The Social Media Handyman

FeedBurner RSS feed transition to Google, what you need to do

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:31:04 -0600

FeedBurner, which was acquired by Google in 2007, is now forcing a migration of its feed data into Google and anticipates completion by February 28. (See Google's FAQs to learn more.) To say people are unhappy about it would be an understatement. For example...

Many, many people, including TechCrunch's Micheal Arrington, reported losing some or all of their subscribers. You may have noticed similar problems.

If you have a Feedburner feed tied to any of your blogs, in true handyman style this post outlines what you need to do in order to make the transition. It's really pretty painless.

Step 1: Log into your Feedburner account.

Step 2: Note the following statement. Choose "Move your account now." (As if you really have any choice.)

Step 3: Sign in using your Google account. (You do have a Google account right? If not, you'll have to set one up.)

In all likelihood you're already signed into the one you want, so click the "Next" button and you will be presented with this screen. (Well, of course it will have your feeds listed, not Bizzukas.)

Step 4: Click the "Move feeds" button. FeedBurner's server will start talking to Google's server and you should see this screen.

If all goes well, and it will (fingers crossed), you will next see this screen.

You will receive a detailed email from Google confirming that the transaction has taken place, along with other information relative to the matter.

Once you've made this transition, you can never go back to the old FeedBurner account. (Awe!!!) From now on you will log in via the Google version, http://feedburner.google.com. Well, actually, you can go to Feedburner.com for the time being, but it will redirect to this new URL. After February 28 that won't be the case.

If you happen to be a Blogger user, you are at an advantage. Because Blogger, like FeedBurner, is owned by Google, they offer a one-click migration. Everyone else has to follow this routine.

Lastly, there is a new URL for the feeds, http://feeds2.feedburner.com/yourblogname. You may want to go ahead and change the URL on your blog. However, Google does indicate in the FAQs that they intend to maintain backwards compatibility as long as the service exists.

In a second post, I'm going to discuss some of the proposed benefits from making this transition and offer my opinion on alternative solutions. For now, I'd go ahead and make the transition. No need to wait to the last minute.

Got questions? Ask the Handyman!

Get the Complete Guide to Twitter for Business, only $9.95. This 35-page ebook equips you with everything you need to know to begin using Twitter to grow your business. Order today!

Get Weekly Twitter Tips from the Handyman

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:09:57 -0600

In keeping with my recent emphasis on using Twitter as a business communications and marketing tool, I've started a weekly Twitter Tips enewsletter.

Click here to sign up or use the form in the right-hand column.

Each week you'll receive one brief idea for using Twitter for business...short, sweet (tweet) and to the point. I won't spam you, sell your name to list vendors, or use it for anything other than the stated purpose, that of helping you learn more and better ways to make Twitter a useful tool in your marketing toolchest.

Here's the best part too. If you share an idea via a comment (or you can email me via the AR contact form in my bio), I may use it and will credit the source.

If you'd like to receive the tips, use the simple sign-up form located to the right.

Complete Guide to Twitter for Business eBook

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:40:57 -0600

I'm about to do something I rarely ever do, that's use this blog post to promote a product.

The reason I'm making the exception in this case is that it's my product I'm promoting, the Complete Guide to Twitter for Business.

The guide is a 35-page ebook contains everything you'll need to start maximizing the value of your investment in Twitter.

It will teach you:

How to choose a Twitter handle, set up your account and start using Twitter right away.
Who to connect with in order to maximize your potential for business development, lead generation and sales!
The right and wrong ways to engage others in conversation.
Cool Twitter techniques like @reply, direct messaging and retweets.
How to create a Twitter for business action plan.

Whether you are a Twitter novice or a veteran user, I dare say you'll find something useful.

While I would love to give the ebook away for free, I cannot. There are too many hours invested in its development to do so. However, at $9.95 it's almost like giving it away. (That's a special price just for Active Rainers too, btw.)

Plus, I offer a 100% money back guarantee. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the book, I'll refund your full purchase price and you get to keep the book free as my gift. You've literally got nothing to lose!

Buy the Complete Guide to Twitter for Business!

Join the Affiliate Program

Want to get the ebook at an even better rate and make some money for yourself as well? Sign up for our affiliate program and earn approximately $5.00 with each sale made through your affiliate link.

Weekly Twitter Tips

Use the form in the right-hand column to sign up for weekly tips from the Social Media Handyman on using Twitter for business.

Well, that's it. You asked for this ebook and I delivered. Please let me know what you think. Of course, you're welcome to leave a comment and let everyone know. If you like it, leave a comment and likewise even if you don't.

Fifteen Twitter follow dos and don'ts

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:29:03 -0600

There are two schools of thought pertaining to who to follow on Twitter. One is what I refer to as the Guy Kawasaki method which says, "forget the influentials," "defocus your efforts," and "get as many followers as you can." It's more of a mass marketing approach.

Up and until Twitter imposed limits on the number of people that I could follow in a given 24-hour period, that's pretty much the school to which I subscribed and just about anyone and everyone qualified (minus the spammers of course).

Since then, I've had to be more discerning and have actually found that to be a good thing. So, here are fifteen suggested Twitter follow dos and don'ts based on my current Twitter follow modus operandi:

Dos...

1. Focus your efforts - If you're in sales and marketing, hopefully you've outlined specific target markets based on demographic, psychographic and technographic profiles. Maybe you've even created a persona of the ideal client or customer. Find those folks and follow them.

One good way to do that is by using Twellow, which is a Twitter "yellow pages." It categorizes Twitter followers based on geography and industry and covers everything from aerospace to Web development.

For example, a search on my city, Lafayette, LA, brought five pages of returns totaling 100 people. Not a lot, but consider that a) Lafayette is a small city by comparison and b) it's in the deep south which is often the last to catch on to new trends. If you're in a more metro area, chances are your returns will be manifold times this.

