You heard it here second!

There are some people who are officially ‘in the know’.

They include:

• people who have joined my Twitter Brilliance priority list
• those who joined me and Keren (from Top Left Design) at our Social Media Workshop in Brighton
• especially observant folk who have noticed the attractive bar across the top of this page. See it?

If you don’t fit into any of these categories I figured it’s time you knew the score.

So, what’s the problem?

When I speak to clients and other small business owners about Twitter, I hear the same issues crop up!

These issues prevent them from making the right connections, presenting their business effectively, finding clients and business opportunities, and sharing their brilliance with the Twitterverse.

Sometimes I meet people who think they’re doing it right, but I can quickly see that they won’t ever succeed.

And, the thing is Twitter isn’t hard!

In fact, when you understand how to overcome these common barriers it’s easy. What I find soooo frustrating is seeing people with awesome ideas to share and great businesses but they’re not reaching the right people.

Which is why I want to share my secrets to help you unlock your Twitter brilliance.

Tuesday 29th May, 8.00pm UK time

(12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern, 9pm Central Europe)

That’s the date and time of my free training webinar.

Stick this date in your diary if you want to join me and learn:

• the 3 stumbling blocks most entrepreneurs face when using Twitter that prevent them from achieving results
• the tools and strategies you need to overcome them. Once you know how to use these, it will open your eyes to the full potential Twitter has to offer
• my 10 minute Twitter Workout (yes, it really only takes 10 minutes to achieve greatness using Twitter)

Oh no, I’m busy that day!

I get it. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and sometimes that’s simply not enough! But don’t worry. If you can’t make that day sign up anyway and I’ll send you the webinar recording, deal?

Reserve your spot using this link:

Sign me up!

And join me to unlock your Twitter brilliance.

RTs are the superhero of tweets – I explain why, when to use them, and the 6 benefits of ReTweeting in my post, The Superhero of Tweets.

In the video below, I show you exactly HOW to use both RT methods and demonstrate:

• the differences between them
• how to spot both types of RT
• the one vital step you must remember when using the original RT

Do You Want To Be Brilliant On Twitter?

My Twitter Brilliance training programme is where I share honest, achievable and must-know methods for boosting your business using Twitter. No BS. Find Out More!

Join the priority list to receive details and more Twitter goodies the moment they’re released. Get On The List

I’m very excited about my next speaking engagement at the Association of Business Psychologists Conference 2012.

The ABP is a charity that represents business psychology by actively championing the benefits of the use of psychology in the workplace.

Their annual conference is a chance for practitioners and academics to share experience, insights, and maintain their professional network over three days in an informal setting.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Shaping our future: Integrity, Insight, Impact’.

For my talk, I’ll be exploring LinkedIn and in particular:

• Why everyone in business needs a LinkedIn profile, including you!
• The key ingredients for a winning profile
• Low maintenance, high return strategies for building your network in just 20 minutes a week

I’ll also be holding informal Twitter sessions throughout the day to answer questions and queries about my favourite networking tool. So expect lots of tweeting from me while at the event using the hashtag #ABP2012.

If you’re attending the conference remember to come say ‘Hi!’ and connect with me on Twitter at @AbsoluteAlicia. You can follow the @ABPsychologists too!

Keren and I are at it again. This time taking our popular, sell out social media workshop to Brighton!

We love helping small business owners and solopreneurs gain clarity about social media and all the benefits it brings. Seeing those ‘lightbulb’ moments in their eyes and watching their progress after our workshops is so exciting for us!

Because we want them to achieve the same social media success we have.

You might be wondering why we’re going on the road away from the safety of the big smoking city. Well, there are lots of reasons…

• we love the seaside
• my favourite food is fish & chips (really!)
• getting out of London is good for us
• long journeys and quiet train carriages are ideal brainstorming spots

But there is another, more important reason…

Here’s Some Background

In December last year, Keren and I were joined at our workshop by Emma and Esme from My Special PA – a bespoke PA agency for creative professionals based in Brighton.

They were ideal delegates because they asked lots of questions (we love that).

What’s more, by the end of the day they could see the benefits social media would have on their business and implemented the ideas we shared with them.

