Awhile back when I first started I opened a Facebook account for public relation purposes to promote my eBay store, blogs, virtual assistant business as well as Shoppes.  I’d heard that it was advantageous to use for PR and social networking purposes.

It took me quite some time to put together a page, understand the mechanics of how it worked; join groups and make friends.  However, I didn’t visit it very often.  When I did log on one day I found my account was disabled.  At that point I was so exasperated, I decided not to bother with it any longer.  Apparently what happens is if one doesn’t log into their Facebook account often enough, it will become disabled.

However, the more I networked online, dropped Entrecards and saw that many of my Twitter friends were on Facbook, I decided to create another account.

Commentary now shows that President-Elect Obama ran a successful campaign by using Facbook.

We hear about people creating Facebook pages and that someone found someone else on Facebook. But what exactly is Facebook all about and does it have any benefits for us?

Read on to find out about Facebook and if it indeed does something more than enhance your social life.

Facebook is one of the top ten Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites in the world. Started as a social experiment, Facebook was originally designed as a way for friends to keep in touch and create interesting profiles and pages for others to look at.

Many kids and college students latched on to Facebook. My two daughters are constantly on FB, keeping up with their friends from high school and college.  Members can upload pictures, leave messages on the profiles of others, and search for friends who have profiles. The problem with Facebook was the type of information people were uploading. College students uploading inappropriate videos at wild parties and such have caught on virally. This spoke to the poor judgment of the students as those videos would still be around when they grew out of the drinking phase and realized that it was no longer the “cool” thing to do.

Facebook is not just for the young teenagers and college students however. It is also a networking tool for business owners. It’s a great way to connect with other business owners and targeted potential customers. A plus for new businesses is that becoming a Facebook member is free. Every registered member gets a home page where they can then create a profile and add applications to their page for friends and other trusted users they designate to use.

If you work at home or are a WAHM or entrepreneur, you can use your Facebook profile to tell others all about yourself. Many times, businesses never really have a chance for potential clients to learn more about the person or people who run the business. More focus is put on advertising, growing the business and promoting its products or services. With a social networking page on social sites like Facebook, customers and other business associates get a chance to find out about the person behind the business.

Anyone can join or create a group on Facebook. These groups bring together like minded people according to business, personal, or other social factors. Groups talk to one another; share business tips and create a useful connection in many different ways.

Businesses use Facebook pages to showcase products or give customers a place to ask questions and record comments about the products they have used. They can talk to each other and compare notes. Big businesses with famous brand names use Facebook to gain insights into consumer trends.  As an example, the RSS feed from my blogs postings, Twitter account and eBay store is uploaded right to my Facebook page.

Facebook can be useful for communities trying to create a closer knit group of families. Homeschooling parents can create a network of support for each other and their kids. Facebook has a variety of uses both for business and personal reasons. So, now that you know more concerning Facebook, what will your page be about?

If you have an existing page, or will be creating a new page, don’t forget to friend request me here!

Long before I started both of my blogs,  opened my eBay Store and established my Virtual Assistant business,  my sister-in-law was a work-at-home mom.  Always marching to the tune of a different drummer, SIL completed her undergraduate degree in her 30s; then her Master’s, and became a self-employed Graphic Designer.

My sister-in-law’s graphic design business became very successful, and she worked virtually 24-hours a day, and well into the wee hours of the morning.  It was very common for family members and friends to feel it was OK to call her at any time, as she was “usually home.”  It wasn’t until I started working at home that I realized how important it was to convey the message to family and friends that “working at home” is actually just that…Work.  The setting may not be a traditional office setting, but nonetheless, one is still working.  Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind several factors to keep yourself focused rather than distracted.

No matter what type of online business you are in, or how you communicate, you will find there are a number of reasons that you will need to use a telephone. You may need to soothe clients who need to hear a real human voice or you might need to find a way to communicate with your colleagues that is more immediate than that of a simple e-mail or chat session. The problem is, however, that phone use, whether it is through a landline or through a cell phone, can cause you plenty of problems, especially if you let it get out of control.

