Addiction can take many forms, whether it be relationships, substances or habits.

By Leonard Ottone with Suzy Stojanovic. Leonard Ottone is a personal assistant to people journeying through substance abuse. He is currently working on his first book.

When I was asked to write an article on self-improvement, my first question was ‘Self improvement from what?’  It presumes that there’s something wrong with you, which I don’t agree with. But there may be a problem. How I perceive myself, I believe, is how I perceive the world.

Twenty-one years ago, I wouldn’t have been the person you came to for advice on anything. I had a toxic relationship with drugs and alcohol. I’d tried to get clean and had relapsed time and again. I got in trouble with the law, was convicted and got locked up. I kept going until I’d burnt every bridge. You see, when I was stoned, I didn’t realise I was manipulating everyone and everything. When I was ready to give up that life, which was often, only then did I realise that I was on my own. I was desperate and I knew that I had to do something, but I didn’t know what I had to do

In the beginning, drugs seemed okay. I felt that euphoria that wiped everything away. But as time passed, I never recaptured that feeling. I’d spend 30 seconds having a taste, and I was good for those 30 seconds. What I did after that was to spend all my time trying to find ways and means to get more. I ran around lying, cheating and scamming.

In the beginning, nothing worked for me in my efforts to get clean. Everything was difficult, and I thought everyone else had the problem. There was also a lot of negative self-talk. I thought I used drugs as a cop out.

Then someone gave me a poster and said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with mistakes, Leonard. And you’ve made more mistakes than anyone I know. That’s why you know what you know. Someone who’s wise is someone who knows what they don’t know.’

That was when I realised that I’m not my addictions, relapses, convictions. I’m so much more than that. That was when I realised that my past was no more than a stepping stone.

These days I work as a personal assistant to people journeying through substance abuse. They come from all walks of life, with all sorts of addictions. One thing they often have in common is denial. I can’t tell them they’re in denial about the magnitude of their problem, because they’re not going to agree with me. I can’t fix them up because, personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them. And I can’t recommend the best detox or rehab for anyone because, personally, I don’t think there is such a place. It’s like looking for Mr or Ms Right. At the end of the day it all comes down to what’s inside you, how you love you.

Just because someone uses drugs or alcohol, doesn’t mean that they’re a drug addict or alcoholic, or even, for that matter, that they have a problem with drugs or alcohol. As for me, if I’m not a drug addict or an alcoholic, I’m definitely someone who shouldn’t drink alcohol or use drugs.

I don’t like labels. It’s the meaning they’re loaded with, because drug and alcohol addiction is so demonised. So people give excuses. They say that they’ve got a little bit of a problem or a big problem, and they can’t do anything about it. While they’re justifying what they’re doing, everything stays the same.

There’s a saying: When you take the alcohol out of the fruitcake, what you’re left with is a fruitcake without purpose. My point is, you have to get to the moment of clarity where you realise that what has been your solution for so many years has now become your biggest problem. I can say this because I have been affected by my addictions and I have inflicted it on everyone around me unconsciously.

Despite having been in recovery for over 21 years I still attend self-help groups. I’m not a slow learner. I’ve used drugs for many years, been to detoxes, rehabs, in and out of jail and ruined many healthy relationships. But I am the fastest forgetter I have ever met. When things are all right in my life, part of me buys the lie that I can have just one more taste now. Self-help groups remind me that this is a lie.

I didn’t stop taking drugs and drinking alcohol because I don’t like them. I stopped because I love what they do, but our relationship was toxic. And toxic relationships have no place in my life any more.

Every day I reflect on my life, I meditate morning and evening, exercise and put only good food in my body. I try to be honest with myself, am open minded and ready to do whatever I have to do.

If you're going to be online, Facebook is a good place to start.

All things considered, you’d be hard pressed for a reason not to get involved with Facebook. This most popular of social media at last count had 300 million active users, a figure that’s growing every day. More than half of these users log on at least once a day, and most are 25 years of age or over. Best of all, Facebook is free.

Facebook, like all social media, has an in-built search engine. It’s also indexed by Google, which puts its content into the public domain. So here, as in all online media, it pays to work the keywords relevant to your brand or business.

Creating a Facebook Personal Profile

Your personal profile is where you showcase yourself as the face of your business. Think of Richard Branson and what you know about him, which photos he makes public.

