I wrote this article to submit to article sites with the goal of driving traffic, spreading awareness and further establishing Out-Smarts expertise. Its longer than our usual blog posts and contains lots of juicy details on micro blogging for anyone wondering how to best use it for business purposes.  Enjoy!

Microblogging is quickly becoming one of the most popular technologies on the Internet with adoption of tools like Twitter growing at an exponential rate.

As the number of people using these technologies grows, the way people take advantage of them is becoming more sophisticated: they are being used more and more as a business tool. This article explains what microblogging is and introduces the most popular microblog sites. It discusses how these are being used from a business and marketing perspective and provides tips on safe and effective use of these forums.

What is a Microblog?
Microblogs are very simple internet technologies that allow users to post short statements or sentences, usually limited to 140 characters on a central site. The post can be made available to anyone or only to a chosen audience. Much like the Facebook status box these services were used initially as a forum to share triviality (like what was for breakfast) with a wide audience but people quickly tired of the banality and now the way microblogs are used is becoming more sophisticated.

Sometimes seen as a factor in the evolution of blogging, micro blogs are, as the name suggests, like mini blogs in that they allow you to post information and streams of consciousness and make these available to the world over the Internet. Unlike a blog, however, a microblog doesn’t have unlimited room for creativity – you are forced to get to the point.

Which Microblog?
By far the largest microblog is Twitter (according to Hitwise in Australia alone the popular microblog grew by over 500% new users in one calendar month this summer). Twitter was founded in 2006 and quickly gained attention by winning a prestigious South by South West Blog award in the spring of 2007. Although the site is growing at a tremendous rate, the user volume is still very small in comparison to social networking behemoths like MySpace. Using a simple clean interface, users can get set up and start Twittering really easily.

Another microblog technology that is growing in popularity is Plurk. Plurk differs from Twitter in that it provides a more visual “timeline” interface showing your “Plurks” and those you are following on a time sheet-style screen. Just launched in May this year, Plurk is a little more complex than Twitter to use but once you get the hang of it, it definitely appeals to those left brained people among us.

The omnipresent Google of course has its own version of a microblog which they obtained in late 2007. Jaiku has since been closed to new users as they beta test the latest version (which seems very visually appealing with a nice map interface). Request a beta invite to try it out.

The other major player in the microblog scene is Pownce. This one is very similar to Twitter in its look and feel but it has more capabilities in terms of being able to share files and events. Also Pownce doesn’t limit you to 140 characters so you can add more detail to your posts.

Newcomers in the field Spoink promote microblogging by phone from wherever you happen to be. Nothing new in that since most of the other offerings allow you to post from your mobile but what is different about Spoink is that it features the ability to podcast from anywhere. This is one to watch.

Microblogging for Business
Now that we know more about microblogs and the tools in this arena, let’s take a look at how companies and individuals are using microblogs to benefit their businesses.

The first thing any company or professional should do is to ask themselves: is a microblog pertinent to my business? are my peers using this service? and, more importantly, are my customers either using or listening (monitoring these forums) to microblogs? The early microblog adopters tended to be the youth market and the tech community but more and more mainstream professionals and companies are becoming active as time goes on. If you decide that your audience is applicable then the benefits of microblogging actively are numerous:

• A microblog presence is a stellar way to establish expertise and build awareness of what you or your company does. Build your brand by regularly posting on your subject area. Remember to add your logo and branding to the design of your microblog page and link to back to your blog if you have one so that your microblog contacts are aware of it and can click to read more. Threadless, the T shirt company that has made social media marketing an art form uses Twitter (@threadless) to update their audience regularly in this way.
• Microblogs are a great way to expand your network and build your contacts. To do so share neat links and always add value for your followers, if you do this effectively you can sit back and watch your contacts expand.
• Microblogs provide a good source for the latest information in your industry – if you’re following the right people, that is. Be cognizant of this as you add friends. Check out posts and look for those that add value, are industry luminaries or are using the forum in innovative ways. Network with peers in your industry to develop your knowledge and to build better partnerships.
• Microblogs are shorter than blogs and more concise so if you only have a few moments you can hone in on the juicies more readily. If you don’t have time to blog but still have something pressing you want to share, microblogs are a great way to do this quickly and effectively.
• Microblog technology can be used to expand the reach of your service and spread word quickly. An example is the police and fire services using Twitter to get the word out in emergency cases. The Los Angeles Fire Department (@LAFD) uses Twitter to spread fire related Tweets to interested parties.
• By linking or announcing new articles or changes to your site from a microblog you can drive more traffic to your site. Twitter is now the 4th largest driver of traffic to the Out-Smarts blog.
• Use microblogs for research by monitoring what’s being said about your product or industry so you can keep ahead of the pack. It’s also an excellent medium to elicit feedback on an issue you need more information on or are in the dark about. Tweetscan is a very simple tool that facilitates listening.
• Some companies are using microblog technology too collaborate on projects with decentralised participants or colleagues in short blasts. The CBC recently did this to great effect on Twitter during the Canadian federal election and were able to incorporate feedback from Twitterers on the ground in many constituencies.
• While 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 or to provide customer service updates. Whole Foods (@wholefoods), an organic food chain headquartered in Texas does exactly that whilst adding value by Twittering on community events and organic topics too.