For many of us, nothing is more simple or instinctive than calling someone up to chat. While we may want to keep it professional, there is a good chance that we will spend a lot longer on the phone than we thought we would, and before we know it, the day has sped by and our efficiency is shot. The work we intended (our intentions are always good in the beginning aren’t they?) to get done is being put off until later. Have you ever experienced this? This may be a sign that you need to think about your phone use and how it is affecting the bottom line in your business.

There are many tell tale signs that your phone calls are distracting you from your real work. One way to determine just how much affect phone usage has on the productivity of your business is to time your phone calls. How long are you spending on the phone? Keep in mind that when you get on the phone, you are breaking up your work. Once you finish the call and head back to the task at hand, time is also spent refocusing on what you were doing prior to the phone call. Put together all the time that is devoted to your phone calls during the course of the day, from getting the number, to talking on the phone, to getting back to work. The time that you spend “on the phone” just might surprise you.

Next, think about how often you actually take calls. Do you feel as though the number of calls that you are taking detracts from your ability to work, or do you feel as though it contributes? You may find that other phones ringing is enough to distract you, or that if the phone stays silent for too long that you get nervous or antsy. Any of these symptoms might be a sign that you need to form a plan to get out of this productivity killing dilemma.

All hope is not lost however, even if you live with your phone what seems like attached at your ear. In order to combat the time wasting telephone and start making your phone calls and in turn your other tasks productive for your business, try putting this practice into place.

Begin by setting up a rough call time limit based on your average call time. You will need to find out just how much time you spend on the phone using the steps mentioned above beforehand.
Next, make sure that you know what topics need to be discussed before you call anyone. This is an important way to make sure that your call is not out of control and lasting longer than it should. This step alone will make planning your time better and get more done during your work time.

Although it’s not always easy to determine when someone else will call, you can implement these same strategies for calls you receive. Screening calls will also help reduce or even diminish wasted talk time. Remember that your time is valuable and your business is important, so don’t let the telephone distract you anymore than you have to.

By now you’ve either decided to sign up for Twitter, or you may still be on the fence.  I would say ~ Go For It!  I actually came across this valuable information by being referred from a Tweet, and thought, I must share.  It’s the most succinct set of guidelines that I have seen yet.  Don’t forget to Follow Me on Twitter ~ Moomettesgram ~

Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To

by LaSara Firefox, MPNLP, www.lasarafirefox.com
(Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Yoga_Mama)

I was skeptical at first, but now Twitter is my golden city. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I can take a few minutes and digest a handful of posts from my favorite Twitter friends, or post a bite-sized delight about my own day – all condensed to 140 characters or less. Who doesn’t have time for that?

Yes, often those posts will contain a link that may lead to an off-site exploratory mission, but so far it’s the most organic and dynamic way I’ve found to keep to my finger on the quick-beating pulse of the magical and diverse interwebs, and at the same time keep a constant stream of interest in what I have to offer.

If you’re new to Twitter, or have yet to join the chorus, here are a few ground rules that will help you to make your tweets harmonious.

1. Follow me, and I’ll follow you…and vice-versa:
If I follow you, please do the community-oriented thing and follow me, too. That way it becomes a conversation, a collaboration, a community. For us dedicated tweeters, Twitter is about building relationships. Build one with me!

Most of us don’t tweet to hear the sound of our own voice. No one wants to be shouting into a well. Consider my follow an invitation into my world, as well as a tip of the hat to your skill in presenting a doorway into yours.

2. Write a good bio:
In the beginning, this tiny bio is all we know about each other. 160 characters of character. The bio is often an under-utilized aspect of Twitter. I’m encouraging a bio revival! Make me want to know you. (It’s great practice for your elevator pitch, too, right?)

I encourage you to include something about your openness to new followers, or the reason you’re on Twitter. I put “Follow me, I’ll follow you,” in my bio. If you only want people you already know to follow you, you can protect your updates. In addition, you could say “I only follow people I know.” This little step will save both of us time, energy, and pride.

