Who Are The Powerful Social Media Influencers Online?

And How Do I Use Their Influence To Generate Traffic To My Website

Posted by Adam Singer in Popular, Social Media, Web Influencers


A major aim of The Future Buzz (as seen in the tag line at the top of this blog) is helping you create buzz on the web. If you’re reading this, certainly one of your goals is to become a power user of social media or high profile blogger, and/or learn how to bend the network to your advantage.

As such, it is prudent to learn what others have done/are doing successfully at the edge. Studying how social media power users (or influencers, same thing) create and share information, ideas and trends with the world and their interactions with their carefully built networks is vital to becoming one yourself.


Influencers matter — especially on the web


Influencers are the glue that make much of social media stick together and cause content to cross-pollinate at high rates.


Social media power users can help make or break a new blog. They can help make or break a marketing campaign. They can focus the lens of attention to that new product you just designed and share it with their other influential friends, creating cumulative awareness over time.


Keep in mind, however, that no popular person on the web will even remotely consider your idea in the first place unless it is special and relevant - they are bombarded with press releases, pitches and emails daily. In fact, they may even publicly hang you for the world to see if you’re not sure what you’re doing.


Watching, networking and building positive and mutually beneficial relationships with influencers is vital for bloggers, web entrepreneurs, PR pros and marketers


It is important for marketers to get a glimpse for what those at the edge are doing, as in many cases it is a great source of inspiration for their own campaigns. Social media power users are the hyper-connectors of the Internet, and really help spread good ideas far and wide. They are the ones who can reach people in the deep pockets of that graph at the top of this post.


Watching how they spread information, and what kind of information they spread successfully is something each and every marketer should be doing. Good ideas transcend platforms.


Why I am making this a series, and not a definitive list in one long post

The initial idea for this post was simply to list 50 or so power users and a quick sentence on each.

As I thought through the idea further, I realized this would be far more valuable to you if I broke the list up into parts, and gave you a quick snapshot of each influencer.


I’m hoping if interest builds, that this will become an exciting category at The Future Buzz and I will feature several power users/influencers weekly (or bi-weekly) as an ongoing series.

Also, I will not just feature the ultra-high level, obvious people that everyone talks about and already knows. Perhaps of greater value, I will try and tell the stories of those who are up-and-coming, or influencing the web in more subtle, but still highly relevant ways. Hopefully we’ll get a good mix of everyone across networks and niches.


Okay, you get the idea.

Let’s get into the first 5 power users/influencers in this series (this is in no particular order, and each series will only list around 5 at a time):

1) Matt Dickman

Blog: Techno//Marketer.com (topics: mobile, emerging media, marketing and PR).

Twitter: @MattDickman

Matt in brief: Matt Dickman is Vice President, Digital Marketing at Fleishman-Hillard in Cleveland, Ohio. Simultaneously a great presenter and a creative marketer, Matt is one of the most insightful people I have spoken with in the marketing industry. He also thinks Google is stalking him (seriously, read it).

What makes Matt an influencer: If you follow Techno//Marketer, you would know Matt is way ahead of the curve in digital and mobile marketing. He goes above and beyond by not only presenting in-depth articles and case studies on his blog, but also eBooks, SlideShare presentations and video blog entries all centered around forward-thinking marketing. I know Matt isn’t big on rankings (and he’ll prob kill me for doing this), but he made it really easy for me to display his “obligatory rankings” as he calls them from his blog here, as they are quite impressive (as of 9/23/08):



Best way to connect with Matt: subscribe to Techno//Marketer

2) Muhammad Saleem (better known as msaleem)

Blog: MuhammadSaleem.com


Twitter: @msaleem

msaleem in brief: Muhammad Saleem, or msaleem as he is probably best known, is a social media power user well-known among several web 2.0 communities, most prominently Digg. He’s contributed exceptional content to such popular blogs as ProBlogger, TechCrunch, and Read Write Web to name just a few (read: Collaborative Filtering: The Lifeblood Of The Social Web for a glimpse into his writing. I’m a big fan of that article in particular). He also heads the social media marketing division of Advantage Consulting Services (ACS) and consults companies on social media strategy.


What makes msaleem an influencer: Really I could say a lot of things here - Muhammad contributes so much to the web. Those in the know already know what his biggest claim to fame is - he is one of the most powerful users on digg and it would be remiss of me not to mention that here. msaleem is far more than this though, I do not want to pigeon hole him to one network when he’s a thought-leader on the web and has a remarkable eye for great content.

Just in case you haven’t seen, however, here are msaleem’s unbelievable digg stats:


Best way to connect with Muhammad: add him as a friend on Digg

3) Eric Friedman




Blog: Marketing.FM (topics: the intersection of marketing and technology).

