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How To Leverage Twitter To Bring Old Posts Back To Life

March 21, 2011 By 6 Comments

Blogging and WordPress do a lot of great things together. Search engines love the code and regularly updated content, writters find it easy to publish their content and sites are relatively easy to navigate and find what you want. In the web world, that is a pretty strong formula for success.

However, there is one plaguing problem in blogging platforms and structure that frustrates the hell out of bloggers over time.

We spend all of this time putting together articles that are meant to inform, entertain and help people only to find that a year later they are buried in the archives for no one to find. With regularly updated content, our timeless content continues to be pushed down the line making it harder to find by new readers and search engines alike. The easy fix is to remember these articles and link to them within new relevant articles, but how can we start to easily leverage social media to get those same articles in front of the eyes of our followers?

I started searching around to find a tool to do this for me as I do not want to be spending hours of my day scheduling these posts (I have better things to do that generate more income). After looking at the features of several different options, I landed on one that had what I needed and started the testing process.

WordPress Plugin: Tweet Old Post

First, let me start by saying I typically do not like automated systems. They tend to be very impersonal and everyone knows when you are using one even if you think they do not. If something is going to be automated, it needs to be highly configurable and able to integrate into more personal atmospheres easily by providing value.

I uploaded Tweet Old Post to my WordPress install of Blogging Labs and started the configuration process. Luckily, this free plugin allows you to do several essential tasks that make it usable for me in this application.

Timing of Old Post Tweets

You can set the random times that tweets go out to your followers. Part of the reason that Twitter is the perfect testing ground for a system like this is because the timeline moves quick enough that you will not be annoying people and it has a viral aspect to it that you hope your articles start to get retweeted. If you do it too often, people will ignore your links and unfollow you, so setting a random time for these tweets to hit your timeline hours apart does wonders for not looking like spam.

Excluding Categories

One of the biggest things I needed in a plugin such as this one was the ability to exclude entire categories from being tweeted out. Information that was tweeted from my archives needed to be timeless to still be relevant. I did not want old articles that are no longer applicable to today’s environment to get tweeted out because that would look terrible as it has zero value to my followers.

Omit WordPress Categories

By being able to exclude categories, I can remove blocks of archives that should not be tweeted, or I do not feel provide enough value to my timeline. As you can see from my excluded lists, I tried to keep any articles from my archives to blogging tips, tutorials and advice.

Exclude Specific Posts

To fine tune the process even further, there were posts that I didn’t necessarily want retweeted within those categories as well for one reason or another.

Omit Specific WordPress Posts

Tweet Old Post allows you to also omit specific articles from being sent out to your followers automatically. Another great feature that I needed to insure the quality of the tweets would be at their highest.

After you have everything setup, an automated tweet ends up looking like this on your timeline.

Tweet from Tweet Old Post

A Couple Of Things To Keep In Mind…

Before you jump in headfirst and never look back, keep these couple of things in mind.

  • If you are going to set something like this up, you need to have some archives to pull from. As you can see, I really fine tuned my process, but if that came down to a dozen or so post by the time I was done, I would be sending out a very small number of articles over and over again. Talk about annoying for anyone that is following you.
  • You also need to gauge reactions within your Twitter following to see how people are taking the automation. In my @robbsutton account, the change was actually taken in very well and I am now getting traffic and RT’s into my older content…which was the goal. I even started asking around to followers to see what they thought and the overall reaction was positive.
  • I do not think this kind of automation would work with Facebook. The timeline does not move fast enough to keep you from clogging the system and in the end you would end up annoying friends and family at the same time. Saying that…if you have your Facebook account linked to your Twitter account so when you send out a tweet it updates your Facebook page, I would break that link before you start testing this out.

Overall, I have been happy with the result as I am always looking for ways to bring people to content that has been buried down over time. There are not very many efficient ways to get this accomplished, but Tweet Old Post seems to do a really good job by leveraging the fast moving timeline of Twitter. It’s highly configurable backend is the only reason I believe you can really make an automated system like this work.

