Despite all the blog posts listing right and wrong ways to use Twitter, the reality is you should use Twitter in the manner that works best for you, and that can vary  greatly from business to business.  Of course, there are some basic Do’s and Don’ts, but you can find those nearly anywhere (including a link later in this post). Here are a few simple things to think about before sending the next tweet.

• Proof before you tweet
• Don’t retweet an url without clicking on and reading the landing page. It may not be what you think.
• Don’t use all 140 characters. Leave room so you get credit when retweeted.
• Spread your tweets out over time. Don’t flood your followers with ten tweets at a time.
• Don’t forget, you are not tweeting to @justsomeoneyouknow. Potentially, millions can see your tweet
• Help others. Retweet what is interesting to you and hopefully your followers.
• If you want to get tweeted, retweet others.
• If you want to get retweeted for specific topics, use hashtags (“#” Symbols)

For those of you who want more Twitter information, the excellent “The Ultimate Guide to Twitter Marketing” by @Copyblogger is a great resource.

And, of course, we always appreciate follows: Follow @webwisedesign

It is no great revelation that keywords are essential in getting your website to rank higher in Google search results. That said, too often not enough attention is paid to keyword research. Knowing the queries people actually use, is integral in getting the visitors you want to your website

Now, the folks at Google are going to tell you to just write good copy that your potential visitors find compelling, and your rankings will take care of themselves. While that is true in a perfect world, it isn’t quite that simple.

Of course there are may factors (Google’s Matt Cutts says 200+ “signals”) that dictate where your listing shows up on Google’s search results pages, and the keywords on your web pages are only part of it. The fact is, they play a very big role.

Why is keyword research important? Well, your visitors won’t get to your website so they can read your “compelling copy” unless it contains the keywords your potential visitors use when they do a search on Google, or other search engine. Your web pages may have “compelling copy” as far as you are concerned, but are you thinking about the same keywords as your potential visitors? Keyword research can help you figure that out.

Where to start? Write your compelling copy, and then read it out loud. How does it sound? Did you or your audience hear keywords you believe potential visitors would use to find your products or services?

Make a list of keywords you believe identify your products or services. Ask for input from co-workers, customers, friends, your barber, or hair dresser.

Take a good look at the list. Are all or some of those keywords on your website? Remember, Google sells relevance. Your pages should be product or service-specific, as should your keywords. The wrong keywords may get visitors to your website, but those visitors may not stay, because they were looking for something you don’t offer. Your goal should be to attract self-qualified visitors (leads, prospects) that want or need what you offer.

Okay, let’s see if anyone actually searches for your keywords. Google has a good free tool (Google Keyword Tool) for you to use. It is geared toward those who are using, or may use, Google AdWords. You do not have to have an AdWords account to use the keyword tool. It will show how much competition there is for your keywords, global monthly searches, local monthly searches, and more. You may do a simple search, or they’ll give you more options than you will care to deal with. Keep it simple. You just want to see if people really are searching using your keywords.

If your keywords have a lot of search volume, you should use Google Trends, where you can search for two terms, e.g. lake property, lakefront property, and you’ll see charts showing the relative search volume (more people search for lake property). You can filter the results by date, regions, cities, etc.

There are non-Google tools out there as well. A very good one is the Free Keyword Suggestion Tool From Wordtracker. Another is WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool.

There is a great deal more to say about keywords, and we’ll discuss them again. Hopefully, this will give you an understanding of the importance of choosing the right keywords. One of America’s favorite authors knew something about choosing the right words when he said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Oh, that author if you are wondering, was Mark Twain.

Go to work and make that keyword list today! Edit that compelling copy to contain your researched keywords, and get results!

Increasingly, we are asked, “should we be using Twitter and/or Facebook for our business?” Today we are going to talk only about Twitter. Obviously, not every business should be using Twitter, though for the most part, if you have or intend to have a successful web presence, the answer is yes. If you already have a Facebook page, the answer is definitely yes, you should be using Twitter too.

One of the first responses we get when discussing Twitter with our clients is that they don’t know what Twitter is, or they don’t know very many people who actually use Twitter. That doesn’t mean there aren’t prospective “followers” and customers-to-be out there using Twitter, and in numbers that will likely surprise you. Will it take some time to build a followers list of any size? Yes. But, like the miners of the gold rush days, savvy Twitter users have learned that it pays to pan for those flecks of gold in those streams.

Before you start, it is important to remember this. First and foremost: DO NOT use Twitter only for pushing your products or services. Your tweets should add value to the conversations, needs, and lives of your followers and potential (those whom receive retweets, among others) followers.  If all you do is promote your products or services, you will only realize a small part of what Twitter can do for you.

Each tweet can be no more than 140 characters. You don’t have to spend an inordinate amount of time writing them, but you should pay careful attention to what you write. As with anything, there can be unintended consequences if you write in haste or a poor state of mind. While forms of shorthand work for kids and others that live nearly exclusively in the texting world, I strongly believe, for business purposes, that you practice writing succinctly (admittedly, hard for me to do at times) so your message is clear. I am not saying to use abbreviations at all, just keep them, well, short.

One of the reasons I believe Twitter should be an integral part of any business’s online strategy, is that Twitter is viral. Tweet something worth retweeting (similar to email forwarding), and all of a sudden you have some potential new followers, as some of your followers retweet to their followers. Oh, and Google indexes “tweets,” so your well-written tweets can be found when people do a Google search for keywords you may have tweeted. Also, if any of your followers display their Twitter stream on their Facebook page, your tweets will show for all of their Facebook friends to see. Think branding, branding, branding. Are you feeling it?

So, how can Twitter help your business? In no particular order, consider the following.

• Customer Service
• Branding, branding, branding
• Answer common questions (even though the answers are on your website) about your products or services
• Build transparency and trust
• Announcements of specials or events
• Reward loyalty – send a coupon code that your followers can redeem in your store.
• Build credability – share tips and useful links to your website and other websites
• Your Twitter conversations add value to your brand, product, or service
• Adding a Voice to your business – people like to know there are actual people with whom to communicate

Are you struggling to keep fresh content on your website’s home page? Displaying your Tweets on your home page can help you with that!

So, how do you start? Create a pesonal Twitter account and follow some of the social media experts so you know what is going on in social media. After you gotten your feet wet with your personal Twitter account, jump in and create a Twitter account for your business, and tweet, tweet.

By the way, you may reach us on Twitter @webwisedesign. We would love to hear from you, and of course, we appreciate any followers at www.twitter.com/webwisedesign.

Need more convincing? Here are a couple of resources with a lot of good information for you. The first from Lisa Barone who does a really great job of listing ways to market and build your business. The second is from Twitter itself, and will help you get started. 80 Ways To Use Twitter As A SMB Owner and Twitter 101 for Business – A Special Guide

As always, we are happy to answer your questions. Leave a comment, or give us a call at 1-800-281-9993.