Twitter: @EricFriedman

Eric in brief: Eric Friedman is currently a team member of Union Square Ventures in New York, a Venture Capital firm that invests in young companies that use IT in creative ways to create high-growth business opportunities in media, marketing, financial services and other areas (check out their impressive portfolio). Eric not only has a keen eye for killer startups, he also is the author and managing partner of Marketing.FM, a blog which covers the intersection of marketing and technology.

What makes Eric an influencer: Having a strong background in both marketing and IT, Eric covers the marketing industry from the unique perspective of both a tech and marketing guru.

This is what makes him equally qualified for his position with the VC firm, and able to write an on-the-edge marketing blog. Besides being a fantastic writer, having a strong following in the social web and on his blog, Eric is the brains behind the Marketing and Advertising feedburner network, where he successfully brought together a significant group of popular marketing and advertising bloggers in one feed.


Best way to connect with Eric: subscribe to Marketing.FM

4) Daniel Scocco








Blogs: DailyBlogTips.com, DailyWritingTips.com, DailyBits.com


Twitter: @danielscocco

Daniel in brief: Daniel Scocco has lived and studied in several places around the world, including Italy, Chile and Brazil. After receiving a degree in International Economics and working for a year within a multinational company, he decided to quit and pursue entrepreneurial projects on the Internet. He eventually built his highly-popular blogging network, the “Daily” network.

What makes Daniel and influencer: Daniel’s blogs have become a vital resource for bloggers everywhere, and he personally goes the extra mile to help new and upcoming bloggers. He has a passion for blogging that is contagious. Daniel also has created a blogging network, which was so impressive to me I used it in a previous case study on building a blogging network.

Daniel is both a writer and avid “blogtrepreneur“. His network generates over 400,000 monthly impressions, with more than 25,000 RSS subscribers. The audience is composed of bloggers, webmasters, online marketers and web entrepreneurs. He effectively influences the influencers.

Best way to connect with Daniel: subscribe to DailyBlogTips


5) John Boitnott
Blog: Jboitnott.com


Twitter: @ttlFantastic

John in brief: John is a web producer with NBC 11 in San Fransisco and has worked in TV News since 1994. He also has worked as a freelance writer at KNTV in San Jose and KGO, KRON and KPIX in San Francisco.

What makes John an influencer: Did you see my post: NBC11 in California Experiences The Digg Effect? Well, John is the one to credit for this. He knows how to create compelling content for social media and how to properly get it into the popular channels to be shared around the web. And, he knows how to seriously drive sustained traffic to a .com. John is successfully bringing a traditional media agency forward into the social web - a skill highly sought after by many media organizations.
Best way to connect with John: friend him on Digg

Next week…Social Media Power Users And Influencers: Part 2


For the first round of this series, I reached out to just a few people and got some great feedback about my desire to share a small part their stories with my readers (I hope you’ll take the next step and subscribe to their content).

But I want to hear from all the social media rockstars, not just the ones I already interact with.

Know someone I should feature here? Want to get featured here? Great. Just submit the following to me and I will consider for this recurring post:

Title the Subject: Submit

Name, your picture and your blog’s logo (links are fine)

Blog URL (include stats/numbers if you’d like)


Twitter feed (I will substitute FriendFeed here if you’d prefer)

Brief description of yourself

At least one tangible example of what makes you an influencer

(Disclaimer: If chosen, I will edit what you submit, if only to fit the tone of this blog. I may also go through your blog and pull out certain content that helps tell your story.)

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Using Social Community Sites To Grow Your Business.

I want to take a moment and talk about strategy when it comes to marketing on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace...

Over the past few weeks, my office has received an increasing number of complaints that a few affiliates have been spamming their Magnetic Sponsoring links throughout these sites. At first I just ignored the problem because I couldn't believe people could be that incredibly stupid. (And that's the nicest way I can put it).

After all, they should have READ Magnetic Sponsoring, which would have taught them that such behavior is the the worst thing you could possibly do on these sites. So if you're just learning how to use these sites to build your business, I want to share a video from my good friend, and one of the most brilliant marketers alive, Perry Belcher who has MASTERED this relm.

The video's on You Tube, and he'll give you the perfect approach when it comes to using social community sites to grow your business. If you're using ANY of these sites, watch this video, and say "thanks Perry!". It's 100% pure content.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMENTS WITH A LINK BACK TO YOUR SITE

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos

Three Tips for Generating Business Through Online Communities

This just in from Kanika W. of StartUpBiz...

New methods for marketing your business are popping up everywhere, and online communities are no exception. So, exactly what is an online community and what does it have to do with growing your business?

The truth is, you won’t know how it affects your business until you try it, but there are three key tips that can help you use them to effectively grow your business over time. What IS an online community anyway?