What might be more relevant is search by category. For example, Bizzuka, the company I serve as marketing director, is targeting the legal industry. A search for lawyers brought over 930 returns. We are also targeting healthcare. A search returned almost 100 hospitals.

Apply that same methodology to your own situation and see what comes of it.

Twellow defaults to ranking returns based on number of followers, but you can also sort by
recent activity and/or whether the person has verified their Twellow account.

Each person listed has a profile associated with their entry which, depending on whether they've verified their account or not, could contain lots of information, including a bio, latest Twitter updates (good for knowing whether they're an active user or not), and link to their Web site or blog.

2. Follow those with real names - That's one way to know it's a genuine account. (It's always a good practice when setting up a Twitter account to use your real name.)

3. Follow those who follow you - In most cases it's a common courtesy. Chances are they're in the same industry or have some relevance to you.

4. Follow those following the people who are following you - Same rationale as #3, just once removed.

5. Follow those following the people you are following - If you've chosen to follow a particular individual for whatever reason (maybe they fit the profile mentioned in #1), there's a good likelihood at least some of the people following them would be relevant for you as well.

6. Follow those in your industry - Obviously, one of the best uses for Twitter is as a vehicle for networking, gathering feedback and getting advice. It's a great tool for meeting others in your industry or discipline.

7. Follow those you find interesting and/or entertaining - In all the mad rush to turn Twitter into a business communications and marketing tool, leave a little for pure fun. If you find someone's posts interesting, maybe they're worth following as well.

8. Follow those who use the same hashtags (ex. #nms08) to follow a conversation - Again, if they're interested in the same things as you, consider following them.

9. Follow those who @reply you - @replies can be sent into the public timeline addressed to people you're not following. If a user has addressed you in that way, might be fruitful to add them.

10. Follow those interacting with people you follow - If you see a tweet with an @reply addressing someone you're following that comes from someone you're not, they may be worth following. Check em out!

Don'ts...

11. Don't follow those with numbers behind their names - This is a technique often used by spammers (Twammers) due to the fact that have multiple accounts. It's a dead give-away. (One word of caution: When setting up your Twitter handle, don't use numbers. Your real name will do nicely.)

12. Don't follow those with no avatar - If you can't see their face, company logo or some sort of avatar, don't follow.

13. Don't follow those who only broadcast - Unless you know it's an account set up strictly for that purpose - a news, shopping or "tips" type account - don't follow. If they don't participate in conversations with anyone else, they won't with you either.

14. Don't follow those who aren't active - I don't know the number or percentage, but I bet the number of people who've subscribed to Twitter and aren't actively using it is sizable. If a user is not actively maintaining the account, chances are it's dead.

15. Don't follow users based on their follower count - In social media, it's not necessarily how many eyeballs that count but who those eyeballs belong to. There are some very influential people who may not have huge numbers of followers.

There you have it - 15 tips for know who to follow and who not to. That's my list at least for now, though I'm sure I'll add to it. BTW, you can too! What criteria do you use in determining who to follow. Please share it in a comment. Thanks!

Finally, if you're not following me, please do. My Twitter handle is @pchaney.

Get the Complete Guide to Twitter for Business, only $9.95. This 35-page ebook equips you with everything you need to know to begin using Twitter to grow your business. Order today!

Writing Twitter eBook and Need Your Input

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:23:07 -0600

I'm in the process of writing an extensive ebook on how to use Twitter for business and I need your help.

I'd like for you to go to Twitter and send a tweet to @pchaney outlining in 140 characters or less just how you use Twitter. Also, if you don't mind, use the hashtag #artwitbook. That will enable me to use Twitter search and see all the messages.

If you think your response will exceed 140 characters, then leave it in a comment here. I will include all responses in the book and give you full attribution.

Why an ebook?

You recall that I did a five-part series (part 1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4) on using Twitter for business. While it was a good start, I felt much more needed to be said. If my calculations are correct, the ebook could span some 30-40 pages, possibly more.

Will there be a cost?

First, you all know how much I love freely sharing information and ideas here at Active Rain. In this case, however, I can't. I've got too many hours invested and many more yet to go before the ebook is ready for distribution.

There will be a price, albeit a small one. In fact, it's going to be cheaper here than anywhere else. And, for those who contribute, I'll offer an even deeper discount.

One thing I guarantee is that the book will contain everything you'd ever need to know about Twitter to start using it to grow your business. And, if you purchase it and don't feel it lives up to the billing, I'll gladly refund your money no questions asked and you can keep the ebook.

Soooo....what are you waiting for? Go to Twitter, send a message to @pchaney about how you're using Twitter for business. If you want to elaborate, leave a comment.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(Image credit: Dani's Art Blog)

Blog directory submission service

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:30:37 -0600

One of the members of this group, Mirela Monte, suggested I post this to the Optimist group, so I'm taking her up on the offer.

I do blog directory submissions for clients as a way to increase traffic and provide additional link love for their blogs. If this is a service you might be interested in, let me know. I'll be happy to discuss the matter with you.

In the meantime, here's a post that outlines the details.

Twitter for Business: Plan of Action (Part IV in a series)

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:59:20 -0600

Here's the "money post" I promised. It outlines my thoughts on how to use Twitter to network, make connections and generate leads. (Here are links to Part 1, 2, 3 and 31/2) But first...

Resources from Ogilvy PR

Over the weekend I came across a couple of resources from Ogilvy PR that present the best business case for using Twitter that I've seen, hands down. The first is a PPT slide deck and the second a list of best practices.

Ogilvy PR 360 DI Twitter Webinar
View SlideShare presentation.
The Creation of Twitter Best Practices - This post contains a list of dos and don'ts for using Twitter.