This Is What Happened Next. They Noticed:

• A large increase in Twitter followers
• Their followers changed from competitors and spammers to potential clients and useful contacts
• An increase in web traffic and web form enquiries
• An increase in new business
• An increase in ‘Likes’ and interaction on their Facebook page
• A remarkable increase in confidence in using these invaluable and FREE platforms for marketing their business
• A significant decrease in the time spent tweeting, posting and blogging

Emma and Esme took a day away from their clients and travelled to London to invest in their business because they couldn’t get the reliable information on social media they needed in Brighton.

And after they achieved results following our workshop, they knew other Brighton and East Sussex based businesses would benefit too.

So they asked if we could take our workshop on tour and bring our advice, knowledge, tips and tools with us.

And, We Said: Oh YEA!

Here’s what others had to say about our last workshop:

So, are you ready to learn honest insights for using social media to find more customers and raise your profile? Then join Keren and I for our interactive, practical and content packed day.

Or, if you know about this stuff already, please share with your friends who might need some social media help.

(Emma and Esme will be there too, as well as lots of other local based business owners.)

In it I explain

• Why being followed by complete strangers on Twitter is a good thing
• Why Twitter’s open, no gate-keeper policy makes it the most social place online
• The two-step process for starting genuine connections with your followers

Do You Want To Be Brilliant On Twitter?

My Twitter Brilliance training programme is where I share honest, achievable and must-know methods for boosting your business using Twitter. No BS. Find Out More!

Join the priority list to receive details and more Twitter goodies the moment they’re released. Get On The List

It’s the superhero of tweets and has amazing powers that other tweets just don’t have.

Admittedly, it’s a bit tricky to get your head around but let’s break it down…

What Is An RT?

The act of ReTweeting is when you take someone else’s tweet and forward it to your followers while crediting the source.

This RT is seen by you, the person who sent the original message and your followers.

That means their tweet is seen by an entirely new audience. You extend their reach in the Twitterverse and it paves the way for them to connect with other likeminded tweeters.

This simple act of sharing is mighty generous. Consider how many tweets are sent a day, and how many go through your newsfeed. For you to pick one that you feel is worth your time and endorse it to others is a great compliment to the originator of the tweet. (Every compliment deserves a thank you, so when it’s your turn to get RTd remember to give thanks).

Equally, through your recommendation you announce to your followers that ‘this message is worth a look’ and the tweet is immediately propelled in stature. That’s because we are much more likely to take notice of an endorsement from someone we know.

The Anatomy Of An RT

There are two types: the original manual RT and the automatic RT.

You’re probably wondering why this is. It’s because RTing started as a user generated trend that got SO powerful and popular Twitter decided to include it as an official feature. Having two types of RTs can make things even more confusing especially as there are big differences between the two…

Here’s How You Spot An RT

1. The Original RT

Before Twitter created the auto RT, tweeters relied on the manual RT which consists of copying and pasting the original message.

Most social media manager tools (like Hootsuite) give you the option to easily create the original RT with one click. This plus their unwavering popularity is why they still exist.

You can identify an original RT because the message will start with ‘RT’ followed by a username, like the image below:

Breakdown: Jon Holloway (@jonthedots) has manually RTd @Greenwellys original tweet and added his own message (highlighted in yellow).

The benefit of the original RT is that you can include your own sentiment or opinion to the message, just like Jon has, plus the message displays your profile picture (this is good because other tweeters recognise you in their newsfeed as the retweeter of the message, raising your profile).

The Auto RT

This is the quickest way to RT – it’s a 1-click process – easy! It’s the feature adopted by Twitter.com in 2009.

This option doesn’t allow you to edit the original message, and when it appears in the newsfeed the originator’s profile picture is displayed (which can be confusing as people often wonder why an unrecognisable profile has crept into their newsfeed) and your name is included below the message ‘ReTweeted by [name]’, like this one:

Breakdown: Anne Samoilov RTd Marie Forleo (@marieforleo) using the auto RT. Marie’s profile picture is displayed as the source and Anne is credited below the tweet.

When Do You RT?

Normally you’d RT a tweet if you think it would be of interest to your followers (like a Share on Facebook). That could be

• A useful article – someone else’s (you wouldn’t normally RT your own article but there is an exception to this rule, explained below)
• A breaking news story
• Something funny or inspirational – like a quote or really funny joke, video or photo
• News of an amazing event or super special offer

But there are other uses:

• to keep the context of a conversation (although this is not used as often these days because it’s much easier to see the conversation thread than it used to be)
• for a little sprinkle of PR or self promotion (this should be done sparingly and with caution)

Breakdown: Alyssa Aldersley (@alyssaaldersley) has manually RTd my original endorsement/thank you tweet and added her text (highlighted in yellow) – a subtle sprinkle of self promotion shows some PR savvy.