In addition to the bio, there’s a spot for a url. Add a link to a place where I can find out more about you; your blog, your website, an article you’ve written, your facebook profile.

3. Building your “Twitterverse”:
The way to build your network is to follow people. Yet, you ideally want a good balance between following and followers. So there’s a rhythm to building your twitterverse. Here’s how mine goes:
a. Find prospective Twitter friends (see step 4 on some tips on that), and follow them.
b. Allow a few days for the prospective community member to follow me in return.
c. If they follow me back, I make personal contact through a direct message (aka, “dm”, see section 6 for more info) and all is good. If they don’t, I evaluate whether they’re worthwhile to follow without the benefit of a two-way conversation. If they are, I keep them on. If not, I unfollow them.

4. Finding your twitter-posse:
You want to follow people you find interesting. You want to be followed by people who will find you interesting. Whether this is for work, fun, community building, or all of the above, your skill in creating your personal Twitterverse predicts how rewarding your Twitter experience will be.

There are worlds of possibility in every moment, but even more so in Twitter. Bloggers, and moms, and marketers, oh my! Really, you can find followers and followees from all walks of life, and with interests that run the gamut. These people are going to be getting into your head, and introducing you to new worlds day by day. Choose accordingly!

First off, click on the Find People tab on your home page (upper right, see it? good!) you might want to follow your irl (in real life) friends. You can search them by name or e-mail address. You can also invite them to join twitter, if you think they’d enjoy the experience.

Next, you’ll want to choose a few terms that indicate shared interests. For me, those terms were mom, mommy, mama, momma, and the dad variations, too. Then yoga. You can either search by terms at http://search.twitter.com/, or you can use the Find People tab again.

When you search your terms, the search will bring up profiles that list terms in the Twitter user name, in a tweeter’s bio, or even sometimes in a tweeter’s tweets. I found pages and pages of members listed on most of the terms I searched.

I chose selectively from the tweeters listed. Some of the parameters I used to decide whether I should follow someone or not were;
* The date they last tweeted - if someone hasn’t been on in months, what are the chances they’ll respond to a follow alert from a stranger?
* What their most recent tweet said; for example, if the tweet said “Why the hell are all these strangers following me? Creepy!?!”, that member is not a likely candidate for community building!
* Their bio, and whether it sounded like we’d be a good match.

Most often I would choose not to follow people with protected updates, but in rare cases I’d risk it and request permission to follow. I recommend that you judge that one on a case-by-case basis.

Another way to find like-minded tweeters is to go to a like-minded tweeters page, and follow the tweeters they follow, and those who follow them. You can see bios by placing your cursor over a tweeter’s name.

I would follow as many tweeters as I felt inspired to in one fell swoop (I think my “following” list got up to around 2000 once), and see who followed back. After a few days, I’d go back check out which tweeters had responded, and go through the evaluation of whether I would keep following tweeters who had followed back, or not.

Through this strategy, I built my list of followers up to over 700 in a matter of days.

5. Ethics for business (and personal) networking:
Some disagree with me on this, but I believe that even - or perhaps especially - if “you” are a business, you should follow in return. Yes, Twitter is free advertising, and it’s SMART advertising – JetBlue, Zappos, Vans and thousands of entrepreneurs can’t be wrong!

But, as always, there needs to be some buy-in. In this case, imnsho (in my not so humble opinion), the buy-in is this; I’ll pay attention to your posts, but I expect you to pay attention to mine, too. It’s a give and take, baby!

Besides, think of the marketing information you’ll be able to gather. Two-way communication with your demographic is just plain smart business sense.

Also, it’s not good manners to follow me, and then turn around and unfollow me when you think I’m not looking. I will come back and check from time to time, to see if those I follow are following me. (I do the same for those who are following me, too. I go and check my followers and make sure I’ve returned the follow.)

