Continuing my little expose on how I’m doing in wally world as a WAHM, I’m going to further expound on my adventures in Twitterville.

First, I’m going to say this work-at-home Gram from Dysfunction Junction, CT is finding it’s a ton of fun ~ I enjoy getting the little pop-ups on Twitterfox, and getting to know the personalities of all my Tweeps.  While working late at night, I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the Olympics.  However, there’s one gal who updates regularly, every 10 minutes or so, on what exactly has been going on!  She’s so entertaining (besides being the author of a terrific blog, Send Chocolate, that I suggested last night that she bottle all the commentary on the Olympics into an eBook!

But I digress.  Seriously, Twitter is an excellent platform for micro-blogging and marketing your product, be it a blog, service, eBay store or mission.

If you find yourself in a position that you need to understand your target customer as well as keep up with various ways of marketing to those potential customers, Twitter is one of the most powerful and popular tools out there right now!  This new type of network communication has been taken up by companies and individuals alike in recent months and for good reason.

To get a better understanding of Twitter, let’s first take a look at the format.  Essentially, Twitter is a program that allows you to make very small, public posts.  Because these posts are so limited (they max out at 140 characters) they can easily be sent to a number of different locations all at once.  When you have written a Twitter, it can appear on the twitter website, on short message services, instant messaging sites or even on third-party applications like Facebook or Twitterific.  Folks can even add a script to their blog or website to show their most recent posts and the posts of others!   I have a blue widget box on my right sidebar.   Your Twitter messages, also known tweets, will appear to anyone who has chosen to follow your updates.

There are several advantages to this type of communication.  The first thing that you’ll discover is that it allows for a much more immediate relay of information.  The shortness of the message forces you to be very brief, and this alone can create interest in those reading.  Because tweets are so short, they often lead to frequent posting, which is excellent when you’re looking to communicate with people and to get to know them.  While Twitter is, by default, public, you can restrict the people who see your material with the ease of checking a box in your profile.

Actually, although I rarely have to do this, last night and so far tonight have been the exception.  I believe it’s a full-moon this week, and true to form, the crazies are coming out of the walls.  I, along with a few of  my fellow Tweeps, have had to block several people.  If these folks have a trillion people that they’re following, and only 1 or 2 followers of their own and no website listed - that’s a sure sign of a Spammer or bored teen, and an instant BLOCK.  But don’t let that discourage you.  It happens in e-mail programs too.

You’ll find that not only can you post tweets, you can also receive them.  Once again, the immediate nature of this service lends greatly to its appeal.  Want to follow someone’s updates and see what they are up to with their business or life in general? Simply sign into your Twitter account, type in their Twitter address or username and click the “Follow” button.  That’s all there is to it!

The amount of time that’s spent reading the messages is very short, and you can be in contact with people a great deal more than you otherwise might be. In essence, you can get to know each other much more quickly than if you were just reading each others blogs or profiles.  The look and feel of an instant messaging service helps add to this ability.  Think about it for a minute, do you feel more connected to those on your messenger list than the blogs you read? Twitter is the same way.

I used Twitter extensively this week with my website designer for my Virtual Assistant website.  We both are on Twitter and when I sent her an e-mail either responding to her design questions, or making suggestions on the site design myself, I sent her a Tweet to let her know that ‘you’ve got e-mail.’  Simple!

For many, whether they’re looking for friends, clients, or someone to help them out with a problem or workload, getting in touch with others is important.  With Twitter it’s never been easier!

Don’t forget to Follow Me!

Are you looking for more traffic to your Blog, online e-Store or eBay Store?  Have you jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet? If not, read on!

I signed up just recently and I’m having so much fun! Not only have I met new friends, but I find that it’s the perfect medium to stay on top of things. It’s also really easy to communicate with my fellow bloggers that I’ve met through Entrecard.  Hey ~ even this Baby Boomer tries to stay ahead of the curve on all the latest technology!  Here’s why I think it’s great for WAHMs to use to promote your online businesses, blogs or eBay business.

Whether you are just getting started with an online business or you have been around for a while and looking for a new way to network, have a look at Twitter. Part chat program and part tiny blog, you will find that the Twitter interface is one that can change the way you interact with your current customers and potential customers worldwide.

Here’s 5 reasons why Twitter’s a powerful marketing tool for online WAHM business owners like you.