Be honest about who you are, but keep what you pass on professional. The personal information, as we said, is the sort of thing you would pass on at a networking event or over a coffee. Remember, anything you post on Facebook is forever. It is also subject to the same laws that govern all publications.

When you input your education and work history, tell a story about how you’ve got to where you are. Let your personality shine through, and entertain a little. You can save the full details for somewhere like LinkedIn.

The most important thing to do with Facebook is to ‘friend’ the people you meet offline. It’s a great way to continue the conversation and find out whether or not you could work with them in future, or if they are people you would recommend to your clients.

Your Facebook Profile is the place to trumpet your successes and demonstrate your personal expertise through thoughtful updates.

Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are set up based on issues and interests. They are, in other words, a forum.

To get you started on Facebook Groups, try searching for a group with interests that you share (a good way to collect friends) and problems you can solve (great for demonstrating your expertise).

You can even start your own Facebook Group if there isn’t one appropriate to what you do. This is a great way to establish yourself as a leader in your area of expertise.

Just remember, this is social media – so no hard selling. If you do your job well, you’ll give them a reason to subscribe to your message.

Facebook Pages

Facebook Pages are for brands and businesses. This is your place to create a community of current and potential clients, and collaborators.

Facebook Pages have a lot of great features. For example, you can post blogs (into Notes), videos and photos of your business successes. You can also create events and invite your Facebook community along. This is great for launches, giveaways and sales, amongst others.

Don’t forget to let everyone know where you are online by putting the relevant urls in your email signature line, on your website (you can get clickable icons that will take visitors through) and on your business card.

Questions? Comments? Love it? You know what to do.

Look for & create opportunites to interact.

In the last couple of days I’ve been working my way through The Trust Agents by Julien Smith and Chris Brogan. This is a great book to get your hands on. It is, essentially, a guide book to the protocols involved in working in online media. How to engage your community is just one of the topics they cover.

Here is a checklist of the dos and don’ts of engaging with a community. It’s a great reminder to those of you out there wondering when you can start seeing the pay-off of your time and/ or money spent on social media managers.

How to engage a community

1. Listen: Where do your potential clients, existing clients and competitors interact online? Go there and do nothing but listen.
2. Evaluate: Is the conversation positive or negative about you and/ or your area of specialty? Are there a lot of comments?
3. Take small steps: Don’t intrude. Let the community know that you’re there and that you’re listening. Look for and create opportunities to interact. Build your own profile as someone who’s around and listening. Learn’s who’s a regular and who makes decisions.
4. Lead a new initiative: At the right time, when you’re better known, make a move to place yourself in the centre of things. In a forum, offer to moderate. If you have specialized knowledge, offer to help people or host a get-together.
5. Get ahead: Being inside the right community can build your business, give you insider knowledge and get an edge in your niche.

A little note here about engaging in forums. In The Australian newspaper today, 24 September 2010, there was a little article titled ‘Fake reviews earn US rebuke’.  It’s an article about some PR people posing as disinterested customers. The PR company faced charges, which they agreed to settle.

Advertisters should not pass themselves off as ordinary consumers touting a product, and endorsers should make it clear when they have financial connections to sellers.

Mary Engle, Director US Federal Trade Commision – as reported in The Australian

If you’d like to avoid these pitfalls, get stuck into Trust Agents. I think you’ll enjoy it. And no, no-one’s paying me to say this – more’s the pity.

Here’s to Truth, Justice and the Social Media Way.

Questions? Comments? Drop me a line. If you like what I do, connect with me on Twitter, Facebook or Linked In (just press the buttons).

By Sharon Givoni

Sharon Givoni is a branding and advertising lawyer and principal of Sharon Givoni Consulting. Contact Sharon.

For further articles by Sharon on IP and trade marks, visit http://www.sharongivoni.com.au/articles.html

As a branding lawyer, one question that a lot of people ask me is, ‘What is the best way I can protect my brand?’, particularly if they have a distinctive name or logo that they post on their website for the world to see.

The answer is that the strongest form of trade mark protection is to have your trade mark registered. And, if possible, it is best to use an IP lawyer or a trade mark attorney to ensure that you get it right.

When your business name & logo are legally protected, they'll be stamped with this.