Not only that, there are tons of third party systems coming into being that are created to augment the Twitter experience. One of these even helps twitterers keep track of their follower activity. And, there are sure to be more of them as time goes by, and Twitter’s popularity continues to soar to new heights.

There are a few exceptions to the rule, but I generally don’t follow those who aren’t willing to follow me in return. I cast a line out, and if you grab hold I’ll hang on too. However, if there’s no resultant tug on the rope, I’ll reel it back in and cast in another direction.

If you have something amazing to say, and I just can’t live without your voice, I’ll stick around. But I tell you, it’s so much more fun when we can all sing out together!

6. A few easy commands that will be useful to know:
@username: this creates an automatic link to a tweeter’s profile, and alerts the user that you have sent a public post that cites them. If you’re replying to a tweet, including @username (like @yoga_mama) is great. It both promotes the tweeter, and creates a connection between you and the tweeter in question.

#tag: (like #gratitude, #palin, #debate, etc.) makes it easy to search an item, and get all the tweets that are relevant. It’s also is an easy way to see relationships between tweets by multiple tweeters.

rt, or retweet: when you repost someone’s tweet, it’s proper to add “rt @username” and then the retweet. Basically, it’s a way to give credit where credit is due. And again, it promotes tweeters who are tweeting things you appreciate or agree with.

d username: direct messages are the way to send a private note to another tweeter. Remember, it’s “d(space)username(space)message”. You’re only able to “dm” tweeters who are following you.

In closing:
Twitter is a community. In some way more profoundly than any other networking site I’ve ever been part of, the tweeters I follow have worked their way into my heart.

Maybe it’s the often unguarded, haiku-like quality of the “microblogging” experience. Maybe it’s the frequency with which I see the words of a given tweeter. Maybe it’s the fact that the Twitter experience has the contour and context of a conversation drifting in through the kitchen window.

And this in a country (the USA) where we often don’t have a sister or best friend living next door, or a neighbor we could easily ask for advice on a moment’s notice. Much less, hundreds of neighbors, many of whom might send well wishes when you need them, and heartfelt advice when you ask for it. (Or, just like any family, sometimes even when you don’t!)

Twitter has brought us into one another’s living rooms. It’s allowed us to share our vacations, our kid’s Big Game, our successes and heartbreaks.

It’s opened a window into a community that never goes to sleep - tweeters live all over the world, as one tweeter tweets her last missive of the night, another wakes up to a brilliant new day. A community that is always willing to give a shout out, send a smile, talk about politics, and lift one another up in a challenging moment.

Remember this as you build your personal Twitterverse. You are creating a new world, from nothing. Build it, grow it, nurture it with intention and care. And you know, everything will be just right.

About the author:
LaSara FireFox, MPNLP, is a coach, trainer, and published author. LaSara helps clients find balance in their lives, and alignment with their personal and family-held values. She teaches and coaches internationally. She’s wife to an outstanding man, and mom to two brilliant girls.

You can find out more about LaSara at www.lasarafirefox.com. While you’re there, be sure to check out LaSara’s weekly conscious parenting podcast; Yoga Mama Satsangha.

(Please feel free share this article, in its entirety. Repost, send to your list, share with your friends. Please include all links, and LaSara’s bio. Quoting is always welcome, and should be executed in accordance with basic MLA quoting guidelines.)

Related:

So You’re a New Blogger: What Makes Twitter so Hot?

How-To Tips for Incorporating Twitter into Your Daily Business Routine

If you’re one of my Twitter followers, you’ve probably seen my posts lately that my daughter went back to work since having her second child this past August.

Although I do still work full-time at my cubicle job, I’m also very much a work-at-home mom with my Virtual Assistant and other online businesses when I’m not at the office.  I’ve been doing a considerable amount of babysitting this summer for my daughter, and while I love my grandchildren dearly, the responsibility of caring for young children has impacted my ability to work at home during the daytime hours.

For young mommies considering a work-at-home option, the dilemma is even greater.

Working at home is similar to a two sided coin. On one side are the advantages while on the flip side of the coin are the disadvantages. Let’s look at a couple of the main factors that can affect work at home mothers.