Six Big Benefits, One Action

RTing has lots of benefits all rolled in to one action:

1. You’re agreeing (or disagreeing) with the sentiment in the message (so people get to know you better)
2. Sharing useful stuff with your followers (which makes you an interesting person to connect with)
3. Showing your generosity (and people like that as a trait so it raises your like and trust factor)
4. Aligning yourself with the originator of the tweet (this can boost your kudos, while getting you noticed by people you want to connect with. For example, the originator of the tweet)
5. Being seen in the newsfeed of your followers (this raises your profile)
6. And, for the times when you haven’t got anything interesting to say (it’s ok, we’ve all been there) it gives you something to tweet!

See? A Superhero tweet! RTing is a cool thing to do, and when someone RTs your tweet you can benefit from these RT superpowers too.

To learn the two ways to ReTweet, take a look at this short video: How to ReTweet

Do You Want To Be Brilliant On Twitter?

My Twitter Brilliance training programme is where I share honest, achievable and must-know methods for boosting your business using Twitter. No BS. Find Out More!

Join the priority list to receive details and more Twitter goodies the moment they’re released. Get On The List

But there is a fifth.

It’s something we refer to in the social media workshop I present with Keren Lerner at Top Left Design.

Here they are:

Denial

We’ve all been here.

Wondering why anyone would be interested in telling the world what they had for breakfast. Or why anyone would want to listen? (Hint: they don’t). You meet enough connections at networking events, why add another level of complexity to your day?

Curiosity

Usually lured in by your favourite Tweeting celeb, a breaking news story, or social media addict at your networking club, you take a peek…

And, just like the sailors who were called to the rocky coastline by the enchanting sirens in ancient Greek mythology, you slowly get drawn in to the Twitter time suck…

A-HA!

You get it! You begin to see the potential of Twitter.

It can be quite a leap, take a number of failed attempts (and a lot of time sucking if you learn the DIY way).

You see how others share information and connect with like minds through cocktail party type chats. And when it flows in your direction you know you must be doing something right…

Obsession

Do you Tweet when out at social functions?
Do you check your Twitter stream the moment you wake up?
Do you think in 140 characters?

You’ve reached the obsessive stage.

Don’t worry, it passes but it’s a crucial part of the Twitter journey.

This is when you really start to flourish. Freely moving around Twitter, making valuable connections and doing business. Your traffic to your website begins to rise with Twitter being one of the top sources.

Like Breathing

Soon enough, Tweeting becomes just another part of your day.

You build it in to your schedule and rely on it for business development. Nurturing the relationships you make on Twitter, taking them off line, where they develop into long term business connections.

You no longer look at the blank space where you’re profound tweet should go and worry ‘what shall I write?’ – it comes naturally, just as any other conversation does.

Are You Using Twitter To Its Full Potential?

But even when Twitter is like beathing using it to its full potential can remain a mystery to many.

And reaching that point can take a loooong time.

Your messages could be stronger, the time spent there could be less and navigating to find the right people and opportunities could be A LOT easier.

That’s why I recommend having a system and structure to your Twitter use, because time (and how you spend it) is precious to the solopreneur and small business owner.

Be Brilliant on Twitter!

My Twitter Brilliance training programme is where I share honest, achievable and must-know methods for boosting your business using Twitter. No BS. Find Out More!

Join the priority list to receive details and more Twitter goodies the moment they’re released. Get On The List

Image credit: Marla at ScarletBits

This is a guest post by online marketing whiz, Liz Lockard. You can read more about Liz at the bottom of this post.

First, I found Facebook irresistable. Then, I fell in love with Twitter. Now, I’m getting curious about Google+ and Pinterest.

But as a small business owner, I find it hard to find the balance between being active on social networks and having social media edge out the actual business doing of my business. Let alone making time for marketing in general.

How do we decide how and where to spend our time on social networks?

Sure, you could follow general observations like creatives are on Pinterest and techies are on Google+ but what about your specific audience? Your specific tweets and posts? Where are they working? What’s bringing traffic back to your website?

My answer for you, Ms. or Mr. Small Business Owner, is simple

Google Analytics.

YES it’s that simple. NO it’s not too techie for you – I’m going to walk you through it.