Do yourself a favor and review both resources.

And now...

My Twitter Business Plan of Action

I'm going to begin by outlining a simple, workable social media marketing strategy that applies to any form of social media engagement, including Twitter. So simple, in fact, it consists of only two words, listen and engage.

Listen

My mother always told me, "Paul, God gave you two ears and one mouth. He did that for a reason. Listen twice as much as you speak." (Bet your mom told you the same thing, right?)

You cannot become an effective in social media marketing if you don't first listen to what's being said about you, your company, brand, service, industry and competition. Listening is the new marketing, someone said, but it's not something we're prone to do. Still, that's where it begins.

There are two ways to listen via Twitter:

Search - Complete searches using Twitter search and other such tools - Tweetscan and Twemes are two that come to mind - on relevant keywords, including those related to your geographic area.
Follow - Start following others where it makes sense to do so.

Keeping in mind that Twitter is just another marketing channel, go back to the basics and ask yourself the same questions you'd ask when considering any other form of marketing: "Who is my market?" "Who am I attempting to reach?" "What niche am I seeking to penetrate?"

Is it a certain demographic? The average Twitter user is 35 and older, is likely male (60% of users are) who has between 100 - 500 followers. Is it a certain geographic area? Find those people and start following them. Many will return the favor.

(That's not to say you don't follow others who don't exactly fit your target market criteria. It's just to suggest that you be very intentional and purposeful in your selection.)

Not being a Realtor, I'm working under a set of assumptions regarding where your business comes from:

Buyers/sellers in your geographic market (and occasionally from outside your area)
Referrals from other Realtors.

If that's the case, it's as important to build relationships with others in your profession as it is prospective clients.

(One group it makes sense to follow are those you already know, some of whom might be using Twitter. If you use a Web-based mail program such as Gmail, the platform will search your list of contacts to find them. You can also send invitations to those in your database not currently using Twitter.)

In addition, if you're connected to fellow Realtors and prospects via Facebook or LinkedIn, connecting on Twitter will only serve to strengthen and personalize your relationship even more.

Engage

Once you see what people are saying relative to the keyword searches, the next step is to jump into the Twitterstream and respond.

Years ago, my father took a rather "direct" approach at teaching me to swim. One summer's day we boarded in our small boat and paddled out to the middle of the pond on our property. Dad grabbed me up, threw me in the water and stated matter-of-factly, "swim or drown."

Looking back, I'm sure he would not have allowed the latter. At the time, however, I determined the best course of action was to make for the shore, which I did with all haste. And, guess what, in the process I learned to swim.

I'm a bit like dad when it comes to Twitter in that I think the best approach is to joining or starting conversations is "swim or drown." Just jump in and start conversing.

OK, for the faint of heart, here are some "rules of engagement":

Respond to what others are saying by adding your "two cents." Remember to use the "@" symbol when addressing an individual.
Provide information those in your target market would consider valuable. It could be links to other sites, answers to questions, advice or opinion. Position yourself as a trusted resource. You're already doing that on your Web site and/or blog. Do it via Twitter as well.
Engage in casual conversation with your followers. There are some who would suggest that, for business purposes, you shouldn't share the minuitia of your daily life or engage in casual conversation. To that I say, "Phooey." Social media marketing is as much about getting to know you on a personal level as it is professionally. Not only that, how are you going to get to know others if you don't converse with them. I think it's a matter of balance.
One thing you don't want to do is solicit business or "pitch" people. You know the type: "Thanks for the follow. Check out my blog at _________." It's okay to let people know what you do, but Twitter is a medium for conversation, not solicitation. Include a link to your Web site in your bio. those who have an interest will check you out.

When Does the "Magic" Happen?

I was afraid you were going to ask that. You see, by participating in the conversation, the magic is happening -- but you have to give it a chance.

Social media marketing does not lend itself well to formulas. "Markets are conversations" and "participation is marketing" is the only formula I know that works. You have to win the right to be heard. By participating in the ongoing conversation, you turn strangers into friends and friends into customers. But, there is no "X times Y divided by Z" equals a lead or conversion.

That's true with a lot of advertising, is it not? Can you easily factor the ROI of a billboard, newspaper ad, or TV commercial? One thing is for sure, conversing on Twitter is a lot less expensive than a television commercial!

Keep in mind, you've been selective and purposeful in choosing those you follow. And, you've concentrated your efforts on providing valuable information and, as a result, have become a resource others trust. And the longer you do so, the more trust you'll earn.

So, let me challenge you to try Twitter and join the conversation. Over the past several days I've given you the insight, resources and ideas needed to get started. The only thing I can't give you is the impetus. That has to come from you.

If and when you do become engaged with Twitter, I'd be honored if you'd follow me. My handle is @pchaney.

Happy Twittering!

Twitter for Business: What Others are Saying (Part 3.5 in the series)

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:10:21 -0600

Before I do the "reveal" on Monday and talk about how to use Twitter for Business, I feel it's very important to hear what others have to say on the subject. This post contains a list of leading voices.

I'd like to ask you to do a little homework over the weekend and review these. While there won't be a "pop quiz" on Monday, it will get you primed and ready for the final post in the series.

(BTW, here are Parts un, deux and trois)

Active Rain Twitter Group - Did you know AR had a Twitter group? They do and it's great. In fact, it's probably one of the hottest groups going right now. There are scores of others talking about this subject here and I bet you could find answers to just about any question you have on the subject. In your quest for Twitter mastery, start there.

Kim Woods Twitter Series - One of our very own here at AR, Kim Wood, is doing a series of her very own. It's better than mine and I'd take it personally if you didn't read it.