One advantage of being a work at home mom is the amount of time you will have to devote to your home business. No time spent stuck in traffic commuting to and from work (unless of course you count the stop off at the coffee pot between the bedroom and the office every morning a traffic jam). You can say goodbye to the eight hour day that quickly turns into ten or more by the time you pick up the kids from daycare and rush home to make supper.

Yes, as a work at home mother you definitely have more time. You will be able to work at your own pace and set your own schedule. Want to go workout at the gym or spend time biking with your children? How about cleaning out that closet? But, wait a minute. What about your home business? Therein lays the potential problem. You DO have lots of time but you will need to manage this time to be able to effectively work from home.

Trying to run a successful business from the home is very time consuming because you generally have to do everything yourself. There’s no co-worker sitting at the desk beside you to confer with on a problem or pick up your slack if you’re just not feeling up to it or don’t understand something.

Another drawback is that because you’re at home, with so many other things clamoring for your attention, it may be difficult to have large blocks of uninterrupted time to spend on your business. There are always lots of things that need doing around the house to consume the time you planned to use for your home business venture.

The second factor that can be both an advantage and a disadvantage is money. Because you’re working at home, you will save money. There will be no need for an extensive wardrobe for work and you won’t have to pay for daily transportation. If your children are not old enough for school, you could save a bundle on daycare.

Of course, there is a downside to this. Because you don’t hold down a regular job in the traditional sense, you won’t have that steady paycheck to depend upon. Nor will you have a benefits package, unless your spouse has one at his place of employment. Until you get your home business going smoothly and more predictably, you probably won’t make much of an income. Even then, unless you can consistently dedicate a significant amount of time to actually working your home business, your income may be much less than what you made at your previous job.

Whether you’re considering starting a blog, opening an eBay store, or exploring any multitude of other business ventures, working at home, just like any other thing in life, has both it’s advantages and disadvantages. Only you can determine whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks making it the right choice for you and your family.

Related:

Are You Ready to Quit Your Day Job ~ Is the Work at Home Life Really Your Cup of Tea?

How to Incorporate Twitter Into Your Daily Business Routine

Get Organized and Profitable for 2009

Free Planning Calendar: This planning calendar is a comprehensive printable planner that can help you organize and plan your business or e-commerce site for more profitability, less stress and even…less work!

Here’s a great freebie that I just heard about and wanted to be sure to pass on to you. If you’re looking to have a more focused, profitable and stress-free 2009 (it’s closer than you think), hurry on over to download it.

It’s put together by Alice Seba, an exceptional Entrepreneur when it comes to running an efficient and profitable online business. She’s put together a printable planning calendar that shows you exactly how to plan out your year to keep a steady income without breaking your back.

Interestingly, it’s called a “Planning Calendar”, but what you’ll be receiving for free is really is a full planner system that you can print out and adapt to your own unique business. It’s a definite must-have and I’ve already grabbed mine.

Get yours with no opt-ins or strings attached HERE.

My one year Blog Anniversary is coming up in about one month ~ and I’ve learned so much in that period of time ~ I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone by.

During that period, I’ve tweaked my online businesses tremendously.  I’ve dropped many affiliate programs and shut down some online business ventures that were just time zappers and getting me nowhere.  Two areas that are still profitable for me are my eBay Store ~ Moomette’s Magnificents, and my newly redesigned CAM Virtual Assistant Services websites.

If you’re a WAHM do you ever feel like you’re working so hard in your online business, but the outcome isn’t changing to match all that effort?

It might just be time for some serious clean up.

It happens to all of us. We build and build and build, and then suddenly we’ve got all this virtual real estate out there. Problem is, we aren’t quite sure what to do with it all or how to leverage our hard work for maximum profitability.

Thankfully, Alice Seba (one of my favorite Internet marketing teachers) has come up with the perfect solution and it’s called: “Spring Cleaning to Maximize the Profitability of Your Online Business.”