First let’s be clear about what an online community is and how it can be beneficial. Online communities are like local networking events, only they take place online. They provide a way for businesses to interact with their customers, for customers to interact with a business, and perhaps most importantly, for customers to interact with each other.

Online communities are a form of social media and can often work well when mixed with other forms of social media including blogging, email newsletters, podcasts, rss feeds, and others. So how can online communities help you grow your business?

TIP #1 Be Consistent
No matter how you look at it, participating in online communities is a long term investment. If you stick with it and stay consistent, the pay-off can be rewarding. Frequent your favorite areas of the community, post a blog, post threads, but just like your local networking event, once you introduce yourself, you have to keep coming back so that people remember who you are. People do business with people they know and trust.

TIP #2 Be Realistic
Just because you joined the community, doesn’t mean all of a sudden sales will come flooding through your door (if this has happened to anyone, please send an email to my inbox and let me know your secret). Online communities can be like any other form of advertising-- you try it, you test it, you see if it works, and if it does, you stick with it, if it doesn’t; well, you move to the next thing, but you have to remember that all social media is about building relationship based business. It’s a long term investment and it takes people time to get to know you. In addition, understand why you joined the community.

Growing your business should not be the only reason. There’s significant value in gaining free insight from experts who know the challenges small businesses face better than anyone else, and that’s your fellow business owners. Tapping into the knowledge base of a good online business community, can be just as rewarding as finding a new customer.

TIP #3 Add Value
A wise man once said, “people like to buy—they don’t like to be sold to.” There’s nothing worse than an online community member that spams everyone with there sales pitch in a discussion thread. If you want to lose respect in an online community, this is a great way to do it.

Add value, provide insight, or share an experience that may be beneficial to someone else, but please don’t spam the members—we want to keep people in the community, not send them running.

For those of you that join for the purpose of growing your business, I think plugging your own business is fine, but educate people about your business and tell them what problem your product or service solves. Publish a blog and become an expert in your field, offer advice on solving an issue you recently experienced—in the end, you will get much more respect, meet more colleagues, and gain more credibility for your business.

I hope to meet many more of you as we all continue our path to growth and success.

I’m rooting for you!

KW
www.biznessdoor.com

Thanks Kanika for your insightful post and we look forward to more.

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Do The Exact Opposite Of What Other Marketers Are Doing!

If you follow the old MLM "dogma" of cold-calling prospects, handing out CD's, and spending all your money on "opportunity" leads — you're almost guaranteed to lose most (probably ALL) of your people to competing distributors who can advertise on your front doorstep thanks to Google.

This means you’ll be forced to recruit every day for the lifespan of your business just to combat the constant attrition that will plague your organization.

You see, the old ways worked great when people stayed in and purchased products every month for years at a time, allowing you to build a large, profitable organization.

But in today's crazy online world, the average reps only stick around for 2 or 3 months (if you're lucky) before you even get a chance to recoup your marketing costs.

That's how radically the industry changed since the Internet.

So what can you do to make money in MLM today?

It's actually pretty easy:

You Simply Do The Exact Opposite Of What Other Marketers Are Doing!

Here's what I mean:
Most people spend all their money and time calling over-priced leads, only to end up talking to some guy named "Bubba" who’s really looking for a J-O-B.Others jump from company to company hoping “this one” will be the one that really works out.

But the richest and savviest distributors don't do ANY of those things.

We do not cold-call leads.

We do not show the plan to everyone with a pulse.

And we do not bother our friends, family and neighbors.Instead, we use what I call magnetic sponsoring.

This is the secret I discovered that quickly gave me (and thousands of people I've taught it to) complete financial freedom.

Here's how it works:
My System Is Based On Two "Core Truths" Of MLM In The Internet Age:

1. The old school sales routine of cold-calling leads, holding meetings, knocking on doors and trying to "convince" people to look at your opportunity is DEAD.

2: The fastest and easiest way to make money in MLM today is simply to "position" yourself so only the hottest, most qualified prospects come to you (and ONLY you).

That's it.

And no matter what all the other MLM "gurus" say about contacting your family, friends and neighbors... attending every meeting... or cold-calling leads — these are really the only truths you can absolutely count on in network marketing today.

And these two pieces of truth are what took me from dirt broke to raking in money 18 months — and let me generate over 115,329 live leads over the past two years without spending a single penny.

And guess what?

You can learn how to do the same thing — no matter what network marketing company you're in or if you just signed up in your first MLM business yesterday.

In fact, when you use "magnetic sponsoring"... you can immediately start attracting an unlimited number of leads TO YOU, and...

They Will Actually Pay You To Show Them The Plan!

This strategy is the "missing link" that six and seven figure network marketers know that everyone else doesn't.

