An automated DM in Twitter is when you use software to automatically send a direct message to new followers. I was (and still am) against them because everyone knows they’re automated and are often annoying to the receiver. They do nothing to help the receiver get to know, like and trust you better. Getting people to know, like and trust you is your main purpose with marketing.

However, I recently received this automated DM and this is the exception to my no auto-DM rule. Why? Because it made me laugh – which is clearly the goal. It is poking fun at how most people craft these types of messages and instantly made me like the sender a little more. Therefore, it did the job.

What do you think? Leave a comment please.

Andrea J. Stenberg

Google Analytics Dashboard WordPress Widget lets you see your Google Analytics at a glance from your WordPress Dashboard. It doesn’t give you everything, but you can top posts, top searches and top referrers. These are all important things to see every day.The Link Within plug-in gives you the related posts you see at the bottom of my blog posts. It’s a nice way to encourage visitors to go to more pages on your site.

The Maintenance Mode plug-in allows you to make major changes to your site without having visitors see a mess. Instead, visitors will get a message telling them the site is undergoing maintenance and when they can expect the site to be back, including date, time and how long. You wouldn’t want to do this often, but if you’re implementing a major overhaul of your site, this is handy to have.

For automatically Tweeting new blog posts I use Twitter Tools. It was easy to set up and works well. You can also add hashtags to any Tweet you want to send.

If you’re selling digital products on your site but don’t have enough sales to make buying a fancy shopping cart a financially viable option, try the eStore Plug-in. It’s easy to use, easy to install and will integrate with your email list and PayPal. Best of all, rather than a monthly fee, you just pay one price.

Please share your favourites by leaving a comment on the blog.

However, I know that many people who get on LinkedIn, set up a profile, send a few invites to connect, then sit there with a handful of connections, wondering what to do next. If that sounds like you, please join me on September 7th for my online workshop: How to Build a Profitable LinkedIn Network. I will teach you the secrets of creating a great profile, how and when to send invitations to people you don’t know and what you need to watch out for so you don’t get kicked off the site.

Just go to http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/linkedintraining/ to register

You don’t want to be sharing what you ate for lunch or when you went to the bathroom.

On the other hand, you don’t want to be too promotional either; that turns people off. You need to find a balance.

What’s your social media brand?

No, I don’t mean your logo or your photo – although that’s part of it.

It’s how do you want people to think of you. If you’re a micro business – providing a product or service where your expertise is what sets you apart – then you probably want to be seen as an expert. You want to be the “go-to” person in your field.

How do you do this?

Be a resource

Provide useful information that your customers – and potential customers – need and want. You don’t have to create all the content yourself. Provide links to articles and blog posts that provide useful information. Using Google Reader and RSS feeds can be a great way to quickly and easily find content to share.

Someone who does a great job of this is Infinity Network Solutions. They’re an Owen Sound-based IT company and they populate their Facebook page with lots of great information about computers and how to use them safely or better.

Don’t forget to be social

However don’t forget it’s called “social” media. Part of the power of tools like Facebook and Twitter is it gives people a chance to get to know, like and trust you. But in order to do that, you can’t just be posting links. You need to spend some time talking about yourself, giving people a chance to get to know you..

For example, I Tweeted about washing my cell phone received tons of retweets and @replies like the one here.

So why would I send out a comment like this when I’m using social media for business? Because anyone who has had a similar experience suddenly felt a personal connection to me. I was no longer an anonymous business online but someone they could relate to. I’d gone from “know” to “like” because they could see how I’m like them.

Don’t forget to promote

After all, you’re using Facebook, Twitter or whatever for your business. So don’t go so far over to being a resource or being social that you forget to toot your own horn. Post about specials or new products you have. Post photos of work you’ve done for clients (with permission). Share news about hiring new staff, expanding or anniversaries. Just make sure the informational and social posts are more frequent. Only 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 posts should be blatantly promotional.

Someone who does a good job of this is Jennifer Harris of Keylime Creative in the Village of Paisley. She has a nice chatty style, shares information and promotes herself.

