Yes, the Internet has made it “a small world after all”. It’s possible to find out what’s happening minute by minute in Mongolia but what if you want to start conversations on Twitter with people in your own community?

Here’s a short list of some Twitter Tools that will help small businesses connect with their local market.

Twitter Search

Using the good ol’ Twitter Search using keywords such as the name of your city/province/state and things related to such is a great way to find people local to you on Twitter. For example, I live in Barrie, ON – a good ol’ Canadian hockey town. If I’m searching for people to follow in Barrie, I might use “Barrie” as well as “OHL Colts”.

TwitterLocal

Allows you to find ‘Tweeples’ (Twitter users) geographically by automatically updated real-time stream of the location searches possible with Twitter Search. This downloadable application will notify you of new tweets from your area, and find interesting or like-minded local Twitter users to follow. http://www.twitterlocal.net/

NearbyTweets

This site automatically determines where you are, and loads up a list of recent tweets and Twitter users within a specific radius. You can change location, radius, and add keywords, and the results are a lot more visually appealing and easier to navigate than Twitter’s search engine. http://nearbytweets.com/

Twitterholic

Although this site claims it’s ‘being constantly updated’, it shows my stats from last year! But it’s still worth a mention because it does pull up a list of local Tweeps. Just type your Twitter handle into the http://twitterholic.com/ box and click search and Twitterholic will produce your (albeit) inaccurate stats and a list of local people using twitter.

Twellowhood

My fav tool to search for local twitter users is Twellowhood. It combines the awesomeness of the Twellow Twitter directory with the ability to zoom into to your geographical area with a fancy schmancy map. When you’ve arrived at your destination then you can check out fellow Twitters extended Twellow Bios. If you haven’t signed up with Twellow make sure you do so while your checking out your neighbours. Click on the pics below to get a closer look. http://www.twellow.com/twellowhood/

GeoChirp

Another super cool Tweeple finder is GeoChirp. It’s a Google Map and Twitter hybrid that not only finds people in your area but also helps you search for tweets about specific topics as well.

If you want to search for people Tweeting about the best cheeseburger in Barrie, Ontario then just select the area in the map, set the radius your willing to travel for the aforementioned cheeseburger, enter the keyword “cheeseburger” or any other related keyword and ‘Voila’ it’s all over but the heartburn. Click on the pic below for a better looksy.

While Social Media is the best thing since sliced bread to promote small business, one of the rules of social media etiquette is ‘Do Not Advertise’ which leaves business owners scratching their heads trying to figure out how advertise their products/services and how to integrate Social Media with their other Internet Marketing efforts.

Social Networks are for connecting and interacting with your market, building brand awareness and sharing information NOT for sales pitches.

I have put together some tips on how Social Media Marketing and Newsletter/Email marketing can fit together like peanut butter and jam.

Connect The Dots – Put links to your network profiles into emails/newsletters so that people can connect with you on your networks.

Educate & Entertain – Put together a special informational email series and promote it with a link to your email sign-up page through tweets and social network status updates.

Make It Accessible -  Add the the html sign-up code for your newsletters to your Facebook profile, Facebook Business Page and other networking sites

Whatcho Talkin’ ‘Bout? – Search your social media sites to discover what the hot topics are and include them in your Newsletters.

Do Your Homework – Research your social networks to find out which products or services that you offer are in demand so that you can ‘strike while the iron is hot’ by sending out offers that are relevant and timely. Here’s a great post by Socialableblog.com that gives you great tools to research with http://www.sociableblog.com/2009/04/29/100-tips-and-tools-to-research-the-social-web

Play Sharezees – Viralize your emails by adding a SWYN (Share with Your Network) link to them (along side the Forward to a Friend link) allowing people to share your email with their social network groups and connections. Unfortunately, there is only a handful of email marketing and autoresponder services currently offering SWYN links but more services are adding this feature every day.

Using these two marketing channels to compliment each other will help give you the advantage in your online marketing efforts. Now just cut off the crusts and add a glass of chocolate milk.

Mmmmmmmm….

Scenario

You sit down at your computer with the best intentions to make the most of a 20 minute social media marketing session and an hour later there you are – watching kittens jumping through hoops on Youtube. Evil Evil kittens…now your morning is shot!

You have just found yourself sucked into the time warp of Social Media.

It is easy to find yourself blissfully walking down the proverbial garden path.  Hopefully you have laid out some proverbial bread crumbs to find your way back!  I’ll share some of mine with you;

Clear Goals

Decide exactly what your goal is for the day before you even think about firing up your computer. Educate people about a new product? Promote an upcoming event? Find new connections? The clearer your goals are for the day, the easier it will be to keep your eye on the prize.

To-Do Lists

Okay, I hate To-do lists but they are great for keeping yourself on your mission when dealing with all the distractions out there in Social Media Land (OMG look at Jane’s new puppy!). By writing out your routine in a simple list with check boxes you can be assured that you find those 10 new connections on LinkedIn, add a new link on Twitter and say Happy Birthday to your friends on Facebook.

A Timer

Just knowing a timer is running is usually enough to keep the A.D.D. side of us focused on the task at hand instead of on all those shiny objects a.k.a kittens! I suggest you DON’T use your Outlook Calendar…those pop up reminders are too easy to ignore…kinda like your snooze button on a Sunday morning. I use a kitchen timer which sits in the next room, when it goes off it forces me to physically stand up and walk over to the alarm to turn it off.

What tools and techniques do you use to keep yourself safe while swimming social media distraction infested waters??