And the funny thing is, getting people to come to you and then pay you to show them the plan... is a LOT easier than you think.

WAY easier than banging on doors, getting laughed at by your warm market and dropping your life savings on leads who will slam the phone down on you or end up joining some other guy's MLM business later.

And my friend, when you know the secret of magnetic sponsoring... you'll go from being a "prospector" who chases people down... to being an "order taker", with people chasing YOU down — and even paying you for the "privilege" of showing them the plan.

This makes sponsoring as easy and painless as filling out a blank check.

Anyway, getting people to come to you... and then actually pay you to see the plan is just one part of my system.

I've got dozens of methods and secrets that I've been using for years like this that'll blow your mind.

Like how to get people wanting to join your business before you talk to them...

The RIGHT way to prospect your warm market without getting "blacklisted" by your friends, family and neighbors....

And where to find the contact information of active network marketers (not genealogy lists) who are already looking to join a new MLM company... just to name a few.

And while I can't tell you all the secrets I've learned about making tens of thousands of dollars per month in this letter... there is now a way for you to get them quickly, easily and without ANY risk.

Here's how:
I have recently put ALL this information into an easy-to-read manual called:

"Magnetic Sponsoring"

This is the "secret weapon" of many of today's richest networkers.And it contains the exact "blueprint" I used to transform a failing, crippled, money-sucking MLM venture into a thriving business.

I originally wrote it when I first started using my system, because I was sponsoring so many people... so quickly...

I couldn't keep up with them.In some cases, I actually had to turn people away — with a "waiting list" of people who wanted to join my downline (can you imagine having that "problem"?)

So I put my entire sponsoring formula into one, "stripped-down" manual (just 54 pages) I could simply hand to new distributors.

This manual has since transformed the lives of thousands of people in every network marketing company in the industry — including people who struggled to sponsor even one single person before.

But you cannot find this manual in bookstores.

And, until a couple years ago, it was ONLY available to my personal downline.

However, if I hear from you today...

I'll send a copy of this manual right to your doorstep... and...I'll Even Send It To You FREE, If You Choose!

I'll tell you more about that in a second.

But first, here's just a small taste of what you'll discover in this manual:

How to make $500 to $1,000 your first month in network marketing... without sponsoring anyone or selling your company's products! *see earnings disclaimer*

How to contact thousands of network marketers already looking to join your opportunity... without making a single phone call or spamming anyone.

The #1 "clumsy mistake" people make with their mouths that kills their chances of signing up new distributors.

Why you should almost NEVER sponsor "excited" prospects... and why lazy people often make the most money in MLM.

A secret way to get hundreds — even thousands — of people to join your downline at the same time without even mentioning your company or business!

The fastest known way to quickly "position" yourself as an expert and attract leads to you — even if you're brand new to MLM and know nothing about the business now.

Why "opportunity seekers" are the WORST people to sponsor!

A "can't miss" way to instantly gain the respect and admiration of every single network marketer in your company — even if you haven't sponsored anyone yet!

The "Donald Trump" secret to effectively answering questions and objections from MLM skeptics.

What to do with your eyes to command respect from almost everyone you talk to. (You can actually see this secret "in action" in most James Bond 007 movies.)

The ONLY people you should ever market your retail products to! (Do this and selling thousands of dollars in products each month is like taking candy from a baby.)

An "almost magic" way to create 100% duplication within your downline!

The "big lie" of genealogy lists... and why you should avoid them like the plague!

Why the best way ever discovered to make money in MLM... and make it fast...

is to do the exact OPPOSITE of what most other network marketers do.

A quickie, "idiot's" guide to consumer psychology — often used by cult leaders and other persuasion masters — that lets you instantly tap into the buying "hot buttons" of everyone you talk to.

Why telling your prospects your company is "debt free" and does billions in sales will actually destroy your chances of signing them up!

The most common "sales killing" mistake people make when sending email to their prospects. (Do NOT send another email to another prospect, customer or lead until you read this!)

The only two things you should send a prospect who wants more information. (Hint: This has NOTHING to do with your product, company or compensation plan.)

How to get your entire downline to loyally follow you to another MLM company... with the push of a button!

How to immediately get your newest reps into a positive cash flow. (Making it almost impossible for them to ever want to quit or leave your team.)

A sneaky (but 100% legal) way to get industry leaders outside your company to recruit people into YOUR downline!

There's more. A LOT more.Including:How to make more money by NOT promoting your opportunity...

Why most "duplicatable" systems are actually designed to fail and keep you broke...

What to do if you lose the biggest producer in your downline... and even...

How To Make Money From People Who Have Already Decided Not To Join Your Team Or Buy Your Products!

Ask anyone you know in MLM if they know how to do THAT.

Chances are they don't.
But YOU will.And when you do...

making money in MLM becomes as automatic and "routine" as checking your email.