Why Your Company Needs to Be on Twitter - This is a survey conducted by social media strategist Warren Sukernek (I know. I love saying his last name too. :->) and Peter Sorgenfrei. It is one of the best posts on the topic of using Twitter for business that I've seen. If you don't read anything else I've listed in this post, read this!

It's posted in a great (GREAT!) online community called The SWOM (which stands for The Society of Word of Mouth) that I'd love to invite you to join. It's open to anyone.

Making a Business Case for Twitter - Connie Bensen, online community consultant and my friend, has compiled a list of reasons businesses should consider using Twitter. It's excellent. Even better is her post, Twitter 101, which contains links to a number of other resources.

Twitter Handbook - Another of my friend is Deborah Micek, known as Coach Deb on Twitter. She's not only written a book on the subject of using Twitter for business called Twitter Revolution, but has this blog, Twitter Handbook, as well.

Speaking of books, I did a search on Amazon using the keyword "Twitter," and here are the returns. It's amazing what is already in print about the topic considering the length of time its been around.

Twitter Business List - Laura Fitton, known as Pistachio on Twitter, has compiled a reading list on the topic. She is also authoring Twitter For Dummies, set for publication sometime next year.

50 Ways to Use Twitter for Business - From my friend Chris Brogan.

The Evolution of Brands on Twitter - Jeremiah Owyang, Forrester analyst and all-around schmart guy.

Business Uses for Twitter - If Valeria Maltoni says it, you know it has to be good.

Building a Twitter Following - What's your strategy for finding Twitter followers? In this post Jeff Tippett outlines an approach for building a Twitter follower base that's good for business.

Ten Ways to Market Your Blog on Twitter Without Being a Spammer - We all want to let people know about our blog, Web site, etc. However, we don't want to be accused of being a "Twammer." In this post marketing consultant Jennifer Slegg talks about the right way (and the wrong way) to go about it.

And you can't mention what others are saying without referencing Common Craft's Twitter in Plain English video...

You probably know of a number of resources I've left off the table here. Please feel free to include yours in a comment.

Monday is the last post in this series. It's where I talk about how to use Twitter for business. Stay tuned!

Twitter for Business: Tools of the Trade (Part III of the series)

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:02:50 -0600

This post, part 3 in the series on Twitter for business, talks about some of the tools that have been developed thanks to Twitter's open API. I focus on a number of the ones I use, but provide a links to others as well. In preparation for the "money post," part 4 (which I hope to have ready Monday), I'm following this post with one I'll refer to a part 3.5, which list a number of other blog posts that talk about how to use Twitter, which I'll have ready later today.

Twitter tools of the trade

While Twitter.com is a great place to start, its functionality has been eclipsed by a whole host of other tools that have developed around it which extend and amplify its use.

Here are three four of my favorites:

TWhirl - This is my app of choice. It's a desktop application you can download that runs on something called Adobe Air (Heh. It runs on air!) which has to be downloaded and installed as well. So far as I know, it's platform agnostic and runs on both Windows and MAC.

The beauty of TWhirl is that, once opened, it sits on the side of your desktop constantly updating the Twitterstream. It even fades (there is a transparency control) when not in use so as to become less conspicuous. I like it as do many other veteran Twitter users for both its usability and elegance.

Twitter Search (formerly known as Summize.com) - Want to search a given keyword to see what people are talking about and whos talking? Twitter Search is the place to do that. It's where you can input all those hashtag phrases too.

Tweetbeep - Want notifications via email when your Twitter handle, name, company name, etc. is referenced? Tweetbeep does that very well. Not that you can't subscribe to Twitter RSS feeds for those things via search, but it's nice to get "tickled" via the inbox. I think so anyway.

Tweet Deck - Though I don't use Tweet Deck nearly as much as TWhirl, it offers some advantages in that it put's useful function into one interface via the use of multiple columns. For example, one column contains the public timeline of all the people you're following. The next column contains your replies and direct messages.

You can also create ad hoc groups based on keyword searches. A Twitter search function is built right in as well.This app can truly serve as your Twitter dashboard.

The problem I find with Tweet Deck is that, if you only have one monitor, it can take up a lot of space. Unlike TWhirl, which runs almost in the background, you're either using Tweet Deck or you've got it minimized. In my view, it best works with those using dual monitors where it can be housed out the way on one when not in use.

A couple of others I'm checking out:

Tweetworks - I'm just familiarizing myself with Tweetworks, but it's premise is that not only do people like to talk, they like to form communities with other like-minded people. What the app facilitates is the formation of communiites, including private ones.

Part of the problem with Twitter (which new applications like Yammer are intended to solve) is that there isn't a convenient way to create private groups whose messages don't appear in the public timeline. Tweetworks addresses this.

Tweetag - This app is a search utility that searches tags (you know, those user-generated labels used for categorizing content by topic)

For example, in I input the keyword "motrin" and Tweetag returned all the tags related to it. In keeping with convention, the more a particular topic was discussed, the larger the font size of the tag associated with it. Just try it out and you'll see what I mean.

Other Twitter apps

There are more Twitter apps being developed than "Carter has liver pills" as my mom would say. Here are two places to go and find them: Twitter Fan Wiki and Twitter downloads page. Both include links to mobile apps as well.

Now, how about you. Got a favorite tool? Feel free to share it with the rest of us in a comment. Got questions? The handyman is here to help.

And, be patient. The money post is coming. In preparation, I want to put together a list of links to other bloggers who are talking about how to use Twitter for business. That's coming later today.

MarketingSherpa Report on Real Estate Marketing, Blogs and Social Media

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:39:28 -0600

Back in June, I was interviewed by MarketingSherpa reporter Natalie Myers for a report she was writing dealing with real estate online marketing strategies. The report is now available as the second of two-parts: Online Strategies from Real Estate Marketers – Try Blogs, SEO, Social Media

I regard MarketingSherpa with the same esteem as MarketingProfs. For years, CEO Anne Holland and her crew have been creating high-quality content to benefit marketing professionals and I'm honored to have the privilege of participating in this report.

