How exciting is this? Our very own Inside Lane was nominated for Favorite Blog of August on Fuel Lines. What’s that you say? How can you support this thrilling turn of events? Glad you asked.
Lend us your vote. Not only will we appreciate it. We’ll owe you one when it’s your turn.
VOTE HERE: http://short.to/nwok
So have you cast your vote yet? Let us know below. And as always, tell us more of what you want to see.
As many of you already know, Twitter is catching like wildfire in the business community and becoming more and more mainstream. According to Nielsen, there is an estimated 14 million people who are active on Twitter, and that only includes the United States.
With that being said, if you want your voice to be heard, you must distinguish yourself from the other 14 million-plus people who are active on Twitter. Here are a few tips that will help you master Twitter and become an effective microblogger:
Be concise, yet creative.
You only have 140 characters to connect with your audience. That said, cut the fluff and be straightforward with your message. Like any effective headline, your tweet must stand out and be interesting in order to capture the attention of your audience.
Abbreviations are your friend.
You want to save your characters for the “meat” of your tweet, and if this means abbreviating or using acronyms, that’s okay by Twitter standards. If only we were able to “roll over” unused characters for future tweets!
It’s not all about you.
Many on Twitter are promoting a product, service or client. However, there is a fine line between increasing awareness and losing customers/followers. There is nothing more irritating than people who are constantly plugging. To maintain an audience of followers, it’s necessary to know your audience and tweet information you think they’d be interested in. Communication is always two-sided. Two brands that lead by example are: @southwestair and @zappos
Utilize hyperlinks.
Hyperlinks do exactly what the name implies – they link to more information about your company or product. Hyperlinks are an effective way to drive people back to your website, blog or desired destination with a simple click. If you do incorporate hyperlinks, make sure to explore tools such as www.tinyurls.com that help shorten URL’s and take up less characters.
Double and triple check.
Just because Twitter is a microblog doesn’t mean spelling and grammar are any less important. If I notice a company or person is constantly dropping typos in their tweets, the less likely I am to read their future messages. To avoid making yourself or your company look bad, spell check and carefully craft each Tweet.
Not long after we decided to create the Inside Lane, I was asked to come in and speak to the PR Department about how to blog. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance, as they offered a number of people wanting to contribute in different ways. Who am I to turn down help from smart people wanting to help me look good?
The experience began with me navigating the E.B. Lane hallways with stunning speed and parkour-like moves, as a client sit down had made me 10 minutes late. Not the best process for gathering your thoughts. Nor is walking in to see Mel McBride, our Director of PR, sitting in the conference room, patting a chair to her left with one hand and threatening to “shiv me” with the other.
Mel McBride, our Director of PR, sitting in the conference room, patting a chair to her left with one hand and threatening to “shiv me” with the other.
Naturally, I got right to the discussion, while watching my flank for modified box cutters or sharpened toothbrushes. As I normally do in shoot-from-the-hip situations, I fell into my familiar rhythm of babbling and obscure pop culture references that everyone politely pretends to understand.
The incredibly cool thing was that the entire group scrawled down my every word on their legal pads as if I was reciting the formula for cold fusion. So to pay that undeserved kindness back, here are a few things that I think can help a blog become something unique and special.
Notepads at the ready … and go!
SOUND LIKE YOU.
You’ve seen this advice before. There’s a reason for that – it’s good advice. Every successful writer or blogger has found a voice. They don’t try to replicate their speaking voice or ape someone else. They’ve done the hard work of writing and revising until they’ve found their own style.
KNOW WHY YOU’RE BLOGGING.
Some want to educate and provide valuable content to contemporaries. Others just simply want to entertain. Quite a few are doing both and then some. Just know what you’re trying to accomplish beforehand, even if it turns into a short list.
UNDERSTAND YOUR WORLD.
Always start with identifying your target. Then, you do your homework, taking the time to understand the cultural fabric that wraps around your new blog-brand’s every attribute. Jokes. Stereotypes. Cliches. History. Everything. Before you know it, you’ll be speaking your audiences’ language.
DIVE IN WITH BOTH FEET.
Many people starting off think that there is some magical set of rules out there for blogging. Nothing could be further from the truth. Obviously, there is effective and non-effective blogging, but there is little beyond the obvious that is right or wrong. In other words, there is plenty of new territory to cover within the medium -- so take advantage.
WRITE. WALK AWAY. THEN COME BACK LATER.
This is one of the best tips for writing in ANY style, format or medium. It prevents your natural attachments to your work to force you into some bad decisions. And a little time often gives your subconscious a chance to come up with some great tweaks and new directions.
Gary S