I always hear the same excuses for why businesses don’t use Social Media! Sorry, but in the words of Dr. Phil – ‘That dog won’t hunt’.

Excuse #1

“I just don’t know where to begin!”

The easiest way to start using social media for your company is by choosing 1 or 2 social media networks to get started. Most small businesses start off with LinkedIn and Facebook. Once you become comfortable with these networks then expand to some more!

Excuse #2

“I just don’t have the time!”

Translation “I don’t want to grow my business!”

Can social media be time consuming? You bet! Unless you start with a clear plan in mind and a simple check list you stick with every day. Remember to make social media part of your routine.

Excuse #3

“I can’t see how it can benefit my company”

You got customers? Are you looking for more? Then social media, done properly, will benefit your company. If your company specializes in dry walling or saving the world from space invaders, social media will develop strong relationships with your current customers (or earthlings) and help you build a solid network of potential new customers and business opportunities (such as intergalactic mercenary services).

Now that we have shot a hole in your reasons for not using social media, it’s time to pull your head out of the **sand** and start building your brand and your business!

If your looking for excuses for other things like not doing your homework or for playing hooky from work try this neat little Excuse Generator !

ADC Online and Kunu HD are looking for actors to fill the following roles for an upcoming commercial:

JOE: Joe is a tech-savvy retiree in his early to mid 70′s. He is relatively energetic for his age and loves to talk even if no one is listening.

CALVIN: Calvin is also in his mid 70′s, although he is much less tech-savvy. He is not much of a talker, but communicates a lot through facial expressions. Many people often peg him as a ‘grumpy old man’ when they first meet him.
To apply for one of these roles please submit your contact information and head shot by email to: submissions@kunuhd.com. If submitting by email please indicate your preferred role.

Unless you have just landed your space machine here from a far far (have to be pretty far) away galaxy then you have heard about how phenomenal Twitter is for connecting with potential clients and the real estate industry is one that benefits huge by tweeting. If you are a Realtor that is new to Twitter here are some tips to get you started.

1. Network with others within the real estate community.

Start by following real estate pros in your local area to build your community. Send invitations to your friends to join Twitter and build your online real estate community.

2. Educate home buyers and sellers on real estate.

You can use Twitter as a platform to educate others about real estate, especially first time home buyers. For example, you can post links to information available online, including tips on purchasing a home, stats on the local real estate market and tips on searching for a home. Twitter is a great way for you to share information and build a reputation as being an expert.

3. Connect with your clients

Invite your clients to join Twitter, ask them to follow you and in return, follow them. It’s a perfect platform to share ideas, invite them to open houses, and notify them of new listings, share links online and so much more.

The Real Estate Professionals Secret Twitter Weapon

Tweetlister is a tool developed specifically for Real Estate Professionals. It is the quick and easy way to send out a detailed compact listing and link to a photo and your site. Tweetlister also gives you the ability to re-tweet the listing at set intervals. http://www.tweetlister.com/

The Right Way to Tweet

To build up a network of Followers on Twitter, Real Estate professionals should send out more than just listings. Tweet about local area news and events, tips about selling/buying a house, how the housing market is doing in the area and other things that would be of interest to your followers between tweets about listings. Don’t forget to show a little personality! Never tweet mundane events such as ‘Brushing my Teeth’ or ‘Folding my Laundry’. The secret to being successful is to send out relevant and interesting tweets, everything else is just noise. Want to tweet about your dinner – better include the recipe.

Marketing in the Web 2.0 world is almost the polar opposite of traditional marketing and advertising methods.

You can avoid some of the pitfalls by practicing these strategies.

Be Useful

I can’t tell you how many ‘friends’ and groups that I have blocked on Facebook, LinkedIn and other Social Networking sites because of the constant bombardment of crap I get in my mail box. Interact with people – don’t sell to them! You may not feel you’re spamming but stop and ask yourself if the information you are putting out there is relevant, useful and interesting or just advertising.

Be Human

Show your personality! If you have kids, mention their winning softball game. If you have special plans for the weekend, share them. If you came across something entertaining during your Internet travels, post the link. Sharing personal things about yourself shows that you are bona fide person and allows you to connect with other people on a more personal level.  A strong word of caution: constantly posting inane information such as “Just brushed my teeth” “Now eating my breakfast” and “Going to let the dog out” is considered ‘noise’ and is a definite no-no. Another piece of advice: If you think that something might be inappropriate, well than it probably is! Don’t post it!

Take Down the Scoreboard

Whoever has the most ‘friends’ doesn’t always win. Be selective with your contacts. Make sure you connect with the leaders in your industry and research networks that your ideal client would be a part of. If someone wants to connect with you, take a couple of minute to read that person’s profile and history and decide if you want to connect with them. A bit of advice for Twitter users, if someone is following a significantly higher amount of people than they have followers’ chances are they are putting out a lot of noise or spam.

Be Honest

Don’t lie about who you are! The world of Web 2.0 can smell dishonesty almost instantaneously. You and your company will lose all credibility. Deceitfulness has a strong habit of turning into a viral nightmare. Be as transparent as possible! If there is a conversation about a company and you are the CEO of that company then by all means, join in on the conversation but always disclose who you are.

Check if You Have Spinach in Your Teeth

Regularly search out and monitor any mention of you or your company on the Internet. Catching any negative feedback regarding yourself or your products can make the difference between bad news going viral or saving your/your companies reputation.

Following these strategies will help lead you on the path to Social Networking Success for your business.