One final piece of advice

Don’t forget to reply to anyone who visits your page and takes the time to comment. It’s a great way to deepen the relationship and shows the world that you’re paying attention.

So go out and start posting!

Andrea J. Stenberg

If you liked this article, please share it with your social networks by clicking one (or more) of the share links. And feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment here or at http://www.facebook.com/TheBabyBoomerEntrepreneur.

Wrong!

Nine of those comments looked like this:

I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I’m hoping the same high-grade site post from you in the upcoming also. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me to get my own website now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a great example of it.

Not similar to that, EXACTLY the same. All from the same person, promoting the same website.

Guess what? I went into my comments folder and spammed them all.

I know that many internet marketers tell you that a good way to get incoming links to your website is to comment on other blogs.  In fact, I tell people that too. You may have read it right here on this blog.

If done properly, blog commenting works. For a long time, one of the top ten Google search results for “Andrea Stenberg” was a comment I made on Chris Brogan’s blog.

However, if you’re going to comment on another person’s blog, don’t do it only for the purpose of getting a link to your website. You’ve got to add value. Make a comment that is specific to that blog post. Be insightful and thoughtful. Add something new to the conversation. Agree or disagree. It doesn’t matter as long as you are commenting because you have something to say.

So please, make my day. If you have a thought or experience about this post, please leave a comment. If you disagree, share that too. Just add something to this conversation, please.

Andrea J. Stenberg

You can watch the video here or go to YouTube and watch it there.

After watching the video, please leave a comment here or on YouTube. And if you enjoyed the video, please feel free to share it with your friends.

Andrea J. Stenberg

I then wrote him a DM (that’s direct message – which is private on Twitter) asking him what his favourite Canadian wine is. At about the same time I received what is obviously an automated DM from him, thanking me for following and asking me to click a link and leave a comment about a wine I recently tried.

That was a week ago. There has STILL been no response to my message, which wasn’t automated. And his automated DM is still sitting at the top of my DM inbox, reminding me that he hasn’t bothered to answer my real message.

Remember, using Twitter (or any other social media tool) is about building relationships. It’s about giving people a chance to get to know, like and trust you enough that they want to deepen the relationship by visiting your website, having a conversation or visiting your store. By sending me an automated DM and at the same time ignoring my message to him, he missed a chance to let me get to know him better. And forget about like & trust.

You probably know that I’m against automated DMs (if not, please read this article http://ow.ly/4ujEb). However, if you are going to ignore my advice and send them anyway, please, please, PLEASE have the courtesy to read your own DM inbox and reply to anyone who sends you a message. If not, you’ll end up looking like a jerk.

Andrea J. Stenberg

Follow me on Twitter and if you send me a message, I promise to reply. And the reply will be from me, not a bot, not an assistant, not even my kid, but me.

And if you haven’t done so yet, please check out the free internet marketing ebook I co-wrote with @sos4business. Internet Marketing 101: Discover Three Simple Things You Can Do Now to Grow Your Business Online will help you jump start your online marketing. Get the free ebook at http://29daystogrowingabusiness.com

Don't Assume!

need to show up to give people a chance to know, like and trust you. And you need to keep showing up so they remember you.

I had this point driven home to me last week. On Tuesday I posted an update on LinkedIn, including a link to free ebook on internet marketing I created with some JV partners. About an hour later I received an email from a colleague asking if I do training on internet marketing and social media.

My first thought was “What?!? How can he not know this?” But I realized it’s true. You need to keep showing up because your prospects and customers won’t remember what you do unless they need what you do right now.

So keep going to those networking meetings. Keep posting to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Keep sending your email newsletter. Keep showing up. Because you never know when your message or your face will show up at just the right moment – when someone needs your products or services and is ready to buy.

Andrea J. Stenberg

P.S. In case you are wondering the result: I met with this man and it looks like I will have two long-term clients as a result of this one update on LinkedIn. And of course, the ongoing networking I’d done previously with this guy.

So how about you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences with people not knowing what you do when you thought they already did.