it at a later date, it's available to you. This prevents others from reserving an account at that site using your name.

2. First, Observe Others

If you decide to start using the account, first watch how other seasoned users of the technology use it. There's no need to schedule this observation time. Just do it as you go throughout your week, hearing about it in blogs, the news, etc. As you learn more about it through your network of business friends and colleagues, you'll develop a framework to prioritize checking it out further.

Take your time. There's usually no need to rush. Look carefully at how the most proficient users of the technology operate. Make mental notes of what they do that is effective and efficient in terms of time. For example, if a successful Indie Tweets 5 times a day on average, and you have a business similar to his or hers, perhaps this framework is a good one for you to consider.

Similarly, if someone blogs 3 times a week, and each blog post is about 5 paragraphs long, use this as a framework for your blog. Do they use pictures? Video? There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Look at what successful people in your field are doing. Listen to what they say about the frequency and manner in which they use the technology and pattern yourself after them. You'll find that you make changes and adjustments as you go to suit your own personal style and business model

3. Use Cross-Posting Where Available

If you decide to take advantage of a new social media outlet, look for ways to syndicate or repeat your content across your different social connections. Most new social technologies are sensitive to the fact that, there are so many of them that users need to be able to do something one time and post it across multiple different networks.

For example, when I post a video to Blip, with the click of a mouse, I cross-post it to my Myspace page. When I post an Utterli audio clip, I choose the option to automatically cross-post it to my Twitter stream. When I post a Tweet, it automatically cross-posts to my Facebook page and to this website in the right column.

Cross-posting allows me to reach multiple people with one activity.

3. Set a Time Limit For Eact Activity

You're busy running a business and a home. You have to fit online social networking into your week, but you also have to set time limits. Otherwise, you'll be closing down the bar every night and waking up the next morning wondering why you have no customers, why you overslept, and why everyone else is bright-eyed a bushy tailed.

Look at your weekly schedule and schedule in time for social connections. Spend the most time at the social outlets that serve your business best. This may change over time.

I receive note regularly from Indie Beauty Network members who say they are tracking new business directly from Twitter through a blog, and then to an e-commerce site. I would say these people need to keep blogging and Tweeting a certain amount each week, and devote smaller amounts of time to other avenues. But again, because business and technology are fluid, not to mention people are fickle, always be on the lookout to change the balance for a good reason.

4. Focus On 3 Social Media Outlets That Work Well For You

As I said earlier, it's important to defend your brand on line, including registering it as a trademark and using it in so many places that the incentive for someone else to do so is significantly diminished.

Having said that, once you're registered for 25 social networking accounts, you can't possibly use them at once unless you hire people to help you. This is a good option if you can afford it, and if you need it, but if not, carefully choose the spaces where you'll invest the most time, and make sure you're getting as much out of it as you're putting into it. Then use other times as available, for other social networks.

For example, you may have found that your blog, your e-commerce website and your Twitter stream form a triple header for you. This is the case for many startup Indies. You Tweet your new blog posts and people comment on them. You comment back to create community at your blog. While your readers are commenting and engaging with you, they also naturally discover links to your shopping cart, so they head on over there with a credit card. Focus on your website, blog and Twitter stream if that works for you.

This is the method I recommend for most Indie Beauty Businesses selling products. As your business expands, add other social outlets that seem feasible and which you can predict hold the most promise of a return. Again, take your cues from your successful industry colleagues.

What I Do

1. Each weekday morning (well, mostly each), I post a short Utterli audio feed to my Utterli page, and cross-post it to Twitter. I sometimes cross-post it to this blog as well, and now and then, I add it to my newsletter (but I have to do that manually so it doesn't happen very often).
2. Each Monday, I publish a newsletter. This is not exactly social networking, but since I have contests and other ways for my readers to respond to it, it's sort of interactive.
3. When I load a new blog post, I Tweet it.
4. Each Monday, I host the Indie Business Radio Show. People can call in their questions live. After the show, streaming and MP3 links are made available so people can enjoy the show, discuss it and share it with others.
5. I Tweet 15 to 20 times a day. This is greatly reduced from when I first started using Twitter, when I Tweeted far more than that. It was not pretty. But I have found my footing at last I think. The only time I may Tweet more frequently in a day than 15 or 20 times is when I'm at a conference, in which case I Tweet more to share helpful business tips with those not in attendance. I also share pictures, audio and video, time permitting.) I use my Tweets for my Utterli post, maybe a blog post of mine, Retweets of other people's blot posts and responses to other people's Tweets. (You can't sit at the cocktail table and just talk. You also must respond to others, yes?) I also Tweet helpful news articles, YouTube videos, etc., that are of interest to people who keep up with me on Twitter.
6. I usually cross-post my blog posts at a few Ning groups such as Twittermoms and Black Business Women Online. I also update and socialize at Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace when I have time, when I have something helpful to contribute or when something new and interesting catches my attention there. Finally, I invest time commenting at other people's blogs, Indie Beauty Network member and blogs in particular. Because I am the founder and president of the Indie Beauty Network, many of my Tweets deal with starting a small cosmetics business. The rest generally deal with business issues that any Indie Business owner can benefit from.

I vary these activities depending on everything from the work load on any particular day, to the volume of interesting and helpful things I discover and want to share with others.

Just Be Helpful!

At the end of the day, connecting with others is all about being helpful. Sure, I do my fair share of Tweeting about a new service I am launching or my next radio show, but the vast majority of my social networking is designed to help others. And I like to connect with people who share my philosophy of using technology to enhance people's lives.

Ask yourself whether the next social media activity you plan to do will help someone else. If it will, chances are it's a good investment of your time. If not, just as you would at a cocktail party, keep your mouth shut and wait for the next opportunity to help another person.

What do you think?

Whatever you do, don't let being a social butterfly interfere with making a profit in your business. On the other hand, in order to be profitable, you have to interact socially. You can't just set up a store or website and wait for people to come to you. You've got to get out there and meet people, right?!

Do you have a system? Feel free to share it in the comments section below.

If you don't have a system and this post is inspiring you to create one, please let me know that too. I want to know whether my articles are helpful to you!

Related Posts

Would You Tweet With Me?
It Takes a Global Twitter Village
Ahhh, the Tweet Life
Who to Follow on Twitter
Tweet With Me

For more fun, Indie Business social media tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.

If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.

Connect with me on Linked In.