But…just remember…you need to actually converse with your Twitter followers as well and RT other content. Your entire timeline can not be just automated tweets of your own content if you want to be successful with that online medium.

Download Tweet Old Post for free here.

Filed Under: Content, Plugins, Reviews, Social Media, Tutorials/How To Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Successful, Profitable Blogging Is Not Rocket Science [mapped]

January 17, 2011 By 5 Comments

Successful, Profitable Blogging

So I was just sitting back the other day thinking about what actually makes a blog successful from a monetary standpoint. There are a lot of blogs that have traffic, subscribers and plenty of Facebook fans, but they barely make enough to cover the bills because they are expecting the money to come from non-monetized resources (or at least ones that do not monetize well).

I created this mind map to show you exactly how I look at my blogs from a monetary and business view. It basically starts from the bottom and works up, so let’s run through it.

As with any business, your leads are your most valuable asset. When you funnel quality, qualified leads into your blog, you are creating an asset that has the ability make money on a higher percentage than the shotgun affect of trying to get as many as you can at once. This is done by utilizing several sources, and it is up to your testing to see which one works out best for you. By creating quality, relevant content on and off your blog, you attract readers (leads) to your site. You also bring them in from various social media outlets as you continue to try to grow your blog.

The biggest problem I see with most blogs looking to make a dime online is they stop there. They expect this traffic to make money on its own and continue to spin their wheels trying to make ends meet.

It is up to you, as the blogger to capture these quality leads in a format that is conducive to generating income. As you can see from the green area of the mindmap, there are several ways to capture these quality leads that come onto your blog. A lot of bloggers try to strictly rely on rss through feed reader and email to satisfy their lead capture needs, but from personal experience in multiple niches, I can tell you that the #1 converter for quality leads is a newsletter (I use Aweber) and a lightbox hover like PopUp Domination to capture those leads.

Captured My Quality Leads…Now What?

Again, you are not done once you hit this stage in the process. A large number of quality leads is great, but if you do nothing with them…they are just costing you money and you are still spinning your wheels.

By providing quality products, recommending quality products and implementing other monetization techniques…you can keep the quality high on your blog and generate revenue off of it at the same time.

There is no right or wrong answer to this part of the equation, but I can tell you from experience that the monetization methods that the most effort typically yeild the biggest returns. When you take the time to create a product or membership site that your readers actually need to solve their problem, you are going to see higher revenues off of lower quantities. If you create an in-depth product review with pictures, video and text and post it on your blog and email it to your newsletter subscribers, you will get higher sales conversions. If you plan on throwing up Google Adsense and affiliate banners, you can guess which way that is going to go….pennies…

As you can see, this is not rocket science. It is up to you as the blogger to provide quality that attracts leads to your blog, capture those leads and then convert them to dollars.

You can click on the image above and share it with whoever you would like, just don’t edit the image at all. We are all in this together!

Filed Under: Blogging, Generating Cash, Tutorials/How To Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How To Leverage Social Media Into An Asset For Blogging

November 11, 2010 By 9 Comments

Last night, I gave a presentation at the Atlanta Bloggers Meetup on social media and blogging as part of Atlanta’s Social Media Week. I was one of three presenters of the night and the only one that fully relies on blogging for income. I brought along the Kodak Zi8 to record the session and the video came out ok. The small sensor camera really struggles in low light and I wasn’t wearing a mic, but the quality was good enough to publish.

One word of warning…apparently I REALLY talk with my hands. It is funny what you realize about yourself when you have to watch it on video.

How To Leverage Social Media To Grow Your Blog

In the video, I talk about basic principles in regards to social media, blogging and how you can combine the two to increase your business, traffic and bottom line and then I answer some questions from the audience on generating income and increasing traffic.

Text Summary On Social Media Presentation Video

Everyone already knows the most popular social media spaces online. We all use them on a daily basis to converse with friends, keep in touch with family or to follow our favorite celebrities. When we do this act, we are functioning within the core, fundamental purpose of social media.

Entertainment.