There is a popular misconception, that if you have a registered business name (or company name) then that name is ‘protected’. Not so. Registered business names are merely administrative. The same applies for domain name registration. Actually, with a domain name all you really have is a license from another body (e.g. Melbourne IT) to use a name, but you never really own it outright).

Benefits of trade mark registration

The benefits of trade mark registration include:

• A registered trade mark is personal property. It can be assigned or licensed to others, for example, in return for payment to the owner of the registration.

• It allows the owner of the registration to prevent the unauthorised use of the trade mark in relation to the same, or similar or closely related, goods or services.

• It places the public on notice of the owner’s rights and provides a relatively quick and cheap method of enforcing those rights. Generally, what needs to be shown is that the trade mark which allegedly infringes the owner’s trade mark is “substantially identical” or “deceptively similar” and is used in respect of similar goods or services.

• Registration of a trade mark is Australia-wide.

• The application or registration of a trade mark will help to prevent other traders from obtaining registration for a subsequently filed trade mark which is identical or similar.

• Trade mark registrations can be perpetual as they can be renewed indefinitely.

• Registration entitles you to use the “®” symbol to put the public on notice of your trade mark rights.

It is worldwide?

No. Australia-wide only, as trade mark registration needs to be granted on a country by country basis. However it does generally cover all states in Australia.

This is a complex area of the law and it is recommended that you therefore seek the advice of a lawyer or trade mark attorney.

Disclaimer - This article is a summary only of the topics covered and must not be relied on as a substitute for professional legal advice specific to your circumstances. It was written in Janurary2004.

Questions or comments? Let us know what you think. If you like what we’ve written, then retweet or share on Facebook – just click the buttons.

Your website should be as sexy & entertaining as the Old Spice Man.

What is a website, anyway?

A website, it is has been said, is a virtual store. It’s where people go to find out about you and your products. It needs to look good, have something new every time people take a look at it, and its content should invite people to engage.

Having a static website with neither fresh content nor space for consumer interaction is like having an unstaffed shop with the lights off and the stock locked away.

In addition to the store analogy, I would suggest that a website is also a broadcasting channel. It is your mouth-piece for spreading your message and showcasing your expertise. It can contain onsite blogs, articles and think pieces. It is where you will use your keywords in a rich and structured way.

Of course, the website is no longer an isolated outpost in the virtual world. Social media and social bookmarking act as signposts pointing to where you are. By inviting comments, retweets and sharing on facebook, social bookmarking and other social media, you can spread your message further. By posting a call to action, you are telling people what you want them to do. If you’ve done a good job with your copy, you will find that they respond positively.

Just so you know, I won’t retweet an article that has issues with sentence structure, grammar, focus or is, quite frankly, a great pile of waffle without substance.

Working your website for all it’s worth

People who spend a lot of time online learn the knack of skim reading for headings, captions and bullet points – which is pretty much how I read a magazine or newspaper.

If you get the headings and captions right, you may draw them in for more in-depth scouting. Make sure that the points you want to make are clearly visible and digestible.

My advice is to treat your website like a magazine for your ‘community’. To be able to do this,  you need to know a few things:

• What is the product/ service that you want to sell?
• Who is most likely to be looking for your product/ service?
• What else might they be interested in?
• What image do you want to project about your business?
• What are the important keywords that people would use to search for someone like you?

Keywords are, as everyone knows, quite important. And to my understanding, if you want to get a good ranking on Google, you can pay for SEO and adwords. But if you’re on a budget, a better option for you is to work those keywords into your blogs, articles and main body text on your website. In this way, if someone is searching for your keywords, the chances of finding you are greater.

Some examples and how I’d work them

In both of these examples, we can see ways to attract and keep people at our website. At the same time we can soft-sell our products and expertise, as well as give value to affiliates (who can reciprocate in kind).

Example 1: the women’s fashion store
If you have a women’s fashion store, your audience will be women. But what sort of women? Perhaps it is geared towards working women, the style being feminine yet suitable for corporate business meetings. Your target market might then have interests in the realm of: business, travel, stress management, time management and looking good. On your website and other media you could discuss these topics, and use photos of your fashion items to illustrate your articles.