Effective Twittering Tips
I have it on good authority that the Twitter microblog site is this year’s web 2.0 tool of choice for net savvy professionals to communicate with and grow their networks. Here are some tips for you to use to tweak your “tweets” and get more out of your Twitter presence:

1. Add value – don’t just spout off about boring stuff. Nobody is interested in what color shoes you are wearing (maybe your underwear but definitely not your shoes!).
2. Use TinyURL or a similar url abbreviation tool to shorten the length of url links in your Twitter posts so they fit in the 140 character limit.
3. Don’t spam or sell.
4. Friends and Followers – be selective about who you follow. Before you follow someone, check out their recent Tweets to see if they are of interest to you before you add them (they may not be of interest at all). If someone starts following you, don’t automatically add them and follow – take a look at the number of followers they have compared to their following 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.
5. Don’t let Twitter suck up too much of your time – it can be very distracting. Instead schedule it in to your week and spend a few minutes each day updating and enjoying.
6. Limit the number of people you follow to avoid Twitter information overload. If you’re following too many people, you might miss that gem of information.
7. Use Twitterfeed to feed your blog to Twitter.
8. 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. Use Tweetscan to monitor what is being said about you or your company on Twitter.
9. 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 you’re clicking on. These could be disguised links to potentially dangerous sites or viral downloads so be careful.
10. Read the Twitter blog for updates and information on malware and spam issues.
11. Secure your Twitter name. Get a Twitter profile in your business name before someone else does.
12. Use common sense when Twittering and remember that most of these announcements can be seen by anyone and everyone. You don’t really have to announce that you’re away from home.
13. 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.
14. 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.

Conclusion
If you decide that your business can benefit from microblogging, participation in these sites can really impact your online marketing efforts, drive more traffic to your site and increase brand awareness. Before you start microblogging, take some time to check out the different offerings to find out which is best for you. Once you choose, schedule time to microblog and grow your contacts and always look to add value and tell your community something they don’t know. If you decide to hold off on microblogging for now, keep this on your radar: with its speedy user adoption rate. It’s only a matter of time before, like social networks, these become mainstream.

Follow Out-Smarts on Twitter: @Outsmarts.

Amid all the gloom and doom of the economic world its difficult to see the silver lining these days. However, we have discovered so many reasons to be cheerful this month that we may have another Reasons To Be Cheerful in mid November so that we can share them all with you.

Our number one reason to be cheerful is that amid all this turmoil and recession we know that Internet and Social media marketing will prevail. Why? Because its more effective, less expensive and easier to track than traditional marketing efforts.

Now to our new media reasons of the month:

Caught the Twitter bug? Then you’ll be interested in your Twitter statistics perhaps. TweetStats reveals your Twitter habits. I’ve been on Twitter (@outsmarts) since March 2007 and it interesting to see how my interest waned then waxed.

Another great tool discovered this month is Ping.fm. Ping lets you post once to any number of social networking tools (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and the list goes on). Very handy if you are trying to be everywhere at once.

Another most excellent discovery this month is the social advertising community AdHack – this is people powered advertising at its best.

Another great resource is HARO – Help A Reporter Out. Its a service that connects reporters with people who have content to share. Its a great way to share your material but watch out for email overload.

GivenGain is another site we came across this month. They facilitate giving. If you are a charity looking to set up a donations stream or if you are looking to give then check this out.

Lastly, WigglyWigglers - a fantastic example of how one company harnessed social media to the max.

Until next time – stay cheerful!

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.