99% of users of social media have zero interest in blogging or starting a blog. However, they have a great amount of interest in conversing with other like minded individuals online who share their same interests. That need to communicate is what we can leverage into our blogging to pull readers back into our content.

All of these social media spaces (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.) in and of themselves do not generate revenue or traffic. They are their own separate sites with defined purposes. The blogger has to tie all these separate entities into something usable and measurable by giving them a common home base. That home base for the blogger is the blog.

By going out and pulling potential customers and readers back to your content, you are bringing value back to social media by turning it into something that can be measured and converted.

With Facebook fan pages, branded Twitter accounts, LinkedIn groups and other aspects of these social media sites, we are able to create a consistent branding atmosphere, a consistent voice and a consistent purpose that all increase our traffic and revenue.

If Only It Was That Easy!!

The theory of “if you build it and they will come” applies as little to social media as it does to blogging. The trick for the blogger is to go out and converse with members of social media sites to pull them back to your content.

However…there is one major mistake I see most bloggers and businesses do when they are looking to expand into social media to increase their web presence.

They do ZERO market research.

Just because Joe down the street told you Twitter is the next big thing or you believe you have to be everywhere at once does not mean that is the right plan of attack for your blog or business.

Most bloggers and business owners like to do what I call the shotgun affect. They spread themselves out really thin across all aspects of social media just hoping something sticks. The result…nothing does and they become another person that says Twitter or Facebook doesn’t work. It isn’t that they don’t work, it is your approach that failed.

Your job as the blogger or business owner is to go where your core audience interacts and bring your content and brand to them. It is not your job to convince them that Twitter is better than Facebook.

For Bike198, I find that Facebook is a much higher converter as cyclists could really care less about Twitter. My Facebook likes and shares are very high on that site and it serves a great purpose in my blogging. However, in the blogging niche, Twitter took off like wildfire and bloggers across the world are using it as an easy way to spread content and connect with other bloggers. It all depends on your target audience and how they are already communicating. Once you figure that out…you go there and set up shop. If you do that, your chance of success is much higher than if you just recklessly hope something sticks.

That is the key to making social media successful for increasing your profits and expanding your brand’s reach on the web.

Filmed with the Kodiak Zi8 and edited with iMovie and Keynote

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media, Tutorials/How To, Videos Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Review: MarketMeTweet – Twitter and Facebook Client with Branding

July 12, 2010 By 6 Comments

Once Twitter exploded on the scene, coders and programers all over the world started coming up with Twitter clients to satisfy the needs of the Twitter obsessed. With many paid and free options, you are now able to find a Twitter client that manages your social media needs down to a T. One of the newer clients to hit the market is MarketMeTweet.

While MarketMeTweet does do most of the same things that the other paid and free clients accomplish, it does come with a few exclusive features that could meet your Twitter and social media posting needs. Let’s dive in and take a look…

Features: MarketMeTweet – Facebook and Twitter Client

Every Twitter and Facebook client has its own set of features, so let’s take a look at MarketMeTweet’s. While this is not a comprehensive list of features, these are the highlights before we move forward.

  • Unlimited Accounts
  • Brand Management (Tweets show up as Tweeted from “whatever you pick, linked to your site)
  • Schedule Tweets
  • Schedule Tweets from Blackberry, iPhone or Android (through Google calendar)
  • Facebook Integration (unlimited fan pages)
  • Location Targeting
  • Reply Campaigns (completely user controlled automation)
  • Auto RSS Tweets (import your RSS feed into Tweets)
  • Smart Following and Unfollowing
  • OAuth Secure
  • Multiple Pricing Options

Review: MarketMeTweet – Social Networking For Real Business

MarketMeTweet is very unique when it comes to Twitter and Facebook. While it does what you would expect out of any desktop client (posting Tweets/Facebook updates, multiple timelines, scheduling Tweets), there are several features of MarketMeTweet that really set it apart from the other free and paid clients on the web, so let’s take a look at those individually.