(Don’t have Google Analytics setup yet? Check out my Google Analytics tutorial for a simple 3-step walkthrough).

First: Decide what website activity is important to your business

If you’re selling products, perhaps it’s an online purchase. If you sell advertising space on your blog, perhaps it’s time spent on your site. Or for almost any business, perhaps it’s newsletter sign-ups.

Whatever it is, take the time to set this up as a conversion goal in Google Analytics.

Why do this?

Because I want you to spend your time on social media sites that are sending you traffic that’s good for your business. A lot of traffic that spends little to no time on your site or never signs up for anything is not good for business.

Second: check out your Google Analytics traffic sources

Once you start tracking these business goals for your site, you can use Google Analytics traffic source data to see which social media sites are sending you converting traffic. [Converting traffic = traffic that’s completing your designated Analytics goals]

You’ll want to wait to make any decisions on this until you have enough data to start to see trends (this could be one month or more, depending on your site’s traffic).

To see what traffic sources are giving you converting traffic, check out your Goals report. To access that report, simply:

1. Once logged in to Google Analytics, click Conversions on the left
2. Click Goals
3. Click Overview
4. On the righthand side, make sure Source/Medium is selected under Goals

And Voila! You can see exactly what sources are giving you converting traffic. Check out a screenshot from my own site data below for newsletter conversion goals.

You can see that Facebook has been the largest social media contributor of conversion traffic for my site during this time period. However both Twitter and Google+ have also sent me converting traffic.

(Wondering about all those direct/none? You likely have quite a few of these for your site as well. Blue Liner does a good job of describing what that could mean in this post.)

Looks like I won’t be giving up Facebook, Twitter or Google+ anytime soon! Other sources you might see in this report include but are not limited to paid and organic search, referral sites and campaigns (like email newsletters) you’ve integrated with Google Analytics.

Of course, being on the right sites is just one piece of the conversion puzzle. You may also want to try to write better for conversion or to increase conversions with design.

What about you?

Do you know what social media sites are giving you the best traffic? Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

Liz Lockard is an online marketing consultant who helps small businesses get more traffic and conversions on the web. Grab a free copy of her Top 3 Marketing Mistakes Small Business Owners Make With Their Websites at LizLockard.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lizlockard.

What do you think? Do you promote your own stuff on Twitter? Let me know in the comments below. And please share on your favourite social networks if you agree!

Do You Want To Be Brilliant On Twitter?

My Twitter Brilliance training programme is where I share honest, achievable and must-know methods for boosting your business using Twitter. No BS. Find Out More!

Join the priority list to receive details and more Twitter goodies the moment they’re released. Get On The List

I have to admit I’m really excited about it. But it presents a MASSIVE change for Pages so it’s no wonder business owners are tearing their hair out at another typical Facebook difficult-to-manage manuever.

Instead of doing a huge post about all the changes I wanted to focus on one at a time. Starting with the most prominent. The Cover Photo.

Below you’ll find creative ideas, what you can’t include in your Cover Photo and need to know details to get it looking just right.

Let’s dive in!

What Exactly Is The Cover Photo Anyway?

The Cover Photo is the most prominent area of your Facebook Page and the first thing people will see when they visit your Page.

It spans the width at the top and the idea is to display a unique image to express what your Page is about.

It’s an ideal place for an image that visually represents you and your business – something that is unique and striking to draw people in. And, as default landing tabs have gone (y’know the welcome tab that encouraged users to like the page) – your Timeline is where everyone will land when they visit your Page.

Important Cover Photo Guidelines

With this new design Facebook included some strict guidelines on what you can’t include in your cover photo. Here are the details lifted straight from Facebook’s Terms & Conditions:

• Price or purchase info, such as ‘40% off’ or ‘Download it at our website’
• Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address or information that should go in your Page’s About section
• References to Facebook features or actions, such as ‘like’ or ‘share’ or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features
• Calls to action, such as ‘Get it now’ or ‘Tell your friends’

Pretty tough, eh?

So, What Will Happen If You Ignore These Rules?

Facebook DO take pages down, and if they do that to yours it will cause you a whole heap of hassle – save yourself the trouble and follow the guidelines.

Besides, the new design and rules gives us business owners a chance to show why our business is unique and is a whole lot more creative and visually appealing than flashy slogans and sales messages. The alternative is pretty unimaginative so let’s embrace it!