Anyway, here's the bottom line:

After reading Magnetic Sponsoring you'll never need to make another cold-call again. Never fear looking stupid in front of your spouse or friends. And never worry about making your money back from an MLM company you join.Instead, customers and prospects hunt you down — with credit card in hand.

Your friends, family and in-laws approach you about what you're doing.And many of the people laughing at you behind your back right now (for being in that "pyramid scheme") will come crawling to you...

Begging For Your Advice On HowThey Can Make Lots Of Money, Too.

I see this happen ALL the time when I teach people my system.

Once you own this manual, you get skills you can use for the rest of your life. Skills nobody can ever take from you. Skills that are "timeless" — and that will work today, tomorrow... and probably even 100 years from now.

And it’s so easy, too.

Just follow my simple "recipe" and, before you know it, you’ll sponsor your first new distributor...Then another.

And then another...Until, before you know it... you've got an entire army of distributors making money for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — whether you're on vacation... hanging out with your kids at the beach... or even sound asleep in your bed at night.

Act now and get 4 free bonuses!
There's Simply No Way You Can Lose! Get Your Copy Now!


Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor

How To Use A Forum To Get Business Without Asking For It

For those of you that have read my featured blog titled "Influencing Powerful Social Media Users To Generate Massive Traffic..." that teaches how to leverage the clout of influencers within the social media community, I wanted to share with you some insights from one of the newest StatUpBiz members, Amanda Vare, who posted some comments on that blog post that in my opinion highlight how to engage an audience and get the most positive feedback from a forum.

I've added a link above to the original article for those of you wanting to read it.

Without further ado, here's Amanda....

Hi Frank,I think you are right on the mark with this post!I'd love to share a story with you that supports everything you've written here - and I'll try to keep it as brief as possible :)

I accidentally "tapped into" what you speak of above...

Early in the year, when I was just a newbie to the internet world (that is forums, etc) and starting to build up GritFX, I was also watching American Idol and so I decided I wanted to do some designs for David Cook fans. This was because I felt he was the only contest to go through the show that I thought was good - no wonder he won!I did three designs, and then one day while browsing the Idol forums I came across a forum that was discussing "Idol tour shirts" and there on the screen were a couple of the GritFX designs.

So I moved from forum "lurker" to a forum participant and offered to do personalization on the shirts free of charge, and then donate some money to Adam Cook (David's brother who has brain cancer).

From there things snowballed - and the stages I went through were just as Frank describes. I put out the first offer... and didn't push the issue. Then people who supported my offer and liked the designs started posting their own forum threads... before I knew it GritFX had 20+ David Cook inspired designs!

The social networks that I participate in (there are now more than one!) have been awesome at helping me spread the word... well they are called "Word Nerds" *grin*.

This exposure has seen the range of COOK designs become some of our best sellers to date - and we have donated $880 (US) to Adam to date.I've also made loads of friends all over the world, and I continue to participate in the social forums - I'm actually a volunteer on the Digital Design team for the Word Nerds - which is so much fun!

Last comment... once again I think Frank is correct, if you maintain your relationships and you don't over-do the "pitching" of your company, these people are the most valuable people you could know online.

To prove the point, GritFX just launched our Christmas Themed Cook designs, and within days of letting some of my new online friends know about them, we had sales :)

That was a little longer than I wanted...
Kind regards,Amanda

Now for me I wanted to know more about how she stumbled upon this "accidental business" so I asked her for more and she responded:

Hi again...So I didn't write too much... you actually want to know more!

Thanks for the add Julio and the comment you left on my profile page - I promise to check out your stuff soon.****OK - back to the topic of the forum...When I say "accidentally tapped into", what I mean is that I never intentionally went online seeking a social network to help business. I didn't even realise what I was doing... I'm a designer by education/trade and not a marketer.

However, having since sunk my teeth into the virtual world, I've read a number of blog posts that discuss the "topic" as if it could be studied/learned - I was just acting on instinct :)

Which supports Julio's comment that "the same principles that are successful in your daily life apply to the digital world of social networks".

*****So how did I find this group of people?

I wasn't very educated about the internet back then (irony is I've designed websites since the internet became popular!)First off, I did a blog on Squidoo (GritFX didn't have a blogspot yet) and I discussed why I felt David Cook should win. With this I added the GritFX Cook designs - the first of which was "Cook Has all the Ingredients".

I also contacted a media writer that was a David supporter and ask him for his feedback on the design. He loved it so much that he shared our link with his online readers.

That was all I could think of doing at that point. My blog post was sincere and I was a genuine supporter of David (who was the best performer - but also spoke so beautifully... something lost in todays reality shows - in my opinion).