Personal Branding On Twitter

MarketMeTweet has a really cool feature built into the application that allows you to create your own Twitter application. Now what does this do for you…the blogger or business owner? It allows you to create an application within Twitter that changes your byline to include “via Robb Sutton” or anything you choose below your tweets. That “Robb Sutton” is also linked to RobbSutton.com so anytime it shows up in the timeline of one of my thousands of Twitter followers, it is clickable right back to my homepage as you can see below.

MarketMeTweet Branding

What does it do for your business or blog? Well…for those Twitter followers that use the web client for Twitter, you are no longer promoting your Twitter client. You are now promoting your own personal brand which carries a lot of weight online. When MarketMeTweet first hit the market, this was the #1 feature I was most interested in as I like to keep branding as secure and consistent as possible, and it works flawlessly.

Auto Replys and Automatic Following and Unfollowing

One of the other really cool features within MarketMeTweet is the ability to auto reply to your followers based on keyword selection. Now…before you start thinking, “wow…that is spammy” let me explain just a little bit. Yes, if you are planning on setting up just a couple of lines of reply and hitting up as many keywords as you can and then leave it alone without paying any attention to it later, you are going to be a spammer. On my end, I do not have time to go through my Twitter timeline for hours on end a day, so this allows me to start conversations with other Twitter users based on information I want to talk about. It is not a set it and forget it system…you still have to interact after the fact if you really want to see results.

As you can see by the screenshot, you can also create “negative keywords” to better filter your results.

Reply and Auto Follow with MarketMeTweet

These days, I do not use too many (ok…none) auto follow services. Don’t get me wrong…I have used them in the past and they have helped me find new Twitter users that are looking for the information I provide. I just don’t have the time to manage applications like that for the return it brings me at this point in time.

With MarketMeTweet you can use that same keyword strings that you created to handle your auto replies to auto follow to auto follow Twitter users that are talking about subjects you want to connect with. Unlike other auto follow scripts, the MarketMeTweet version is pretty light so it stays underneath the radar while you grow your Twitter following. It also does it via the keywords I have already set up and in the background so I am able to just hit a switch without too much time management on the backend.

Final Thoughts: MarketMeTweet Twitter and Facebook Client

Overall, the MarketMeTweet desktop client for Twitter and Facebook is a strong application. With a user friendly, easy on the eyes interface and Adobe Air integration (makes for easy update and launching), MarketMeTweet answers all of the Twitter and Facebook needs you should have for your blog or business. With unique features that are very focused and provide real results, MarketMeTweet justifies it’s paid status as a Twitter and Facebook desktop client.

MarketMeTweet - Twitter and Facebook Desktop Client

Is it perfect? Not completely. MarketMeTweet does its unique features incredibly well, but there are a couple of little usability options I would like to see included into newer versions. I would also to be able to setup panes on an account basis so I can see multiple accounts at once on one screen. Right now…you have to switch accounts through a drop down menu to see the different timelines, replies and search queries.

If MarketMeTweet really want to rock it out, an iPhone app would completely make my day as most of my Tweeting is done on the road and the branding element would be great on my iPhone (you can schedule Tweets on the road through the Google Calendar integration).

Positives: MarketMeTweet Client
  • Branding – HUGE! The ability to brand your Tweets is unique and strengthens your brand.
  • Auto Reply and Auto Follow – Done easily and in the background to grow your blog or business
  • User friendly interface that is easy to setup and use
  • Free updates
  • RSS feed and scheduling tweets integration
  • Post To All Feature covers Facebook, Twitter and Pingfm
Negatives: MarketMeTweet Client
  • A couple little usability additions need to be added in future updates (outlined above)
  • Not really an application for the casual Twitter user
  • Limited mobile phone support

With pricing plans starting at 15 bucks with strong support and a 30 day money back guarantee, MarketMeTweet is the answer for blog and business owners looking to expand their business and stay on top of the trending topics on Twitter. If you are looking for a Twitter and Facebook client that will meet the needs of your business or blog, MarketMeTweet is your answer.

If you want to see more:Click here to check out MarketMeTweet.

As an FYI, I actually bought a copy of MarketMeTweet, this was not a freebie for review.