Providing value to this audience could come through suggesting how to dress for the days of the week, or perhaps providing photos of the best little black dress for every figure type, including accessories – from the in-store stock, of course. If the clothing store had an affiliation with a shoe store, they might include suggested shoes for each outfit, and the shoe store could reciprocate in kind.

Example 2: the gluten-free product manufacturer
People interested in gluten-free products might be coeliacs. They might just as easily be friends or parents of individuals with gluten intolerance looking for catering options. Or they could simply be looking to detox or go on an elimination diet to rule out allergens as factors in chronic conditions such as eczma and asthma.

This being the case, the person writing for this manufacturer’s website and other media would be looking to engage and provide value to all of these people. This could take the form of weekly menu suggestions and recipes. On the side would be a weekly shopping list with check-out trolley links. It might also include other health tips. Having affiliations with alternative health care practitioners, who are willing to pop in a short ‘healthy tip’ blurb every now again, would add value to everyone involved.

The checklist

• Write a heading that hooks the reader in
• The article should have a beginning, middle and end
• Answer who, what, when, where and why in a compelling way
• Work those keywords
• Make sure that it reads as credible and sincere
• Keep it relevant

In a nutshell

To keep our consumers tuned to our channel, we need to keep our message interesting and relevant. If we consider the examples provided, weather, seasons and the calendar date will all have an impact. Consider how these things impact on how we dress, what we eat and how we spend our leisure time.

Is it Spring? The Spring Racing Carnival and school holidays are around the corner. Is it Summer? Well here come Christmas, New Year’s Eve and (yet again) the school holidays. We’ll dress and eat lighter. We’ll go out more. We’ll entertain more.

How is your business adapting to these changes in target market activity? How does the copy you write for your online media reflect this? How have you dressed your ‘windows’ today?

Questions? Comments? Feel free to reply to this post.  Otherwise a Retweet or Facebook Share (buttons below), would be greatly appreciated.

And if you need help with your website copy - whether it be with writing, proof-reading or editing – contact me on 0411 324 200 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              0411 324 200      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, suzy.imonline@gmail.com, or through any of my social media (click the buttons).

Thank you!

When it comes to your website, the more traffic the better.

by Eric Rudolf

First published at www.thesmallcompanyblog.com

Regardless of industry, website traffic is almost always a leading indicator of small company success.  More often than not, website traffic directly correlates with sales—meaning slow months on the website can translate to slow months at the cash register.  And while large companies view 100 visitors per week as nothing more than a rounding error, at smaller firms these web hits could mean the difference between drawing a paycheck and moonlighting as a restaurant server.

With the above in mind, this article will focus on nine primarily ‘non-technical’ ways for small companies to increase web traffic—ways that any small company owner or manager can implement, regardless of background or technical ability.  If you would like to add your own to the list, please feel free to use the comment field at the bottom of this page.  Otherwise, enjoy!

Traffic Tip #1: Write Your Pages with Web Searchers in Mind

If the goal of traditional writing is to communicate an idea or theme, the goal of writing for the web is to communicate an idea or theme using specific sets of keywords and key phrases.  Before developing content for each of your web pages, identify not only what the page is about, but also the words and phrases people will use to search for it.  Then, logically and contextually use the identified words and phrases within the body copy, being careful not to OVER use them and risk a search engine penalty.

Traffic Tip #2: Form a Purpose-Driven Social Networking Group

As businesses continue to implement social networking strategies, marketers are finally realizing the goal of social networking should not be to drive revenue, but to develop a  community that will EVENTUALLY drive revenue.  Are you an IT consultant? Start a group for people struggling with ERP implementations.  Do you own a mail order wine store?  Start a group for people who collect rare vintages.  Helping people without expectation of profit is a great way to not only build credibility, but drive web traffic in the future—when members of your social group are finally ready to make a purchase.

Traffic Tip #3: Provide and Market Educational Content

In the day-to-day scramble to keep small businesses afloat, it is easy to let making money dominate your marketing strategy.  But developing and promoting educational articles, white papers and free templates is still great way to increase interest in a small company website.  In terms of general website traffic, “free knowledge” marketing campaigns regularly drive up to 7 times more traffic than sales-related campaigns.  And because most people like to share, educational content has a high likelihood of being passed along to other people . . . who will visit your site down the road.