From there, I was contacted by a "Word Nerd" who invited me to come join the forums (we are still friends today). I only lurked... still too shy to jump in and leave comments - you can see that's a thing of the past!

Then doing a basic Google search, I found the forum that had our shirts...Telling myself to get over the fear of partcipating in forums, I left my first comment - which was the offer to personalize the shirts.

Why did I do that - I READ THE FORUM! and it was apparent that this group of people wanted tour shirts, but the key thing I noticed was that they also had a huge desire to include their fan number (ie, word nerd number... I'm #3004).

So that's how it all started.*****

I never pushed the issue, and I began to leave comments in other forum topics - which I enjoyed anyway :)People eventually emailed me and when I felt comfortable posting more information, I did so - and like Franks original post mentioned... I would only do this from time to time and not for every update.

*****What else can I tell you...
2 Designs were penned by Cathy Wood - who is the founder of the foundation we donate through - Fans Support Adam Cook.*****

That's probably enough for now - let me know if you'd like to know more.
Regards,Amanda

The key point here folks is this: I never intentionally went online seeking a social network to help business. and because she was only helping and taking an interest in people, they wanted to do business with her.Raise your hands if you get it by adding a comment here or on the original blog article.

Sincerely,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Twitter - How to Build Business Relationships Using Twitter!

Watch the Twitter video below and then tell us your favorite way to network with other people on twitter…? Oh! And you can follow me on twitter here: http://www.Twitter.com/FrankTocco

Twitter - How to Build Business Relationships Using Twitter!