This isn’t some flimsy eBook or 10-minute video, but rather a 6-week intensive step-by-step coaching program. It’s designed to help you clean out all the extra stuff that you’ve accumulated, identify and make the most of what’s working in your business and planning for long-term success. You’ll get to work directly with Alice week-by-week and apply these strategies directly to your own unique business. We’re not just talking theory here. You’re going to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, but in a very good way!

See, I’m really excited about this because Alice is the real-deal. She speaks from true experience in her own successful online business. Just the other day, a lady named Rhonda, left an impromptu comment on her blog stating:

“I simply love Alice Seba. I love the way she runs her business. I love her ideas and most of all I love her being my mentor to how I want my business to run. Thank you Alice for your hard work. Can’t wait to keep getting your emails!”

That’s exactly what you get when you work with Alice.   Imagine how much ground I would have gained if I had known about this course before!

If you could use some hands-on help with your Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning, get over to the coaching information page right away. Registration is limted.

Find out more and claim your spot now at: Spring Cleaning Coaching.

Still on the fence? In all my time talking with and working with other online business owners, I’d say one of the biggest barriers to true success is a lack of focus. It keeps us from doing well with any one thing and can cripple us with the stress of having too much going on.

It’s no wonder. The Internet is a source of many distractions and so many ideas that we can easily become overwhelmed with all the little projects we are contemplating or already have on the go.

I know, I’ve been there too. I think we all have and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Alice was offering the 1st lesson of her ultra-successful Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning Coaching …FOR FREE!

There’s no obligation of any kind and you don’t even have to give up your email address to get it. She just posted the download links to her blog.

If you are dying to clear out some of the clutter from your online business to boost profits, get your first lesson “Taking Your Business Inventory” right here.

As soon as I’m done here, I’m going to finish my own inventory. It’s definitely an eye-opener and the first step to a super-focused new year.

Many of my readers know that I’ve set up my online businesses so that they’ll be up and running for when I retire.  I have this blog, my Mama Mentor blog, as well as my Virtual Assistant business and my Boutique Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes where I specialize in hand crafted artisan items.  Additionally, I’m an eBay Power Seller at Moomette’s Magnificents.

My oldest daughter also started her own Virtual Assistant business, and has had to adjust her working hours in order to take care of ‘Lil Moomette, and my 6-week old grandson.

Mothers who earn their living working from home often find themselves the envy of those who hold down “real” jobs, but unless you are one of those moms making your living working from home, you probably aren’t aware of the challenges involved.

So, if you’re thinking of giving up your job to work from home, or maybe you just want to test the waters to see if it’s do-able, here are several factors to take into consideration.

First and foremost, you have to decide what exactly you are going to do to earn money as a home business owner.

Being computer literate certainly opens up many more possibilities, but there are other ways to work from home as well. Your interests and talents should be considered as well as how much of an income you are hoping for.

If you are going to work from home, you should probably be the kind of person who enjoys being somewhat in control.

This means that you need to be comfortable with making decisions and planning your time. With a job, these elements are something you normally don’t have to worry about as it’s already decided and planned for you. As your own boss however, these responsibilities fall squarely on your shoulders. Your decisions directly affect your home business and in turn your bottom line profit.

You must be flexible.

Sometimes you’ll be forced to change and adapt to situations. If you get a phone call to pick up your sick child from school and a deadline is looming, you may need to work through your night out with the girls or forego your eight hours of sleep. On the other hand, if it’s a beautiful, sunny day and the garden beckons, you have the ability to shuffle your day and spend some time puttering in the great outdoors or anything else you may be itching to do.

Time management skills are another extremely crucial factor to work at home success.

There will be no time card to punch, no boss telling you what to do or how much time to spend on a specific task, but you will need to decide how to divide up your working hours so that the majority of your time is spent on completing money earning tasks.
You will have to be able to keep your attention focused for blocks of time. This is one of the most challenging aspects of managing a home business, particularly if there are children present while you are attempting to work. Although it can be difficult, it is possible with a bit of forethought and lots of patience.