Traffic Tip #4: Start a Blog, Because It’s Not Too Late (Really)

As a blogger rapidly approaching the end of his second full year, I will be the first to admit the most opportune time to start a blog was probably a year before I did it.  That said, the benefits of hosting a company-related blog are still significant, and the sheer volume of tools available these days means it’s never been easier to get started. At the risk of repeating a bunch of things I already wrote, I will simply direct you to one of my other articles, The Importance of Blogs for Small Company Web Traffic.

Traffic Tip #5: Find Sites that Will Link Back to You

Search engines like Google, Bing and YaHoo understand that high-value websites have lots of outbound AND inbound channels. Translation? Websites that lack inbound links will rarely show up high in searches.  Making sure your website is listed in industry directories and on industry portals is a good first step, and finding sites to repost your free educational content (see #3 above) can help as well.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask for link exchanges with related, non-competitive websites and blogs in your industry.  The first linkbacks will be the hardest ones to get, but if you work hard and get creative, good things will happen.

Traffic Tip #6: Become a Regular Contributor to the Industry Rags

At the risk of stating the painfully obvious, I will say this: people with deadlines are always busy.  And nowhere is this concept more applicable to your situation than with the editors, writers and reporters who support your industry.   Making yourself readily available to trade publications—most of which are published electronically—can gain your company timely exposure whenever a last-minute quote, opinion or sound bite is needed. And if your company appears consistently, organizations and publications outside the trade will begin to see your company as an ‘expert’ in the field, which can lead to more exposure on a much larger scale.  Example: Earlier this week Harvard Business Services recommended my blog as a small business resource to its readers. This recommendation TRIPLED my web traffic for the week. And yes, I said TRIPLED.

Traffic Tip #7: Ask People for Their Input

If there is one thing in this world more frequently given than birthday presents, it is advice.  Offering focus group participation, free product samples and beta testing opportunities is a GREAT way to interest people in your company and your website.  And when your initiative is over, your company will be left not only with improved products and services, but with a group of dedicated and highly motivated people who regularly check your website for updates and information.

Traffic Tip #8: Use Social Bookmarks on Your Most Valuable Website Content

No matter what kind of website you operate, there are always a few pages that focus on educating customers without the obligatory sales pitch—articles, white papers, free tips, company histories, and so on. If these pages truly provide value, why not ask visitors to recommend them to others?   Social bookmarks drive millions of visitors to websites every single day, and the four most popular bookmarks (Retweet, Facebook Share, Stumble and Digg) take minutes to install.  For more information on Social Bookmarking, be sure to spend a few minutes reading one of our most popular articles of all-time, Social Bookmarking Dos and Don’ts.

Traffic Tip #9: Encourage People to Tell Others About Your Company

Nearly six years ago when I met the entrepreneur I work for today, one of the first marketing-related statements she made to me was ” If you want someone to pass on your marketing, why don’t you just ask them?”  At the time I had a good laugh to myself at the naivety of her comment.   But as embarrassed as I am to admit it now, she was right.  Simply asking people (in writing or verbally) to tell others about your company actually works. In fact, I have personally seen an increase in campaign response of between 15 and 50 percent, simply by putting the words “Please pass along to a friend!” in emails, newsletters, catalogs and print advertisements.  And of course, an increase in general marketing responses means more clicks to your website.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to reply to this post.  Otherwise a Retweet or Facebook Share (buttons below) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

This post is a summary of a chapter by the same name, taken from Dennis L. Prince’s Get Rich with Twitter, 2010. If you want to know more, get your hands on the book.

The top 25 uses of twitter for your business are:

1. Brand proliferation You need only a well-thought-out tweeting plan to get your brand name out there. All you need to do is become an active and present tweeter, but avoid aggressive marketing tweets.

Not only can you build up your audience and their awareness of your brand, but you can also monitor what the twitterverse is saying about you and your brand. From there you can plan how to bolster or correct the public conversation about your brand.

2. Real-time feedback With twitter, you can tweet your news and get feedback almost immediately. Even no response is “feedback” in its own way in that the twitterverse neither noticed nor cared about your news enough to retweet or respond to it.

From reactions to your news you can react quickly, and determine if there’s a trend forming.

3. Talent scouting and acquisitionNow you can take the public’s pulse on who’s who in any given field of service. You can access recommendations and reviews of providers in an area. You can also post a request for assistance or referral. This can lead to either direct contact with the prospective service provider or a recommendation from fellow tweeps.