1. It’s Short, Sweet & To the Point
Have you ever heard the phrase, less is more? You’ll find that one of the best things about Twitter is that it keeps all messages very short and sweet. You’ll have to give your customers and clients the gist of what is going on in short tweets (messages similar to instant messages) that allow their interest to be piqued in such a way as to make them investigate further. You won’t bother them with long-winded messages that make them yawn and move on. Instead, you’ll be able to catch their attention quickly and make them want to know more.

2. Immediacy
Much like a blog or an RSS feed, you can get access to the people that use Twitter regularly. In some ways, this is like making sure that you can reach them no matter where they are, and you’ll find that this is very important when you want to make marketing one of your biggest priorities. You’re making sure that they have all of the latest updates to what you are doing and what’s going on by simply sending a tweet their way.

3. Everyone’s Doing It
In many ways, Twitter is a social program more than it is a marketing one, and you’ll find that using Twitter can help you feel a great deal closer to your client base and other’s in your online community. If you are looking to make sure that they see you as a person rather than as simply a company or service, you’ll find that Twitter encourages them to think of you as someone they can get to know. This can be very important when it comes to establishing a customer base and customer loyalty.

4. You Get to Hear a Lot
Remember that it goes both ways; you can put information out on Twitter and you can also learn a lot too. By following other’s Twitter accounts, especially if it looks like they have a lot to offer, you can keep in the know about various products, services, and other happenings online. This can be a great way to keep an eye on what is going on in order to keep yourself in the know of your industry.

5. Make Them Laugh
You can also use Twitter to tease people a little bit, in a fun way, of course! When you use Twitter, you have to keep your messages short, and in many ways, a little mysterious. Pique their interest, joke around, and you’ll find that you gain a lot more followers and hopefully website traffic and customers as a result.

Be warned, just as with any other social networking site, Twitter can quickly become addicting if you let it. Don’t go overboard and get so involved in all the tweeting that it takes away from your intended purpose. Used wisely Twitter can be a great and powerful marketing tool to help create online business success.

Sign up for my Newsletter for more updates about Twitter.

Want to know what I’m doing now?  Just read my Twitter Box on my right-hand sidebar!  Follow Me!

As a Baby Boomer, I’m trying to get my “ducks in a row” and develop a supplemental source of income for my pending retirement.

As a professional Paralegal for over 30 years, I established CT Paralegal Virtual Assistant Services.

This week I was interviewed by the Connecticut Law Tribune, and I’m very excited and would like to share that interview with you. You can read the entire article HERE.

Currently I’m in the process of having a new web-site makeover, and switching to a new host for my Virtual Assistant site, so stay tuned!

If you think being a Work At Home Mom is something you’d like to do and and are looking for information on starting a  Virtual Assistant Business; are looking for a Guide to Writing for Pay, or perhaps a Proofreading Guide, check out these links or visit Moms Talk Network for more information on how to get going.

As many of my readers are aware, I’m a work-at-home mom trying to retire from my full-time job. At the moment, I have about 5 different ecommerce businesses. Currently I host my Virtual Assistant website on Freewebs.

By the end of this year, I’m hoping to redesign my VA site and move it over to a new web hosting service. Before I make any permanent decisions, I’m going to check out Web Hosting Geeks.

I’ll be able to do some comparison shopping for services that best fit my hosting needs, and read up on all the reviews they offer. The way the economy is currently struggling, I’ll be looking for some sites that offer best budget hosting.

This site is definitely bookmarked for when I’m ready to choose!

As a WAHM eBiz owner and eBay Power Seller, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to promote my businesses.

Since I’ve started blogging, I’ve met many wonderful new people and been exposed to some new avenues for ideas.

Recently I joined the Mom Bloggers Club. If you’re thinking about starting a blog, Mom Bloggers offers Mom Blogging 101 to show you how! You can also set up your own Home Page, stop by other blogger’s pages and add them as friends. There’s also specific interest groups you can join, or even find a new hobby or interest! There’s groups for bloggers who Twitter, are Virtual Assistants, have websites, are Christian Mom Bloggers, Word Press and Blogger Tech Support Groups, and more!

Stop by and add me as a friend!

One of the goals of this blog is to provide credible information to WAHMs. I consistently see questions crop up frequently on several of the social networking sites and forums that I belong to from members asking where to find affordable, cheap web hosting for their home based businesses.

As a WAHG, I originally started out selling on eBay with a store, where I quickly became a Power Seller. I then decided to open my own boutique online ebiz to sell handcrafted items and vintage collectibles. Finding an affordable web host with tech support, load time and bandwith was very important to me.