Organization goes hand in hand with time management.

Setting up your working space, maintaining a supply of needed materials, using a planner to do both long range and daily planning, and having a bookkeeping system in place, are a few of the important organizational tasks facing the work at home business owner. For a work at home mom, you’ll have to manage and organize your business as well as your family, so be prepared for double the planning.
The nice part about setting up a home business is that it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing type of venture. If you’ve never experienced working at home, why not try setting aside a few hours here and there to see if it’s really for you? This will allow you to try your hand at it before making the major commitment of quitting your current J-O-B.

For more information to get you on the right track, visit Moms Talk Network and Sparkplug University.

Absolutely amazed am I ~ it’s hard to believe that I’ll soon be celebrating my one year “Blogoversary” in November!

I’m continuing to chronicle my experiences into the work-at-home field.  During that almost one-year period, I’ve joined and dropped out of several forums.

The most recent forums that I’m actively involved with have really gotten it right this time.  I’ve gained so many subscribers and followers from Mom Bloggers Club, MUIB and recently, Twittermoms!  Twittermoms is going to get a whole post of it’s own soon.  This new Web 2.0 social networking group is only 2 weeks old, but already has over 500 members!  I’m sure many of you reading this now recognize me as belonging to the “Welcoming Wagon.”

While Twitter can be used as a great social environment for making and staying in touch with friends, it can also be used as a source for self-promotion and gaining new clientele by those who own an online business. The popularity of Twitter makes it a valuable resource every service provider should add to their marketing arsenal. The amount of people who access the Twitter service on a daily basis is immense and the chances that some of those people will need your services at some point or another are high.

Here are five simple ways that service providers can connect with potential clients via Twitter.

1. Users Searching for a Specific Service
One way to gain new clients through the use of Twitter is when someone searches for a specific service they need. If someone comes to Twitter and does a search for a ghostwriter the chances of their search term containing those words is very high, right? So, why not create a page just for your writing services? You can make the username something with the term “ghostwriter” or “writing” in it.

2. Overflow from other Service Providers

The second way you can gain clients via Twitter is to network with other service providers in your niche. By following and interacting with these individuals you are allowing them to contact you should they need assistance with a big project or any overflow work that they don’t have the time to handle themselves.

I was able to make many business connections with Virtual Assistants and attorneys who are looking for Paralegals, and this has enabled me to promote my Virtual Assistant business, as well as being contacted to join legal niche groups.

3. Service Providers Who Need Your Expertise
There are tons of business owners out there who are looking for your expertise to help them get their own business running smoothly. It’s not uncommon to see an Internet marketer on Twitter who has spent all afternoon working on their website and asking for advice or direction on what they need to do to fix this or that. They would probably have been more than willing to hire you to do it for them instead of spending all day doing it themselves.

4. Other Twitter Users Stumbling Upon Your Profile
When people start using Twitter they are looking for like-minded individuals to follow and connect with. When they come across your profile for whatever reason and see that you provide a certain service, it might just remind them that they need help with something. Make sure you have your link readily available to them when they see your page.

My profile indicates that I’m a Baby Boomer WAHM, an online Boutique owner, an eBay store owner and Power Seller, Virtual Assistant, and author of 2 blogs.

5. Word of Mouth
By far the most common way to gain new clients via Twitter is through word of mouth. If your past or current clients are members of the Twitter community, chances are at some point or another they will talk about you and/or your business. Now there is a kick here. As with any other type of service, if yours is bad it’s probably got a good chance of being brought up on Twitter. However, the same rings true for exceptionally great service. Provide your current clients with wonderful service and they will pass the word on about your business every chance they get.

When you’re looking for a way to build your list and make your audience really sit up and notice you, you will find that Twitter can go a long way towards getting the attention your business needs and deserves.

Want to know what I’m doing?  Follow me on Twitter!

I’m getting so excited ~ my Virtual Assistant website is almost ready for my Grand Opening Launch.

