The Out-Smarts Blog and Podcast

Given my previous 2 posts, I thought this would be a good time to revisit the reasons and benefits of using microblogs and Twitter in particular for business benefit.

1. Great source for the latest information in your industry - if you’re following the right people that is.
2. Shorter than blogs and more concise so if you only have a few moments you can hone in on juicies more readily.
3. Stellar way to establish your expertise and build awareness of what you do - build brand.
4. Microblog technology can be used to expand awareness of your service. A great example is the police and fire services using Twitter to get the word out in emergency cases.
5. By linking or announcing new articles or changes to your site you can drive more traffic to said site.
6. Microblogs are a great way to monitor what being said about your product or industry, so you can keep ahead of the pack. Its also a great way to elicit feedback.
7. To share neat links and add value for your followers.
8. To collaborate on a project with remote partners or colleagues in short blasts.
9. Whilst direct selling on microblogs is discouraged, many companies use it to bring awareness of the existence/benefits of their products and services to new markets.
10. To network with peers in your industry in order to develop your knowledge and to build better partnerships.

Following yesterday’s post on the increased scam level in Twitter, here are 10 tips to safe Twittering.

1. Friends and Followers - be selective about who you follow. If someone is following way more people than they have followers then it may be best to avoid them. They could be “Follow Spammers” more interested in gaining exposure than in finding interesting Tweets.

2. Before you follow someone, check out their recent Tweets to see if they are of interest to you before you add them (or of interest at all).

3. Keep a limit on the number of Twitterers you follow. If you are following too many people then you’re simply going to suffer from information overload and you won’t be able to find the gems so easily.

4. Don’t click on a link from anyone you don’t know or trust. Many Twitterers use TinyURL or similar to shorten URLs (I do) but this camouflages the true source so you don’t know what your clicking on. These could be disguised links to potentially dangerous sites or viral downloads so be careful, or you get a Mac.

5. Monitor the Tweetosphere and make sure you are aware of anyone who mentions you so that it comes to your attention and you can be ready to counter any adverse Twittering.

6. Read the Twitter blog for updates and information on malware and spam issues.

7. Secure your Twitter name. Get a Twitter profile in your business name before someone else does. Thanks to Pimp McFly for that one.

8. Use your common sense when Twittering and remember that most of these announcements can be seen by anyone and everyone. You don’t really have to tell announce that you’re away from home.

9. If someone you’re following overloads you with spam then use the Twitter block at the right of the side panel to block them and let Twitter know too.

10. Call on the community. If something adverse does happen then make your community aware of it. You will be amazed at the support, advice and action of the collective.

As the number of people using Twitter has grown so, off course, has the number of people using the system to try to take advantage of others. There have been a number of scams lately that have come to my attention.

Twitter power user and Facebook coach Mari Smith has been hounded recently by a Twitterer who sets up fake profiles pretending to be Mari and uses that forum to deride and poke fun of the coach. Each time Twitter identifies the offending Twitterer and closes down the profile but each time they simply set up a new fake profile and start from scratch. No doubt it has been really annoying for Mari, but she’s done a good job of using Twitter to bring these to the attention of her audience and therefore limit the impact.

Also in the news on the Twitter scam front comes the case of the Brazillian site which shares a porn link with Twitter contacts but when someone clicks, a nasty virus is downloaded which can access data on your machine. Maybe it serves them right for clicking on porn links in the first place but regardless, this is one of the first instances and no doubt not the last, of people using Twitter maliciously.

So Twitterers: beware and be safe when you microblog. Our next post…. You guessed it, safe Twittering. Watch this space.  

Thanks for the image freschje

Its that time of the month again. Time to look back and recap on new media developments. Here are links to our favorite finds of the month:

Fresh Start Recycling - not only an online wonder using blogging, blog PR and social media to spread the good word, this Vancouver company gets rid of your junk (both home and domestic) and recycles as much as possible.

Sphinn - is a great forum to find Internet marketing news and to participate on related forums, its a great source for whats new in the industry.

Easy Tweets - I found this where else but on Twitter. It allows you to manage mutliple Twitter profiles in one central place. Very handy for social media marketers.

Xobni - I am ever on the lookout for ways to keep organised and love the concept of Xobni as a tool to help me keep my in box efficient.

Yelp - had a good meal and want to rave or had a bad spa experience and want to rant, then you need to Yelp.

Loopt - the concept seems a bit wierd (I am not sure if I want everyone to know where I am and what I am doing via maps on their phones) but Loopt will probably catch on.

Join me on Twitter.