What? Twitter has Search?

I don’t know if I should be concerned about this, but Twitter is starting to make sense to me. I just spent an hour listening to Gary Vaynerchuk talking about Twitter (and a lot of other stuff in the keynote of Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Success Summit 2009). Gary stressed that social media is less than 5 years old and is still in its “caveman” phase. It will evolve, even greater opportunities will be available. Some of the highlights of his presentation are below.

Twitter search

Gary talked about how you can use Twitter to find people who are talking about what you’re interested in, starting with Twitter search. Holy crap! When did they put that there! Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s always been there, but I’m like most people: we have to be told EXACTLY how to use something. So here, exactly, is the piece about Twitter I was missing and did not have the imagination to figure out on my own (actually, I might have had the imagination, but the noise in Twitter made me want to write it off and ignore it: don’t know about you, but I rarely use my imagination on stuff I’m ignoring).

• Type a word or phrase you’d like to talk about into the search box and click on the little magnifying glass icon.
• Scroll through the results until you see something interesting.
• Make a comment: agree, offer something additional, etc.
• If a decent conversation develops, follow that person. They will probably follow you. Now you have a connection with someone with whom you have a common interest.

Twitter helps you build your brand

Twitter is a tool that you can use to put your information (and other information interesting to your market) out into the marketplace. For free. There are no gatekeepers any more. You don’t have to convince a reporter or editor of the importance of what you have to say. Facebook, Twitter, and your blog all are your platform to use to build your brand. Extend a hand and join the conversation. The caveat: if your content is not quality content, no one will care.

You want a business model?

Gary Vee’s success is primarily due to his passion for what he does. It helps him work 15 hours a day and be the best at what he does. As Gary said, “You want a business model? Give a crap!” If you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing, or if you’re doing it only because you think there might be money in it, you won’t care enough and won’t bring the necessary energy to it to succeed. Making a lot of money with social media is doable, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. If you have no passion, don’t kid yourself about your chances for success.

About the Author:

Author: Ray Gulick Bio: Ray Gulick is a blogger/web developer in Santa Fe, NM, and since May 2000, principal/creative director of Evolution Web Development. He designs, hacks and otherwise implements WordPress blogs and blogsites in addition to more traditional websites. Prior to owning a web development company, Ray was a high school teacher/wrestling coach, graphic designer/art director, printing salesman, and corporate marketing communications manager. In addition, he is a whitewater boater, hiker, motorcyclist, adoring husband, and anxious father of two teenage girls. www.evowebdev.com www.evowebdev.com/blog twitter.com/evoweb

Clear writing checklist for your blog or small business website.

I have always been awed by the power and influence of a well written article. It is quite amazing how a well written article can influence your readers views and can help in increased sales and  a positive return on investment. And not to forget all the back links that you get with people talking about your article all over the Internet.

It really doesn’t matter whether it is print or online media, a well written post has always been able to pull readers and investors, and the most important thing is - people really listen to you if its well written.

Quite recently I got a chance to attend a Clear Writing seminar here in Toronto. I learnt a lot from the seminar and I would like to share a few pointers with our readers.

I know a lot of you are small business owners and Online marketers and I think this article will really help you to take your writing to the next level.

And I am very sure that you (yes, I am talking to you) already are aware of the impact of a clear and well written article and know that it can do wonders for your small business blog or website.

Why is it important to know your audience before you start writing?

Before you start writing, spend some time on knowing your audience. This way you can target your writing more effectively. Writing for low graders is entirely different then writing for a highly educated class of readers. And if you are not sure just stick to the basics and you will do just fine.

Here is a list of very basic and easy to follow clear writing pointers -

1. Font

• use at least 12 point
• use serif font
• use simple fonts rather than fancy ones
• use regular proportion rather than extended or condensed

2. Justification

• left justify your text
• let the right side run ragged
• Do not centre, except for headings

3. Colour

• have a good contrast between background and foreground colour
• use dark print on a light background
• avoid textured backgrounds
• do not put text on top of pictures

4. White Space

• use white space freely
• leave space between headings and text
• try 1 inch margins and 1.5 line spacing
• use block paragraphs rather than indented ones
• wehn using columns, use two rather than three

5. Emphasis

• use bold type to emphasize words or headings
• avoid italics and underlining
• make headings consistent
• use text boxes to separate essential information from the text
• avoid using all capitals

6. Pictures

• use pictures that relate directly to the text
• put pictures to the side rather than behind the text
• use pictures to illustrate difficult words

7. Words and Sentences

• use simple words and short sentences
• replace complicated words with more simple ones
• if you must use a difficult word, define it
• keep sentence length to 15-18 words
• for lower grade level materials, try 12-15 words per sentence

You can always email me or send me your feedback if you have any questions or need help with your blog or small business website. You can email me at - info[at]coolwebdeveloper[dot]com