Gary Vaynerchuk I Ain't, But I Do Share His Passion for Social Media Marketing

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:00:25 -0600

Terri Murphy asked me to do a video for a panel she moderated at NAR. What she didn't mention was that she also uploaded it to YouTube. Though I'm no Gary Vaynerchuk, I do have incredible passion for social media marketing. If you have 9 minutes, 10 seconds, take a listen. You might learn something.

Twitter for Business: How It Works and Rules of the Road (Part II in series)

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:50:42 -0600

This is part 2 in a four-part (at least) series on how to use Twitter for business. Truth be told, I'm sure I'll be talking about Twitter quite a lot in the days and weeks ahead.

This post focuses on two areas:

A sequence of four short videos that walk you through setting up a Twitter account, familiarizing you with the Twitter interface, and showing you how to tie your Active Rain blog posts into Twitter.
Valuable Twitter "rules of the road," otherwise known as :Twittiquette."

How to use Twitter video series:

Twitter Rules of the Road

Rule #1: You must win the right to be heard

Originally, Twitter was viewed as a "presence" app where you simply answered the question, "What are you doing?" In addition, many considered it a "broadcast" application as well, simply a place to make announcements, share information and links, etc.

While I don't decry the use of Twitter in either of those respects, it really is the 24/7 365 ongoing cocktail party I talked about in a previous post, and who goes to a cocktail party and only makes broadcast-style announcements. No, you go to interact, converse and network.

That, to me, is the primary role Twitter serves. And to gain any traction whatsoever you have to "win the right to be heard." How to you do that?

Follow others. Don't do it indiscriminately though. Find people that it makes sense for you to follow. Other Realtors, people in your local community, etc. Think about who should qualify to make the grade.

That's not to suggest you refuse to follow those who first follow you, but that you be intentional in connecting to people where it makes the most sense from a business perspective.

Remember what I said about the cord of three strands. Perhaps you're connected to others via LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo or Active Rain. Strengthen your social graph by connecting via Twitter as well.

Thank others for following you. It's a matter of common courtesy and an evidence of respect. (It's also advice I need to give myself because I don't often do it.)

Interact. Converse. Those who just broadcast announcements will never garner the same degree of respect or depth of relationship that someone who takes time to interact with others. That, to me, is the true price of admission into the Twitterverse.

Rule #2: Don't follow, if only to pitch

I'm seeing a very distasteful trend developing among new Twitterers ("twits" as we're called). People are following me, then, if and when I respond in kind, their first tweet is to thank me for following (which I do encourage), then immediately pitch me on a Web site they want me to visit or explain how they can provide a service to me. Whaaaa????

Sorry, folks, that ain't how it's done in Twitterville! The rules of social media engagement may be unwritten, but they are real nonetheless. Don't follow or friend someone if all you want to do is pitch them on your Web site, product or service. Don't! Get to know the person first and let them get to know you.

If you want a formula for how this should work, it's this: Stranger > Connect > Converse > Friend > Client. Connect with those you don't know, get to know them and, then and only then, is it permissible in my view to make a pitch. You have to build trust first. In fact, you may find that no pitching is needed whatsoever. They may seek you out.

Bottom Line: Don't pitch me if you don't know me. Am I stating this clearly enough?

Rule #3: Provide value to the community

Give people a reason to follow you by becoming a valuable member of the community. One way to do this is by providing good information in the form of links, quotes, advise, answers to questions, etc. People will see you as a resource, thought-leader and knowledgeable expert. They will come to appreciate your generosity of spirit. Just make sure every link you send them is not one to your own site of course.

Rule #4: Mix business with pleasure

It's okay to share both from your business side and your personal side. In fact, it's preferential. That's the best way for others to get to know you.

I hope these explanations have been helplful. In part 3 we will delve into some of the applications that have been built around Twitter, many of which I use. Then part 4, that's the money post where I talk about how to actually turn this into a high-powered business generating tool!

Twitter for Business: How Does It Work and What's the Value? Part 1

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:58:00 -0600

(First, sorry for my latency in posting of late. Was away with my wife Amie on the trip of a lifetime to NYC! Travels are over; getting back to business.)

One of the questions I'm getting A LOT is "What's up with Twitter?" and "How do I use Twitter for business?" Let me say at the outset it is an amazing app with manifold uses. Companies as large as Dell have created a business model around it and solo entrepreneurs (real estate agents included) are proving its case as another channel for business development.

It's my aim to answer the above questions, at least in part, by not only sharing my own thoughts, but providing links to others who've addressed these as well. It will take me far more than the 140 character limit Twitter allows. :-) In fact, this will be a multi-part series.

Let's start by attempting to define Twitter.

Wikipedia Definition

First, the wikipedia definition: Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

OK, stop right there! What the heck is "micro-blogging?" While I don't know who cooked up the term, it's a suggestion that Twitter is a blogging tool, one limited to 140 characters. Hence, "micro" blogging.

Why 140 characters? Because the guys who dreamed up Twitter (Biz Stone and Evan Williams, the same guys who created Blogger) saw it as an SMS (text messaging) tool. In other words, it was first conceived as an application for mobile devices, but one with a web-based interface.

Even though it started that way, Twitter's user-base largely ignored the SMS side of things in favor of the web-based version. At one point, due to bandwidth and thru-put demands on Twitter's servers, SMS capabilities were actually shut off. Essentially, Twitter started out as one thing and became something else. (More on that in a moment.)

Better Definition

A better explanation was one given to me by a gentleman (whose name I don't recall) I met at a social media conference in Houston a few month back. He referred to Twitter as a "high latency instant messaging application."Huh?