So tweet your request to the twitterverse and see who answers your call.

4. Industry news and trends This is my favourite part of twitter. Other people in your industry post interesting links to articles, videos and blogs, yielding a wealth of information. So you can stay up-to-the-minute in latest developments in your industry, as well as on top of which trends are emerging and what people’s attitudes to them are.

So get on twitter and find out what you and your business should be focusing on for success.

5. Collaboration Twitter easily enables business people to engage in “collective thinking” to brainstorm business ideas, solve problems or seize opportunities. It can be used privately between colleagues. Alternatively it can reach out to the general public to solicit ideas and feedback.

By allowing the public to interact, a business is actively engaging its customer base and gathering its support for new initiatives.

6. Customer Service Twitter is a great way to monitor customer dissatisfaction. From there you can easily step in and fix the problem. Hopefully, due to your rapid and personalised response you will gain a life-long follower.

Better still, you can post advice and updates that will assist your customers in resolving any problems that are yet to show themselves.

7. Lead generation With twitter you are able to get an understanding of what your target market needs or wants, and then present yourself as a respected and trustworthy provider.

By scanning the twitterverse for your keywords, you freely find people talking about what you offer. Some people even openly state that they are looking for a provider of your product or service. Approach gently, engage calmly, and you might end up with a sale.

8. Lost and found If someone loses something in your store or at your booth, why not tweet it. It’s altruistic and genuine.

9. Directing traffic If you’re launching a product, offering a special or some other promotion, send the word out to your followers. Ask them to “tell friends who may not have received this news”. But don’t over-do it or you’ll be marked as spam.

10. Limited-time offers As in point 9, be careful how you do this. You can post online coupon codes, tweet that today’s offer won’t be available tomorrow. Twitter gives fast delivery and fast response to your messages. Perfect for time-sensitive offers.

11. Event updates and pre-alerts Great for conferences and expos. Tweets like “I’m in building C. The first to find me wins…” This sort of fun engagement works.

12. Meeting organization Tweets like “Hey, quick meeting at Coffee Beanz in 10 mins”. Team members can acknowledge they’re coming, while those that can’t make it can keep abreast of what’s going on with real-time tweets.

13. Note to self Something I should have used the other night! Keep details of contacts you make, or build tomorrow’s to-do list.

14. Consultation Use twitter to dispense useful advice and information to followers. You can do this either publicly or by direct messaging.

15. Test marketing Savvy businesses are polling their followers to find out if their ideas for new products have “legs”. If there’s excitement about your ideas, you can then follow up with daily tweets on its development, and let them know when the official launch is.

16. Rumour control Watch for rumours swirling in the twitterverse, quickly join in and steer the conversation in the appropriate direction. You can also, with care, start your own rumours about your business.

17. Casual interaction Engage in “water cooler” chit chat with friends and followers. This gives your customers an opportunity to ask questions, and for you to address any wants, need and concerns they have about your company or products.

Offering this level of access allows your audience to become more deeply engaged with your company, brand and products.

18. Identity development Your tweets help round out your persona in the public eye. Make sure it’s consistent with your brand or company image. Don’t just sell. I also think that this makes you less intimidating and more approachable.

19. Fact checking Twitter is great for tracking industry developments, customer attitudes, your competitors. And if you need some facts, just ask.

20. Listen to – and learn from – your customers Pace your tweets, then monitor the response from your followers. When you listen, you can find out if you’re engaging them, and if they’re satisfied.

21. Launch opinion polls or informal surveys Tweet a question of the day to find out what your customers think of your products, company developments and related news. Polls and surveys let you know about your customers’ likes, dislikes and methods of engagement.

22. Product safety and customer security Use twitter to spread the word about any safety issues that have arisen. Also to provide corrective advice or cautionary guidance. Great for fast delivery of your message.

23. Internal communications and product development Use direct messaging between members of a team.

24. Augment other online presences Release breaking news to those on the go.

25. Enjoy the interaction Let your enjoyment shine through. This will boost your business, reputation and keep people engaged.

These points are a summary of a chapter in Get Rich with Twitter by Dennis L. Prince. I recommend this book. It’s full of interesting ways to get the most out of your twitter experience.