101 Ways to Rock and Be Rocked by Twitter
By: Shama Hyder

1.Use your real name. Save the company bit for the info section.
2.Use a picture that shows your face. Skip the silly goggles, hats, and political stickers. Show me who you are!
3.Create a twitter background that gives people a quick synopsis of who you are. Learn how to create your own here.
4.Share a link to your own blog posts.
5.Find a cool new tool? Share it. My latest find- The Jing Project.
6.Show gratitude.
7.Ask for help. (Anyone know why puppies love peanuts?)
8.Start a discussion!
9.Re-tweet important tweets. Re-tweeting is when you repeat what someone has already twittered. Best example of re-tweeting I saw was when a Portland twitter buddy’s daughter went missing! The twitter board lit up with re-tweets. She was found.
10.Share a pic. http://twitpic.com/
11.Post updates during conference time!
12.Report earthquakes and other natural disasters. Seriously-Twitter is faster than the Associated Press.
13.Help a Reporter Out. Just follow @SkyDiver for relevant tweets.
14.Brag about your clients. When they deserve it of course! One of our clients, K9Cuisine, personally delivered 24k pounds of food to the Houston SPCA after Hurricane Ike hit. Remarkable. Video here.
14.Build relationships with people you only run into once or twice at conferences.
15.Create an informal mastermind. I once heard of a few school teachers who used Twitter to share lesson plans and get feedback on challenges.
16.Quick Surveys! What do you like better? Posts with lists or paragraph type posts?
17.Make predictions.
18.Perform an act of kindness. When @Dalbee heard my twitter pleas for help navigating Boulder, he quickly asked @laurenpreston to pick me up from the airport. She also dropped me back!
19.Give and get Free stuff? No, seriously. Just ask @Aruni who scored a printer. And @DaveTaylor who scored free tickets to a Cirque show in Las Vegas.
20.Find product reviews. I never buy any big tech gadget before asking the pundits on Twitter to weigh in. Just don’t ask MAC or PC. The responses shut Twitter down!
21.Movie reviews! Just go to http://www.search.twitter.com/ and type in the name of a movie you are considering going to. Tada! Real time reviews. Also you can follow @FilmBuzz
22.Share a recipe! You can’t share food, so might as well share the recipe.
23.Review a product.
24.Find an intern!
25.Hire a new team member.
26.Get the scoop on a potential hire. Just search for their name at http://www.search.twitter.com/.
27.Get the scoop on a date. Never done it myself but boy have I heard stories!
28.Find a great new restaurant. Just ask a local…or do a search!
29.Tweet-Ups. Meet up (physically!) with the people you twitter with.
30.Vent.
31.Get customer service help- quicky! Network Solutions, Comcast, Zappos, Whole Foods, and Dogster are just some companies that come to mind who have a presence on Twitter. It’s ALMOST as cool as having a fairy Godmother.
32.Find JV partners.
33.Brag about a job well done by another company or individual. They WILL work harder for you, and appreciate the remarks. @MariSmith is one of our greatest fans on Twitter, and we adore her for it!
34.Find a job or a contract position.
35.Establish expertise by providing your expert opinion when called for.
36.Use it as a virtual water cooler. A lot of people on Twitter work from home, and appreciate the virtual water cooler.
37.Share hope and pride! This was a common theme during the election period.
38.Share tips. Swallowing a tablespoon of peanut butter cures hiccups.
39.Find new blogs to read and explore!
40.Connect with people across the globe.
41.Don’t post spam links. This serves no one. Remember, it’s just as easy to un-follow someone as it is to follow them.
42.Find speaking engagements. Definitely stalk @BlogWorld. Just kidding! Rick is just a fun guy to follow.
43.Find speakers for your events! Both speakers and event planners hang out on Twitter.
44.Share book reviews.
45.Find book reviews. More accurate than Amazon in my opinion!
46.Use cool tools like http://www.tweetlater.com/to automate direct welcoming messages to new followers. Much like an auto responder. Use wisely!
47.Ask top bloggers your questions! @ProBlogger @JonathanFields @LizStrauss @BlogSquad are all on Twitter!
48.Get the scoop on local events. If you live in the DFW area, be sure to follow @LizMarshall @MarbleHead @Veribatim @CharlesMcKeever
49.Favorite tweets (by clicking on the star button to the right) that you want to follow up on later. Especially the ones that contain relevant links you think you don’t want to forget.
50.Tweet out your newsletter or eZine. Courtesy of Aweber! (Just one more reason I love them!)
51.Get new subscribers. Do this by sharing relevant and useful information.
52.Don’t ask people randomly to subscribe to your information.
53.Monitor what is being said about you and your company.
…Then join the conversation!
54.Find sponsors for your blog. No kidding!
55.Break news. If you follow me on twitter you know that After The Launch will soon be Click To Client. You did know that right? = )
56.Learn to become POWERFULLY succinct. If you can’t say it in 140 characters, well…then you just can’t say it!
57.Keep your Twitter name short whenever you can. Your twitter name counts within the 140 character limit.
58.Promote your conference or event. Keep it classy!
59.Showcase your work. Either by linking to it in your information, or providing a link in your twitter background.
60.Learn from people you admire. I do this on a daily basis, and it helps our business greatly!
61.Play a clean and fun joke. Wait until April fool’s day.
62.Get fitness help. I cannot begin to thank @fitbizwoman for all the help she has given me! I didn’t realize virtual physical training was doable. It is.
63.Find inspiration. Follow @InspireMeToday
64.Promote your new product or ebook. Again-be classy. Content marketing! Follow @JuntaJoe to learn more.
65.Host contests.
66.Participate in contests.
67.Find and pitch bloggers who cover what you offer.
68.Build relationships with bloggers (this is priceless if you own a business of any sort!).
69.Getting votes. Again, no kidding!
70.Get flight information and travel tips. Follow @Southwest @JetBlue.
71.Redistribute content.
72.Take questions from the audience whenever you participate in a teleseminar or conference.
73.Build a fan base! Better yet..build a community. You do know how to do this right? Just to be sure follow @ChrisBrogan.
74.Direct traffic. A huge percentage of traffic to this site comes from Twitter alone.
75.Online Visibility! Twitter is a GREAT way to build your personal brand. An entire persona can be created just by following someone’s tweet.
76.Find new people to follow just by following those you respect and trust. This is powerful networking at its best!
77.Share tips that further establish your expertise. If you follow me, you will often get online marketing tips and Facebook tips.
78.Say please and thank you. Yea, I know you only get 140 characters but a little politeness goes a long. Pls = please. TY = thank you.
79.Don’t use questionable pictures of yourself. If there are kids in the background, parents twittering may un-follow you.
80.Don’t feel like you have to respond to every tweet. In fact, don’t. Only respond to tweets that you have something genuine to add to.
81.Get comfortable with the fact that there IS a lot of noise on twitter. What can you do about it? Don’t add to it! : )
82.Get your particular group members to sign up with Twitter. Then use it to keep in touch with them and trade quick updates. The groups don’t even have to be formal. Neighborhood carpool, PTA, and office mates all fly! Check out http://grouptweet.com/ to keep it organized.
83.Raise funds for your non-profit. Follow @JohnHaydon for more tips and tricks!
84.Evangelize. Anything. Do it in the proper spirit. Please.
85.Track packages from major carriers. @trackthis
86.Reminders - @timer
87.Toot your own horn. Go ahead, you deserve it!
88.Don’t toot your own horn too much. Keep it classy, remember? : )
89.Let others toot your own horn for you. Keep in touch with your clients on Twitter.
90.Be careful what you tweet. It NEVER goes away-even if you hit the little trash icon.
91.Don’t tweet what you wouldn’t want your boss, your mother, or your kid to see. You get the idea.
92.Be there for someone having a rough day. Empathy made easy courtesy of Twitter. Watch @EvansDave to learn how to do it well!
93.Get ideas for your next blog post. Just sit back and observe!
94.Get ideas for a new product or service. A marketplace full of people just talking! All you have to do is listen and observe their pain. Then come up with a solution!
95.Share! If you find great links, great articles, great anything- share. More often than not, your followers will appreciate you.
96.Don’t worry about your status update count or your follower number. QUALITY over QUANTITY!
97.Un-follow freely. You don’t have to feel bad about un-following negative people…or spam bots!
98.Don’t be a spam bot. Be a person! Let your personality shine through.
99.Strive to provide value in every tweet. Think before you tweet!