Let’s Have A Look At Some Creative Brand Pages…

Starbucks. Feature: Approachability, Behind The Scenes

Starbucks have used a picture of their team – all in their Starbucks green t-shirts.

Your team might not be as big as theirs but this is a great way to show off some personality and provide a little peek behind the curtain.

This idea can shine a spotlight on the people who are your business – those that make it running like clockwork day to day. Particularly if you have a product or service based business online or you don’t communicate with your clients face to face.

Macy’s Department Store. Feature: Reputation, Stature

Macy’s Department Store are highlighting their history with this fabulous photo of the store and billboard.

This image says it all – the world’s largest store that’s been around for a llllong time. A must place to visit if you’re ever lucky enough to be to NYC.

I’m not sure if it’s still the largest store in the world, but it’s still a great image…

Oh, and check out the little handle connected to the Profile Picture in the left hand corner – it makes a carrier bag – clever!

Swedish Hasbeens. Feature: Your Products

If you’re a fan of clogs then you’ll know about Swedish Hasbeens – I had to add this as a hat tip to my Swedish background.

The cover photo portrays their history and heritage with the forties style imagery and Swedish flag. Plus most importantly, they are displaying their new season shoe designs.

This is a great idea if you’re a product based business. Let’s see you stuff!

The Bowery Mission. Feature: Your Great Work

You might not have a product but you can show us what you do do – your services. The Bowery Mission have chosen a moving image showing them in action.

Choc’s Children. Feature: Your Values

How cute is this!? You might now know what Choc’s Children do by their Cover Photo, but you know they love kids (and pictures of kids or animals usually sparks interest and warmth in people). What they do is covered in the About section.

Tamsin Fox-Davies. Feature: Who You Help

Another cute one, this time from Tamsin Fox-Davies, London’s favourite small business marketing mentor.

This is a perfect idea if you’re a small consultancy business. Demonstrating who you help, why you do it and a sprinkle of personality will immediately draw people to you. And, if you know Tam you’ll know she’s a big dog lover.

Livestrong. Feature: Branding, Featuring Other Content

Livestrong is my favourite. Not just because I’m a massive Lance Armstrong and Tour de France fan but what they’ve done here is genius.

They’ve used their very strong branding – the yellow ribbon in the main cover photo to draw the eye down to the Apps section and their blog in particular.

Remember the guidelines – no arrows pointing from the cover photo to any of the other Facebook features. They’ve got around this in a very clever way without using any words or arrows at all – just simple imagery. I love this!

Alicia Cowan. Feature: Action, Fun

And last of all, I’ve included mine!

I’m probably just on the edge of the rules here and I’m not sure if Facebook will like it. But I figured ‘thumbs up’ have been around a lot longer than Facebook ‘likes’!

I’ve used an image to generate action and having a leetle bit of fun with it too. Afterall, Facebook is a social network and your Page should show your fun side.

I’ve included my logo but no tag line – saving that for the important About section. That along with my Page name makes it clear what my Page is about.

More Ideas For Your Cover Photo

Once you’ve got people to Like your Page you want to keep their attention by making your Page a destination for them.

Did you know you can change your cover photo as often as you like?

If you’re business is seasonal, you release products regularly, you want to celebrate holidays or other milestones like company birthdays – then this is an ideal strategy for you.

But whatever business you’re in – it’s a good idea to change up your Cover Photo to keep your Page looking fresh.

And remember, each time you change your cover photo, you’ll draw attention to your page because this action is posted to your Wall and in your subscribers’ Newsfeed.

You could make a regular feature by changing it each month if you’re a design agency or even getting your customers involved by displaying their images, nice things they say about you or asking them to vote on the next image.

There are SO many things you can do!

More Important Details For Your Cover Page

The space for your image is 851 x 315 pixels.

You want to use this size to make sure your image is sharp and clear. You don’t want it looking fuzzy or stretched out. Ewww!

I’ve heard that the minimum width you need is 399 pixels to avoid the image being stretched but I suggest going for the ideal size if possible.

To Change Your Cover Photo All You Need To Do Is…

• hover over the right hand area of the display
• a drop down menu will appear giving you the option to upload from your computer or the images from your Facebook Page
• Select your image and move in to the correct position

Job done!

Want More Facebook Timeline Ideas?

Then grab yourself a copy of our webinar recording that explores all the important features and how you can use them for your Facebook Page. You can get the recording and bonus materials right here: Pimp Your Facebook Page