Twitter is like Yahoo! Messenger or AIM or any number of instant messaging applications, only you aren't compelled to respond immediately, if at all. Hence the term, "high latency."

Best Definition

In my opinion, Twitter is best defined as a social instant messaging application. "Social" in that you friend others who then see your posts and follow them (the term in Twitterese is, in fact, "follow," though it means the same thing), and "instant messaging" in the sense that it has that feel to it.

What it really is is a conversation stream that you jump into at any given moment in time and start talking. Participation is the price of entry. (More on that in a later post.)

More from Wikipedia

"Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them," says wikipedia. "The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as Twitterrific or Facebook."

Twitter's Evolution

As mentioned above, Twitter started out as a mobile application, but morphed to something that was largely web-based, thanks to its users. And, I mean, let's face it, if you're following a few hundred people, do you really want to get text messages from everyone of them? You can pick and choose who to receive such messages from of course, but even if you've limited it to a handful, if they're avid Twitter users, you're phone will still be dinging all the time. In my view, it's overkill. If you like the SMS component, that's fine, but I'd limit it to a select few.

Back to the evolution...

Speaking of the user-base, Twitter's founders have been fairly well-receptive to the way Twits (one term for Twitter users) are using the app. For example, at some point people started using the "@" symbol to address a single individual via their Twitter handle (e.g. @pchaney). It was a way to delineate that the message wasn't for everyone, but for that specific person.

It wasn't long until Twitter incorporated the activity as part of its functionality. Not only that, they added a direct messaging capability enabling users to send private messages to individual users.

That's enough for this post. I'll be back tomorrow soon with another talking about how to use Twitter, explaining proper "Twittiquette" and sharing the rules of the road.

In part 3 (yes, there will be a part 3 and a part 4; I told you it would take more than one post.) I plan to delve into some of the applications that have developed around Twitter thanks to its API (A geeky acronym which stands for Application Programming Interface. It's a way for one application to be used by or integrated into another.)

Part 4 is where the water really meets the road in terms of how to use Twitter for business. I'll provide some practical, real life examples, including some from fellow agents. Look for that early next week.

Happy Birthday to Jeff Turner, @respres

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:19:02 -0500

Today is the birthday of one of Active Rain's most popular netizen's, Jeff Turner.

I've known Jeff since at least 2006 and maybe before and I must say he is one guy who gets social media, and I mean Jeff really gets it. In fact, he's built his business, Real Estate Shows, almost solely through the use of social media. (If not entirely.)

Jeff is an inspiration to me and I'm proud to call him my friend. So, along with so many others here at AR and beyond, let me say "Happy birthday, Jeff!" and many, many more.

Join me by extending your well-wishes.

Zillow, Another Top Three Real Estate Social Network Sites

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:54:20 -0500

In the last two posts I covered the advantages of using Active Rain and Trulia. Today, Drew Meyers, Business Development Specialist, talks about why Zillow's platform qualifies as one of the top three.

"Aside from Zillow Discussions, there is Home Q&A, and posting your listings of course," said Drew. "Also, a big one we just launched is the Professional Directory, which allows real estate agents and other related professionals to upload their information for free." (As an example, here's the directory listing for Paul's wife, Amie, a home stager in Lafayette, Louisiana.)

In addition to Drew's remarks, some of the most useful features are the Web Tools, which include mortgage rate and mortgage calculator widgets you can embed in your blog or Web site. Not only that, Zillow Labs include mobile applications.

So, that's my take on the top three real estate-specific social networks. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What other's might you suggest? Feel free to comment.

Trulia, One of Three Most Important Real Estate Social Network Sites

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:07:45 -0500

Recently, I asked Frances Flynn Thorsen and Rudy Bachraty, both Trulia community evangelists, to weigh in on the benefits of using Trulia and, more especially, Trulia Voices. Here's what they had to say.

Frances...

Traffic - 5 milliion monthly uniques

Demographics - 70% of the home buyers who visit Trulia plan to buy a home in the next 12 months and 70% of those buyers are not yet working with a real estate professional. 32% of the homeowners at Trulia plan to list their properties in the next 12 months. (This part makes it a no-brainer.)

Suite of Social Media Tools - Robust profile page links to listings, FREE, easy-to-use blog (lots of built-in SEO), Trulia Voices Question-and-Answer platform, mobile applications, including popular iPhone app. Full-tme, handsomest Social Media Guru in the RE Net

Trulia Pro - Low-cost advertising opportunity gives listings featured placement in search results and offers geo-coded spotlight ads.

Community - 430,000 ... 50% consumer/50% real estate pro. Full-time Community Manager with editorial expertise ... new microsite "Surviving the Housing Crisis" http://trulia.com/voices/marketcrisis

In addition to what Fran said, Rudy added...

Trulia Voices: Our online community has active home buyers and sellers asking questions on Trulia Voices. We get approx 1,000 questions per day. Real estate agents have an opportunity to directly engage these consumers.

Trulia Profile: A completely filled out Trulia profile gives consumers who find you on our site a snapshot of who you are. All your questions, answers and blog posts are on display here giving consumers an insight into how you think. If they like what they see, they may call or email you.

Brand Your Listings: Add your photo and contact info on all of your listings. for free, receiveemails from active home buyers & sellers sent directly to you, get stats for sellers by showing how many people are visiting their listings every week and you can add your open houses too......

Trulia Pro: Featured Listings – Get approx 4x more page views Spotlight Ads - Target 20 Local Markets by Geography – Zip Code, Community or City and State Stats – Know which ads in which Geography work best Get more exposure for yourself, your clients listings and your brand!