I’d like to tell all Moms, Dads, and Grams who are considering opening their own online ecommerce sites about this site discussing  cheap web hosting which provides all the reference points you need to know, as well as information about web hosting specifications and tutorials concerning finding affordable, cheap web hosting.

After perusing the site, I think you’ll find that you’ll have a good background to determine what’s right for your needs. Additionally, you can comparison shop for web host information at Web Hosting Rating. Check it all out.

Moomettesgram’s Musings is proud to offer this special graphic award to Super WAHM-owned Websites!

Celebrating how far Women have come - and how much farther they can go!

Here’s to all the recognition that women have sought to achieve and deserve!

Once you have won please link back to http://moomettesgramsmusings.com

What is a Best WAHM Website?

You must have your own WAHM or WAHG Website, Blog and address.

No Affiliate Websites will be considered.

No Adult Party sites will be considered.

You must have an ecommerce, ebiz website or blog that is 100% Family Oriented.

Your website or blog must be easy to navigate and interesting.

Your website or blog must offer specific products and/or information, or interesting, informative advice specifically targeting women, families, Working Moms (or Dads), WAHM or WAHG, or Baby Boomers, without pop up ads, or Splash Pages.

You must permanently place your Award in a prominent place on either your home page, or Award Page, and be able to link back to http://moomettesgramsmusings.com

Periodic site checks will be done. Any site that doesn’t have the award posted as indicated above will be removed from the Award Winner List.

Please email us at:

moomettesmagnificents06@yahoo.com

CLICK HERE TO VISIT PAST AWARD WINNERS

A new highlight of my Blog will be featuring and offering site reviews of WAHM (Work-At-Home Mom) eBiz ventures. I would like to try to offer a “Best Of WAHM Site Award” Banner to a WAHM who’s site has been featured.

It’s great to see so many young women taking the plunge and becoming business owners and self-employed. This was essentially not an option when I was younger!

I’d like to start out by letting you know about a young, WAHM who is venturing into the Virtual Assistant services field.

Erin Hall has recently launched her EH Virtual Assistant Services website. Proud mom of a toddler daughter, Erin and her husband are expecting their second child . Describing herself as a team player and Varsity College Lacrosse Letter Winner, Erin’s drive and determination are certain to assure this mompreneur success in whatever she sets out to accomplish!

A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients …Wikpedia

Erin holds a B.S. in Communication, concentrating in Advertising and Marketing, with a Minor in Business Administration. Erin is experienced in all aspects of the sales and marketing area, with extensive experience in the Advertising and Pharmaceutical fields.

A sampling of the services that EH Virtual Assistant Services is able to offer are:

- Marketing/Advertising /Cold Calling/Mailings

- Business Promotion/Event Promotion & Conference Planning

- Advertising Copy and Articles

- Press Releases

- Creation of Training Materials

- Consulting Services

- Travel Arrangements

As each business has a different budget and need, one can request a free initial consultation.

Please take a moment to visit Erin’s site and see what areas she may be able to assist you with in your business!

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If you would like the opportunity to be a featured WAHM on my blog, please drop me a note or comment to have your WAHM site or Blog reviewed and be considered for an Award Banner!

I recently did a post about the sluggish economy and how it might affect businesses. I’m a Bronze eBay Power Seller, as well as an affiliate independent consultant for several companies, and recently formed a Virtual Assistant Services ebiz.

Whenever I package an item to ship to my eBay customers, I cross-promote my Shoppes site and the companies that I rep for and include my business cards.  In order to qualify to be a Bronze Power Seller, I have to sell a minimum of 100 items per month. That’s quite a few business cards that I hand out ~ and that’s just to my eBay customers alone!

Though various eBay forums and business forums I belong to, I found out about Vista Print. Vista Print is a once-stop source for all your promotional business needs. I get many of my company business cards for FREE! There’s a wide selection of nicely designed templates that you can customize to personalize your cards and make them ‘your own.’ There’s also the opportunity to upload your own logos to design your business cards. Vista Print has a category design for everything – boutiques, mineral makeup, spa, beauty, gardening services, house cleaning services – you name it, they have it!

Additionally, VistaPrint offers a wide array of very affordable printing services including:, checks, rubber stamps, announcements, and car magnets! They even offer window decals. You can customize all of their products to your liking!

Since many are free, I order often, and leave my card in  the establishments I patronize: local hairdresser; restaurants; banks; and also supply the whole family with cards to pass out to anyone they think might be interested in my businesses! Grow your business with Vista Print!