100.Epress yourself!

Can you add the 101st way to Rock and Be Rocked by Twitter by adding your comments.

Please Post Your Comments

Sincerely,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
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Elements of a Viral Marketing Strategy

This just in from Robert Mesa in his featured article on StartUpBiz...

Accept this fact. Some viral marketing strategies work better than others, and few work as well as the simple Hotmail.com strategy. But below are the six basic elements you hope to include in your strategy. A viral marketing strategy need not contain ALL these elements, but the more elements it embraces, the more powerful the results are likely to be. An effective viral marketing strategy:

1.) Gives away products or services
2.) Provides for effortless transfer to others
3.) Scales easily from small to very large
4.) Exploits common motivations and behaviors
5.) Utilizes existing communication networks
6.) Takes advantage of others' resources

Let's examine at each of these elements briefly.

1.) Gives away valuable products or services.

"Free" is the most powerful word in a marketer's vocabulary. Most viral marketing programs give away valuable products or services to attract attention. Free e-mail services, free information, free "cool" buttons, free software programs that perform powerful functions but not as much as you get in the "pro" version. "Cheap" or "inexpensive" may generate a wave of interest, but "free" will usually do it much faster. Viral marketers practice delayed gratification. They may not profit today, or tomorrow, but if they can generate a groundswell of interest from something free, they know they will profit "soon and for the rest of their lives". Patience, my friends. Free attracts eyeballs. Eyeballs then see other desirable things that you are selling, and, presto! you earn money. Eyeballs bring valuable e-mail addresses, advertising revenue, and e-commerce sales opportunities. Give away something, sell something.

2.) Provides for effortless transfer to others.

Public health nurses offer sage advice at flu season: stay away from people who cough, wash your hands often, and don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Viruses only spread when they're easy to transmit. The medium that carries your marketing message must be easy to transfer and replicate: e-mail, website, graphic, software download. Viral marketing works famously on the Internet because instant communication has become so easy and inexpensive. Digital format make copying simple. From a marketing standpoint, you must simplify your marketing message so it can be transmitted easily and without degradation. Short is better. The classic is: "Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com." The message is compelling, compressed, and copied at the bottom of every free e-mail message.

3.) Scales easily from small to very large.

To spread like wildfire the transmission method must be rapidly scalable from small to very large. The weakness of the Hotmail model is that a free e-mail service requires its own mailservers to transmit the message. If the strategy is wildly successful, mailservers must be added very quickly or the rapid growth will bog down and die. If the virus multiplies only to kill the host before spreading, nothing is accomplished. So long as you have planned ahead of time how you can add mailservers rapidly you're okay. You must build in scalability to your viral model.

4.) Exploits common motivations and behaviors.

Clever viral marketing plans take advantage of common human motivations. What proliferated "Netscape Now" buttons in the early days of the Web? The desire to be cool. Greed drives people. So does the hunger to be popular, loved, and understood. The resulting urge to communicate produces millions of websites and billions of e-mail messages. Design a marketing strategy that builds on common motivations and behaviors for its transmission, and you have a winner.

5.) Utilizes existing communication networks.

Most people are social. Social scientists tell us that each person has a network of 8 to 12 people in their close network of friends, family, and associates. A person's broader network may consist of scores, hundreds, or thousands of people, depending upon her position in society. A waitress, for example, may communicate regularly with hundreds of customers in a given week. Network marketers have long understood the power of these human networks, both the strong, close networks as well as the weaker networked relationships. People on the Internet develop networks of relationships, too. They collect e-mail addresses and favorite website URLs. Affiliate programs exploit such networks, as do permission e-mail lists (aka Opt-In lists). Learn to place your message into existing communications between people, and you rapidly multiply its dispersion.

6.) Takes advantage of others' resources.

The most creative viral marketing plans use others' resources to get the word out. Affiliate programs, for example, place text or graphic links on others' websites. Authors who give away free articles, seek to position their articles on others' webpages. A news release can be picked up by hundreds of periodicals and form the basis of articles seen by hundreds of thousands of readers. Now someone else's newsprint or webpage is relaying your marketing message.

Continued Success,
Robert Mesa
SiliconPost.Com

Thanks Robert for your insightful article on viral marketing. We look forward to more.

Sincerely,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
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