Trulia Mobile: All your listings appear on mobile devices such as the iPhone, Blackberry, blackjack and more. Iphone is gps enabled so it automagically finds open houses within a radius of where your standing. All agent contact info appears on the listing on your mobile device and you can get step by step driving directions. Many agents are showcasing their presence on Trulia to potential clients during their listing presentations and are getting clients because of it.

My thanks to Fran and Rudy for their thoughts on the advantages of using Trulia. In the next post, Drew Meyers will tout the benefits of using Zillow..

REBarcamp Houston Was a Great Success

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:38:48 -0500

I enjoyed so very much having the opportunity to keynote at last week's REBarcamp Houston. I want to pass along my thanks to Michael Price, President of ML Broadcast, for putting it together. (Oh, and Mike, the receipts are coming!)

Here are the slides from the keynote I posted to Slideshare...

REBarcamp Houston Keynote Presentation

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: rebarcamp houston)

Here are some photos and video of the event for your enjoyment:

That's me during the keynote

I also got to facilitate a session the goal of which was to craft a social media marketing game plan for Realtors. However, I didn't realize that almost everyone in attendance would show up. They were extremely interested in learning how to use Facebook, Twitter and the tools of social media to generate leads, get listings, and increase revenue.

Another view of the session.

The guy in the slide is trying to grab my head, so says my buddy Jeff Turner, President of Real Estate Shows, who live streamed the keynote via his jail broken iPhone using Qik.

That's Jeff on the right, the "other" bald guy.

A little analog social networking the night before.

Three Most Important Real Estate Social Media Sites in Which to Participate

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:36:05 -0500

(This is directed to those of you just learning about social media, especially as it pertains to real estate. If you're already a kool-aid drinker, you probably know this stuff, but feel free to comment nevertheless. As always, I welcome countering points of view.)

I promised this yesterday, but got sidetracked by the announcement that NAR is looking for a social media manager. (See my post at Conversational Media Marketing.)

I believe for Realtors in the early stages just learning how to use the tools of social media, there are three very important social network/social media sites in which to participate:

Active Rain
Trulia
Zillow

Because I'm a handyman, I know when experts need to be called upon. In this case, I asked Brad Andersohn and Rich Jacobson, community managers at Active Rain, Frances Flynn Thorsen, community manager, and Rudy Bachraty, social media manager with Trulia, and Drew Meyers, business development specialist with Zillow to share their thoughts on what their respective sites have to offer. Because I have some experience with Active Rain, I include my own thoughts there as well.

Due to the length of the post, it's broken into three parts. First, we'll discuss Active Rain, then Trulia and Zillow in subsequent posts later in the week.

The Advantages to Using Active Rain

Paul: In my opinion, AR is a training ground where agents and others related to the real estate industry can learn blogging and social media marketing ropes in a safe environment (as opposed to blogging on your own that is). I know a number of Realtors who cut their teeth here and have moved on to develop their own highly effective blogs.

Part of the attraction is the fact that, almost without fail, your posts are guaranteed to be read and commented on. It's not unusual to see comments show up within minutes of a post being written. It's also not unusual to see them numbering into the scores. For a new blogger that can be very encouraging (even a bit heady) and serve to stoke the fire leading to increased posting activity.

One Realtor for whom this was the case is Ines Hegedus-Garcia. Ines has become a social media maven and runs a very successful blogsite at Miamism.com. But she got her start here, becoming somewhat of a beloved celebrity.

Brad and Rich: In terms of using Active Rain to generate awareness by consumers and garner leads, the platform offers several advantages.

Localism.com - Designed to be consumer-centric, Localism enables the Realtor to assign a given Active Rain post to their specific geographic location, even designating the post as a listing when appropriate. Not only that, Realtors can sponsor their local community, which increases their visibility even more.

Blog design options - The latest iteration of the platform includes a "blog customizer" which allows participates to personalize their blog with a custom header, background image and color scheme. Rather than blogs being generic, tied to the AR look/feel, each can have its own personality and style.

Outside blogs - This is a further extension of the platform which enables the Realtor to create what appears to be an idigenous, self-standing blog containing no reference to Active Rain. Options even include assigning a top level domain (www.yoursitename.com) to make it appear even more your own. Similar to Localism, the Realtor only has to write one post which can then be assigned to the outside blog.

SEO value - Active Rain has a high level of authority with Google and other search engines. It's not unusual to see the Realtor's Active Rain profile show up on front page search returns, depending on the keywords used in the serach. (That's also why it's important to keyword-optimize your profile btw. Paul)

Paul: I feel so strongly about the advantages of using Active Rain as a "bootcamp" for learning about blogging and new media that, anytime a Realtor asks where they should start, I point them here by default. It's an environment extremely conducive to learning and a mileau that breeds success.

Thanks to Brad and Rich for your input. In the next post we'll hear from Rudy and Fran about what Trulia has to offer followed by Drew from Zillow.

Top Three Social Networks to Join and Why

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:56:06 -0500

Most of my social media handyman posts will be in response to questions asked by Realtors and others. Today's comes from Irina Netchaev, a Keller-Williams Realtor in Pasadena, CA. She asks, "What are the top 3 social networks that you recommend joining and actively participate in and why?"

First, let me say that "three" is the operative word. There is an old proverb that says "a cord of three strands is not easily broken." I think that's applicable where social networking is concerned as well. It's a matter of strengthening your social graph. Being networked with a given individual in three different places makes for a strong connection.

Here's my pick for top three:

LinkedIn - That's your business suit. While LI is not very conversational in its orientation, having a profile there has become expected. LI lends a degree of professional credibility. It is also the site that requires the least amount of upkeep.

Facebook - That's business casual. FB allows more of a 360 degree view of you, combining both professional and personal sides. Plus, it's a more conversational platform.