As I’m a Paralegal by profession, I’m going to be specializing in VA legal work for attorneys.  I’ve been putting together a list of resources and sites to call upon depending on the nature of the work I’ll be doing.

One of the sites I’ve found is Sentry Link, which provides information on doing a Background Check.

A National Criminal Background Check is a comprehensive criminal check that shows any felonies, misdemeanors or sex offenses at the state and local levels.

In this day and age, many employers, investigators, parents, Boards of Education, school bus companies, and daycare centers rely on a criminal check for this type of information every day to enable them to make informed decisions.

Some family members who’ve been applying for teaching jobs or positions in the social services field have recently had to undergo such investigations.  Background and criminal checks are also used for investigating an individual applying to a quasi-public agency who is going to be responsible for transporting clients.  Oftentimes a special certification is required for a driver’s license.

A background criminal check is also common when appointments are made at the Federal or State level for positions such as Commissioners or Judges.

If you’re a Virtual Assistant ~ bookmark this site!

The Holidays will soon be upon us and we’ll all be in full-swing mode.  Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally signifies the start of the Holiday Shopping Season.  As a work-at-home Boutique online store owner, and also an eBay Power Seller, I’m already getting my inventory ready to move. This will be the first selling season that I’m going to be employing the powers of Twitter to help me out.

Many people look around for good marketing tools to help spread the word about what they do and the Twitter service is gaining a lot of ground as one of the most popular ways to market your online business. For those looking to gain more clients, Twitter is an awesome way to do so. The best part is that it really isn’t all that hard and doesn’t take a ton of time or money to do so.

Maybe you just want to reach more people, or perhaps you’re in a situation where you want to make sure that the people around you understand what it is you do in order to help them decide if they can use your product or services. In any case, have a look at the growing popularity of Twitter.

A combination of a chat or instant messaging service and a micro-blog, Twitter is a great way to gain a broader audience. Simply by being yourself and showing others what it is you do via tweets (messages) or from word-of-mouth from current customers, you stand the chance of gaining more clients.

The thing about Twitter is that the abbreviated length can do you a great service.  You have the chance to convey the information that you need to get across without being too wordy or having potential clients get distracted while looking at your website. Because of this short and to-the-point way of communicating, you have the ability to pique your potential client’s interest so that they will click your links to learn more. Sending them back to your website to learn more about you, the service you provide or the product you sell is what you’re after here.

A case-in-point was when I added an exclusive line of artisan hand-crafted destination bead jewelry to my Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes, I sent an announcement out with a link to the site.
You also have the ability to send potential clients to specific areas of your website in order to find the information they need. This will save them time and that’s always a plus. They want specific information and if you can give it to them with a few words and a link to the direct page on your site with this information, they’ll love you for it. For instance, if you’re a service provider, the next time someone asks you what your rates are, you can send them directly to your rates page to find the answers they need immediately.  As another example, if someone’s looking for low-cost advertising rates, I send them through Tiny URL directly to my Advertising Page.

After you’ve been on Twitter for awhile you’ll start to see the word-of-mouth concept flying around everywhere. If one of your current customers is a member of Twitter and you’ve just returned an awesome project to them, especially if they happen to be chatting on Twitter when they get the email, they will more than likely sing your praises to their followers. Twitter has quickly become a place where many business owners go to ask for recommendations of service providers for certain tasks they need completed. You’ll even find some businesses recruiting Virtual Assistants, or Writers, Blog Installers, Logo Designers and more when they need something done.

Twitter has a viral nature and quickly your name and what you do can be passed on to many people.  If you contribute to conversations and let people know you’re out there, you’ll find that your tweets as well as your website URL will be passed around and shared. Make sure that you take advantage of this positive way to get your name out there.  Many people use Twitter, and you’ll find that this familiarity is one thing that can help you distinguish yourself from the herd.

Here’s a great article from DoshDosh to further explain the benefits of Twitter.

Want to know more about what I’m doing?  Follow me on Twitter and Subscribe to my Newsletter!