Filed Under: Applications, Reviews, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

33 Social Media Icons Sets That You Can Actually Use In Your Blog Designs

July 1, 2010 By 12 Comments

If you are anything like me, when you go to insert social media icons in to your blog, you start to scour the net for the perfect set that matches your style and your design. Ever since Smashing Magazine started doing “## Top Whatever’s” list posts, everyone and their mom has come out with their own version clouding up Google with the same list after list.

Don’t get me wrong…there are a lot of really cool looking icons in those lists, but can you honestly see me using leaf icons on any of my blogs?! What about those crazy, complicated icons that you can’t even tell what they are trying to promote? I didn’t think so…

So, every time I need to find some clean, professional looking icons to integrate into my blogs, I end up having to look through every pointless list after list for that one set that is going to work. After having to do that too many times, I have decided to put together this list of social media icon sets that you can actually use in your designs as a resource for myself and you guys. No leafs, Popsicle’s or random weirdness here…just clean icons you can actually use on your blog.

33 Social Media Icon Sets You Can Actually Use

So here it is…the list. Click on any of the images below to download the set to use in your blog design.

IMPORTANT DESIGN NOTE: One thing to keep in mind. You are not picking the icon set that you necessarily like the best. It is about finding social media icons that integrate into your design to make it look seamless. You do not want your icons to look like a “cut and paste” after thought just because you think they look cool. Careful planning goes a long way…