Twitter - This is the cocktail hour. Think of after hours social networking events and you've got Twitter. It's the most informal of the three and allows for the greatest degree of conversation.

Keep in mind my focus here is on creating three-fold connections to individuals. It's not enough that you have a presence on each of these sites, but that you leverage your presence to connect with others who are also present on each.

Social media is about being "social." Each platform offers its own distinctive advantages, but it takes all three to build the strongest connection. Plus, it gives you ubiquity. You're everywhere!

Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about three real estate specific social networks where you need a presence. Later in the week I'm going to dig down into Twitter and share how it's being used for business purposes. I'd like to hear your Twitter story as well. Please leave a comment.

Finally, if you have a question for the "handyman," email me at pchaney [at] gmail [dot] com. Or simply leave a comment.

What's the number one question you have about marketing via social media?

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:41:12 -0500

One of the ways I can best provide social media handyman services is by answering your questions. Let me invite you to take a quick poll that ask four of the questions I hear most often.

How can blogs help me market my business?
How can I use Facebook for marketing purposes?
What's the deal with Twitter?
What are the best social networks to use in building my social graph?

If these four don't represent your question, please submit it in a comment.

Answering these questions helps me help you. Thanks!

Left Active Rain as 'The Blog Coach,' Returning as 'Social Media Handyman'

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:25:31 -0500

Consider this an official announcement. I'm coming back to Active Rain, not as the Blog Coach, which was my old moniker, but as the "Social Media Handyman."

Here's some background on why and why now...

I've learned a great deal about how to use social media for marketing purposes and have a penchant to teach others as well. (That's always been the case.)
There are quite a number of Realtors just entering this space and they have many questions that I hope to be able to answer. Even those who've been doing this for a while need training on more advanced topics.
I've recently gotten reconnected to the RE.net world and, frankly, Realty bloggers are some of my favorite people in the world. Many are great friends too.
I've always felt that we each have a responsibility to share what we've learned. "Pay it forward" as they say.

Here's the idea and the plan...(at least what I've conceived thus far)

I'll do a daily (hopefully) video, audio and/or text update sharing a tip, idea or bit of advice on the use of blogs and social media for marketing purposes.
I'll post here within AR for Realtors and use the new Outside Blog feature to reach those outside RE. Make sense?
The way I'd really like to see this work is that you submit questions. I want this to be a blog where your itch gets stratched.
In the near future, I'm going to be rolling out a suite of fee-based services to help Realtors and others market themselves via social media.

Why "social media handyman?"

It's a moniker that seems to fit very well. I tend to be practical and tactical in my approach to the use of social media for marketing purposes. Plus, I'm a bit of a "jack of all trades." I'll leave the master craftsmanship up to those who specialize in one area or another, such as blog design, for example. (And I'll serve as a referral source for those as the need arises.)

So, here we go again! I realize there is some liability here as I've been out of the RE.net loop for some time. However, I know my limits and will not attempt to pass myself off as a real estate marketing expert. What I know can be used by most anyone in any industry.

Also, I'll be fleshing out the branding aspects for a while, so consider this a work in progress.

It's good to be back. AR feels like home.

Singing My Swan Song

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:15:35 -0500

They say all good things must come to an end and I'm afraid that's true of my participation here at Active Rain. This will be my final post.

Starting next week I'm moving to a new job with a different company, one that is not focused on the real estate industry. As much as I enjoy posting here, I can't make a business case for continuing. It has been fun though and my tenure ended on a high note with Blogger's Connect and participation in Project Blogger.

As to the new job, I'll be serving as Director of Production for Bizzuka.com. No, it's not a bubble gum or artillery company. :-) Bizzuka is a web tech company based in the town where I live, Lafayette, Louisiana. Though I had no desire or reason to leave Blogging Systems, Bizzuka made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I know it's the right move and the right time.

Still, I will miss my participation here along with the conversations I've had with many of you. You've given me a warm reception and I've made many new friends. It's my sincere hope those friendships won't end just because I'm no longer blogging here. You can always find me at Facebook you know!

So, let me bid my adieu. I wish you all much success as you continue using blogs as a real estate marketing tool.

The Business Blogging Toolset: 100 Resources for Bloggers

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:23:10 -0500

Rich McIver of BusinessCreditCards.com sent me an email to a post on their Bootstrapper blog, The Business Blogging Toolset: 100 Resources for Entrepreneur-Writers. It's chock full of information about blogging, including blog platforms, design and marketing ideas, stats and analytics, money-making tools and more. You name it, and it's on the list.

Obviously, Rich and Co. did their homework in pulling this together. I'm sure you'll find something of value.

Project Blogger Winner Announcement at Blogger's Connect

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:50:34 -0500

And the winner is....Frances Flynn-Thorsen and Mary Pope-Handy!!!! Congrats to them and to all the contestants. Perhaps the best part of this whole exercise was that $5,000 was raised for CARE, a non-profit organization. (Sorry about the sucky photo. I took it with a cell phone and I guess my hand was moving. Go to Flickr for better ones...none up now, but will be hopefully.)

Technorati tag: connectsf

Live Blogging Inman Blogger's Connect

Paul Chaney (Social Media Handyman) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:38:35 -0500

Inman Blogger's Connect is starting today and I'll be live-blogging it. So will a bunch of other Active Rainers, I'm sure. I won't be doing it here though, but at our company blog, Blogging Systems. I invite you to link there. Subscribe to the RSS feed to be alerted each time I update.

I'm on the panel for the second session, Monetizing Your Blog. Joining me are Rudy Bachraty III from Sellsius and Ted Murphy from PayPerPost.

Also, I've created a Technorati tag: bloggersconnect. You can follow the conversation there as well. If I find out there is another tag everyone else is using, I'll switch to that. UPDATE!!!: The Technorati tag to use is: connectsf