I have found Twitter to be a heap of fun as well as a virtual library once you find the right streams of conversation (right now I’m enjoying the very lively #ausvotes).  As an example of great information that flows to you on twitter, I was tweeted a link to this great blog www.twitip.com/how-i-will-add-1000-twitter-followers-this-year/. It gives you a few ideas of what to tweet and how to publicise that you are on twitter.

Interestingly, the twitip blog also brings up the idea of rapidly acquired app-generated followers, as opposed to those you work on building a relationship with. Personally I think that the point of getting followers is not for the quantity, but rather the quality. If you are in any sort of business and you are on Twitter for this reason, what you want to be concentrating on is creating win-win relationships with people. You want to get to know who’s out there, what they know and what they can do. And you want people to know that about you too. You also want to have a bit of a laugh along the way as well. It is, after all, social media.

An interesting site that I came across while flicking through Twitter Marketing for Dummies (I wish they wouldn’t call it that) is http://www.crazybob.org/twubble/. This site analyses who you currently follow on Twitter and then suggests more people for you to follow. You might want to check your following list first though, and cull any with disappointing tweets to avoid more of the same.

Just remember with Twitter – or any social media for that matter – the key is to earn the trust of your community. As Chris Brogan and Julien Smith wrote in The Trust Agents, the idea of networking though social media is to make yourself someone that people can put their confidence in and do business with on the web. On Twitter, things will happen just because you’re there. Be patient. Differentiate yourself by serving people’s needs instead of being yet another salesperson with your hand out. Share your expertise and people will get to know you as an expert in your field.

Twitter is just one tool in the social media arsenal. Use it well and it can generate a lot of good will, enhance your reputation and even help someone else along the way. And who knows, you might even end up laughing while tweeting during Gruen Nation like me.

A lot of people ask me, when I tell them I’m all for organics and environmental conservation – why go eco? “Hey, I was born in the ’70s, so why not eco. ” But really there’s more to it than that.

Sure I always had a keen interest in the environment – joined the green group at RMIT, cycled or walked everywhere, grew my own vegies, shopped at Friends of the Earth, recycled and was practically vegan… but this vague notion of the right thing to do never really made it as far as committing to purchasing organic produce. Sure I was broke, and organics were a lot more expensive and harder to get back then.

In February 2008, the issue of environment and chemical pollutants got a lot more personal for me. Because in February 2008 my husband died of Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) – a.k.a. Mad Cows’ Disease. Not from meat, but ‘acquired’ - most probably from agricultural sprays that he was exposed to while working a season in hot houses in Greece. He’d told me once that the chemicals they used in those hot houses turned a cucumber or tomato from something that had barely taken form to a fully sized and saleable item. Serious chemicals!

So these days I choose to vote with my dollar. I vote for ethically produced, sustainable organic produce. I aim to do business based on this model – minimal travel, minimal paper usage (and where needed, let’s use recycled) and green powered!

Suzy Stojanovic

1. The need for FOCUS and CLARITY on your specialty. You cannot be all things to all people. You much be clear about the one thing you can do to serve and help people. You can’t be known as a master of ten different things. A lot of people can’t really tell you the one thing they do well, because they don’t want to miss an opportunity by being too narrowly defined. Get over that fear. It will kill you.

2. The ability to clearly articulate what that is. You’ve heard people say that you should be able to describe your story in one sentence. As in, “FDR got us out of the Depression and helped win WWII.” If you cannot clearly articulate what your specialty or skill is, your personal brand will be muddled and confusing. You have to make it clear. You have to make it easy to understand. And if you have to explain in detail what you do, you’ve already lost.

3. Consistency delivering this well-articulated message both online and offline. Most people’s problem? They aren’t consistent in telling their story over and over. Or they say one thing on Twitter, and another thing at a Chamber mixer. Or explaining what you do in different ways, to different people. Or changing what you do again and again and again. I tell my political clients to stay on message. Same thing applies here.

The three concepts above aren’t rocket science. So what’s the hard part? Being disciplined enough to execute on these three points over time. If you can do that, you will be on the right path…and your personal brand will be one that resonates and helps you go-to-market with strength and clarity.

So ask yourself, “Am I really following these three key steps?” Be honest, and good luck. Got any other thoughts?