It’s not because I don’t like you and it has nothing to do with your ethnicity, color, creed, political party, or gender.

When I get a new follower notification from Twitter, here are the factors I consider in making my decision to follow you back … or NOT.

PHOTO: Right out of the gate, if you don’t have a picture on your profile, I’m gone!  And I don’t mean a company logo or some silly avatar or cartoon.  And please don’t use an off-in-the-distance snapshot of yourself.  In order to build a relationship, I need to see your face.  You don’t have to hire a professional photographer to take a pricey  head shot.  Just use a digital camera or upload a photo you have on file.

BIO: Tell me “why” I would want to follow you.  What is your expertise?  Who do you serve?  What words describe you best? I need you to zero right in and grab my attention. If your profile is missing a bio or your bio is bland and boring, I’m gone!

REPLIES: Are you interacting with your followers?  Are you Re-Tweeting interesting and valuable information posted by others?  Or is your home page filled with one-way conversations?  If all your Tweets are “me, me, me” focused, I’m gone!

Twitter is a great platform to showcase your expertise, build community, drive conversation, be helpful, and provide value.

So if you want me to follow you back, please let me see your face, tell me about yourself, and show me that you’re interested in building relationships by interacting with others.

LinkedIn is a great marketing platform for building your business and for making b2b connections.

You can choose to bury your head in the sand or sweep the fact under the rug, but …

Social Media sites are here to stay.

Online visibility and credibility expert, Nancy Marmolejo, answers “Why Social Networking?” in her Free Action Guide. It’s a great read!

Take a minute to share your thoughts:

How are you incorporating social networking into your marketing strategy?  Which social media site do you use most?  Why? Post your comments below.

Social media marketing is absolutely necessary if you’re trying to build your business online.  You can’t ignore the fact, sweep it under the rug, or crawl into a hole of denial. Just take a look at television ads these days.  Social media sites are here to stay.

The last I heard, Twitter is growing in popularity by 40% a month!  If you haven’t figured out how to utilize Twitter as a marketing tool, let me help you get on board in the most effective ways possible.

Keep these guidelines handy for using Twitter as a marketing tool:

1.)  Provide Value

2.)  Create anticipation

3.)  Drive conversation

4.)  Showcase your biz

5.)  Announce something important

6.)  Build community

7.)  Be helpful

8.)  Brag a bit! You deserve it

9.)  Show a little personality

10.) Experiment with giveaways, discounts, and contests

As a general rule, less than 10% of your Tweets should involve any kind of selling or promoting.  So what should you be Tweeting about?

Re-Tweet information from your followers that you find useful, funny, or relevant. Share Twitpics – the most opened links on Twitter!  Communitcate newsworthy items and events and be sure to ask your followers to Re-Tweet the messages for you. Speak in your authentic voice and show why your biz and you are cool.  Send out welcome Tweets to new followers (no selling) and become the go-to person in your niche by providing helpful tips and resources and answering questions from your target market.  Promote what you want to promote, but make building relationships your highest priority.

Not quite sure how to “brag” the right way on Twitter? The biggest challenge is getting over the “fear” of bragging. After all, you don’t want to sound like a used car salesman. My friend and colleague, Cathy Goodwin, can help.  Just get her mp3 recording and 25-page workbook by going to:
BRAGGING 101 (This is my affiliate link and I give it my highest recommendation) Teeny-Tiny investment and Big results.

The bottom line is that if you aren’t utilizing Facebook as one of your main marketing platforms, you NEED to jump on board. Service professionals, authors, consultants, and other small business owners are realizing revolutionary results on Facebook.  So why shouldn’t YOU?

I know I’m looking forward to making a big splash on Facebook and I hope you’ll join me and my friend and colleague, Jessica Swanson, the “Shoestring Marketer”, for a Free Profitable Facebook Marketing Webinar this Thursday, February 11th.

As an extra special bonus, you’ll receive a link to the video recording, a downloadable PDF workbook, and a step-by-step action plan.

Seats are limited so I suggest you RUN, not walk to register for this complementary event!

If you answered “YES” to the question in my title, you’d be right!