I’m still a newbie tweeter really. Though in the minds of some, I’m light years ahead of the pack. Is a few months in Twitterland the same as dog years? Might be.

Truth is, I only joined the Twitter fray a few months ago, and I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t hooked right away. In the beginning, like many I suppose, I wondered what all the hub bub was about. Quite frankly, I sort of scratched my head and said huh? I don’t get it. Why do I want to know what people are doing today. I suspect I’m like a lot of people who are being exposed to Twitter for the first time.

Technology – while cool – is really an enabler in that it helps you achieve some specific result. I think that’s exactly why some people scratch their head and wonder how in the world can Twitter be used as a business tool. Technology is only beneficial if it can help you accomplish a business purpose and plan. Don’t have either of those? Don’t bother with the technology then, because well…you’ll just waste a lot of precious time.

I want to build my network, share information, make connections for colleagues who have expertise that I don’t, and who are people that I admire a lot. Ultimately, I believe that value added approach will lead to growth in my own business. Soooo… in the beginning, I just didn’t see the business value of tweetin’ away aimlessly with short little messages about what I was doing right now. After taking some time to observe those people who clearly got it – like Gary Vaynerchuk – the benefits and the implications of using Twitter technology began to dawn on me.

I definitely get it!

But if you are still one of those people who thinks that Twitter doesn’t mean business then you need to read the story of Gary Vaynerchuck aka @garyvee on Twitter who just signed a seven-figure, 10-book deal with Harper Studio.

It’s a great story of someone who built a huge following (more than 145,000 people, including me!) tweeting information of value to others. Publishers have finally begun to “get it” – to understand – that having an internet platform and an army of built-in followers is a critical element to the publishing success of any new book endeavor.

While you might think that Gary’s win is the result of pure luck, perfect timing or some “get rich quick” scheme…the truth is that he’s worked darn hard to get where he’s at. He deserves this achievement, and I say, good for you, Gary!

I’m still a newbie tweeter really. Though in the minds of some, I’m light years ahead of the pack. Is a few months in Twitterland the same as dog years? Might be.

Truth is, I only joined the Twitter fray a few months ago, and I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t hooked right away. In the beginning, like many I suppose, I wondered what all the hub bub was about. Quite frankly, I sort of scratched my head and said huh? I don’t get it. Why do I want to know what people are doing today. I suspect I’m like a lot of people who are being exposed to Twitter for the first time.

Technology – while cool – is really an enabler in that it helps you achieve some specific result. I think that’s exactly why some people scratch their head and wonder how in the world can Twitter be used as a business tool. Technology is only beneficial if it can help you accomplish a business purpose and plan. Don’t have either of those? Don’t bother with the technology then, because well…you’ll just waste a lot of precious time.

I want to build my network, share information, make connections for colleagues who have expertise that I don’t, and who are people that I admire a lot. Ultimately, I believe that value added approach will lead to growth in my own business. Soooo… in the beginning, I just didn’t see the business value of tweetin’ away aimlessly with short little messages about what I was doing right now. After taking some time to observe those people who clearly got it – like Gary Vaynerchuk – the benefits and the implications of using Twitter technology began to dawn on me.

I definitely get it!

But if you are still one of those people who thinks that Twitter doesn’t mean business then you need to read the story of Gary Vaynerchuck aka @garyvee on Twitter who just signed a seven-figure, 10-book deal with Harper Studio.

It’s a great story of someone who built a huge following (more than 145,000 people, including me!) tweeting information of value to others. Publishers have finally begun to “get it” – to understand – that having an internet platform and an army of built-in followers is a critical element to the publishing success of any new book endeavor.

While you might think that Gary’s win is the result of pure luck, perfect timing or some “get rich quick” scheme…the truth is that he’s worked darn hard to get where he’s at. He deserves this achievement, and I say, good for you, Gary!

As I started dipping my toe into the social media waters, I found myself intrigued by what I observed happening. The first few years I watched people blogging, I thought “what’s the point?” Why would anyone care about my personal life, and why would I want to post it out in cyberspace anyway?

Blogging for Business

Fast forward a few years, and I began to notice how people were using it for business. Sharing their thoughts, ideas and comments about…well…about anything you can imagine. So, I tried it myself. Honestly, it didn’t last long! Deciding I wasn’t good at it, I gave it up.

It nagged at me though. Using a blog for business was still a great idea, and I knew it. But I was uncomfortable with it. At the time, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was bothering me about the whole thing. But after watching and observing others in the blogisphere, I landed on my answer.

Be Real

In the beginning, I tried to sanitize everything. Authenticity was lacking. My voice wasn’t coming through, because I kept worrying what other people would think.What if they didn’t like me? Would I be turning off potential clients by my comments? What if my writing sucked? How could I present my message without sounding like I was trying to “sell”? And then it finally dawned on me that the way to succeed with blogging is to just be who I am. Barb, plain and simple.

Build Relationships

I’m a people person, in that I really like people! Might seem funny to say, but there are people out there not too thrilled with having to interact with the rest of the human race. Not me.

People fascinate me. I love learning about them. What makes them tick? How did they come up with that amazing business idea? Where did they come from and how did they get to where they are now? I genuinely want to know. That’s probably why I’ve always loved sales, because being a great sales person is nothing more than building relationships with people. And the best way that I know to do that, is to sincerely care about who they are. Then, do your darnedest to help them solve whatever problem it is that they have. That’s it.

More than 25 years of consultative selling confirms for me that diversity is an awesome thing. So now when I blog, I try to keep in mind that I simply want to be who I am. Barb. Sharing ideas, making connections for others, forwarding on useful business information, expressing myself AND not worrying about being perfect. That’s the business blogger I strive to be today.

What’s Your Story?

What about you? Like me, are you worried about how you’ll be perceived? Come on…what’s your story? What holds you back from either kicking off your own blog or participating in the blogs that others are writing?

Tell me. I really want to know!

BTW – that’s me with one of my darling dogs, Murphy. He was helping me write this post:)

As the use of social media networking tools continues to grow in popularity, understanding the netiquette do’s and don’ts of online communication is critical to your success.  A blended word for “network etiquette”, Wikipedia defines netiquette as “a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from the internet and mailing lists to blogs and forums”.

Whether you are posting in LinkedIn groups, talking to friends on Facebook, participating in blogs or tweeting on Twitter, you need to understand that netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal “rules of the road” of cyberspace. In this world, you must be even more conscious of how and what you are saying; otherwise you run the risk of offending people who not only won’t take it kindly, but they will vigorously pass on their displeasure to everyone they know.

Here are my 3 top tips for avoiding online communication disaster:

Tip #1: Don’t sell.

This philosophy may seem counterintuitive if you believe that using online tools is just a cheap way to market and sell what you have to offer to a large number of people. Wrong!  Nothing turns people off faster than having some “slick Willy” enter the scene, who within minutes is hawking their latest product or service. If this is the approach you take, be prepared for a community smack down that will damage your reputation.

Tip #2: Give to receive.

People will always want to do business with people they know, like and trust. That takes time! Throwing up a LinkedIn profile today will NOT mean a sale tomorrow, so learn to be patient. You must first build a relationship with others in the community by giving more than you receive. Share information; make connections, and as people get to know you, they will naturally want to know more about what you have to offer.

Tip #3: Be human.

While technology is an amazing enabler, people are still on the other side. Think carefully about what you say and do. It’s certainly OK to be yourself and share your opinions, but always treat others with courtesy and respect. If you wouldn’t say it “to their face” then absolutely do not say it online.  If you are angry or annoyed then take a breath before you type those words and push send. As many have learned the hard way – what’s said on the internet definitely stays on the internet!