1. Social Bookmark Icon Set from Vikiworks

Social Bookmark Icon Set

2. Socialize from Dry Icons

Socialize Icon Set by Dry Icons

3. Circular Social Media Icons from Blog Perfume

Circular Social Media Icons

4. Aquatiqus.Social by jwloh

Aquaticus Social by jwloh

5. Handycons by Janko at Warp Speed

Handycons by Janko at Warp Speed

6. Chrome by Chris Wallace

Chrome Social Media Icons by Chris Wallace

7. Social Media Icons by ~plechi

Social Media Icons by plechi

8. Social Media Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

Social Media Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

9. Glossy Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

Glossy Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

10. Social Media Icons by Sebastiano at WeGraphics

Social Media Icon Set by Sebastiano at WeGraphics

11. Splatter Social Icons by My Ink Blog

Splatter Social Icons by My Ink Blog

12. Social Icons by Elegant Themes

Social Icons by Elegant Themes

13. Sleek Social Icons by Andrew at Design Instruct

Sleek Social Icons by Andrew at Design Instruct

14. Vector Social Media Icons by Icon Shots

Vector Social Media Icons by Icon Shots

15. Vintage Social Media Icons from Web Expedition 18

Vintage Social Media Icons from Web Expedition 18

16. Social Media Icons by FreeSocialMediaIcons.com

Social Media Icons by FreeSocialMediaIcons.com

17. Vector Social Media Icons by Icon Dock

Vector Social Media Icons by Icon Dock

18. Social Media Icons by Pink Moustache

Social Media Icons by Pink Moustache

17. Gray and White Social Media Icons by Web Treats

Gray and White Social Media Icons by Web Treats

18. Extreme Grunge Social Media Icons by colaja

Extreme Grunge Social Icons by colaja

19. Polaroid Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

Polaroid Icon Set by webtoolkit4.me

20. Rivet Social Icon Set by John Campbell at DesignBump

Rivet Social Icons by John Campbell at DesignBump

21. Social Duo 2 Icon Set by IconBlock

Social Duo 2 Icon Set by IconBlock

22. Web Social Icons by NarjisNaqvi

Web Social Icons by NarjisNaqvi

23. Picasso Social Media Icon Set by Six Revisions

Picasso Social Midea Icon Set by Six Revisions

24. Social Media Icon Set by Paper Leaf

Social Media Icon Set by Paper Leaf

25. Social Media Icon Set at WeFunction

WeFunction Icon Set

26. Social Networking Icons by Cheth Studios

Social Networking Icons by Cheth Studios

27. Social Icon Tabs by Cheth Studios

Social Icon Tabs by Cheth Studios

28. Life In Pixels Icon Set by Six Revisions

Life In Pixels Icon Set by Six Revisions

29. Social Media Icon Set by Media Loot

Social Media Icon Set by Media Loot

30. Social Media Icon Set by sawb

Social Media Icon Set by sawb

31. Mac Style Icons by designbold

Mac Style Icons by Design Bold

32. Black and White Icons by webtoolkit4.me

Black and White Icons by webtoolkit4.me

33. Social Clean by Icon Shock

Social Clean by Icon Shock

There you have it. The 33 social media icon sets that you can actually use in your blog design. These clean, unique sets can integrate into your design to create higher conversions and a more custom appeal. Be sure to pick a set that fits with your color scheme and feel as you look to increase your social media presence.

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Has #FollowFriday On Twitter Worn Out Its Welcome?

March 17, 2010 By 9 Comments

Follow Friday has been a part of Twitter almost since the beginning. The idea is to recommend people you follow to your followers to increase the viral spreading and introduce new people they might be interested in. Now…like anything else on the Internet, #followfriday or #ff has attracted a swarm of spamming and “copy and paste” action that has diluted its effectiveness on Twitter. While I always appreciate any mentions on Follow Friday, I too have started to ignore it as the same stuff keeps popping up every Friday like clockwork. So the question becomes…

Has #FollowFriday Worn Out Its Welcome?

While I could ponder this question in a nice, quiet room by myself, that would solely be my opinion and who really wants to hear that anyway?! So…I went to the source. I hit up Twitter and asked…

Does anyone pay attention to #ff anymore? I always appreciate the mentions, but does anyone use it effectively?

Now…let’s take a look at the responses…

Neonjade

@robbsutton I followed 10+ new tweeps today due to #ff. If you only do a couple posts and say why you like, I look at ones that interest me

bestieverdid

@robbsutton No, unless the recommending person includes some compelling reason for their #ff choices.

AtlantaWineGuy

@robbsutton I like the #FF which give reason(s) as to why someone recommends following that person.

HotCookinChick

@robbsutton I used to do #FF all the time, fell off, but in past few wks have started again. I’ve found really gr8 people in #FF recommends.

marijolamarche

@robbsutton I agree. I think that we pretty much follow all the same people already within our interests!

mpolicha

@robbsutton I’ve never found it the least bit effective, too much #ff spam where people recommend entire lists in the hope of reciprocity.

andrew_girvan

@robbsutton Its still one of Twitter’s biggest trending topics when you look at the figures

mikebiewer

@robbsutton I find other beer blogs to participate in when people list out a bunch of people to #FF

daphneroseknows

@robbsutton I’m trying to figure that one out myself.

Bottom Line From My View On #FollowFriday

As you can see by some of the responses, there is a mixed bag of opinions regarding Follow Friday. I really think it all boils down to quality (like most things). If you are recommending other Twitter users with a reason why, then people pay attention. If you are just copying and pasting every Friday like a machine, you lose the punch that comes with recommending other people on Twitter.

Regardless, I think Follow Friday is pretty much here to stay on Twitter, but to use it effectively…you need to make your Tweet stand out from the rest by providing something different. Do not just throw up #ff and a bunch of names. Try a different tact that draws attention to you Tweet and screams, “THESE ARE QUALITY PEOPLE ON TWITTER!”. Just don’t use caps…that is really annoying.

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

January 14, 2010 By 5 Comments

I’ll admit…I am starting to get irritated with Twitter and other social media outlets (a lot of bloggers included) as more and more people try to get a free lunch. What do I mean by free lunch? They actually think that by spamming the hell out of everyone…they will get a long lasting income. You know which ones I am talking about. The Twitter user that promises to put your income on autopilot and get you 1,000′s of followers a week (but only has 200 followers themselves), the self-proclaimed gurus with the next get rich quick scheme, the make money with Google experts…they are everywhere! And the more these kinds of wastes of Internet space show up, the harder it is for real business owners and bloggers that want to bring real value to the table to stick their head above the mess.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is no quick and easy way to make money online. There is no quick and easy way to get thousands of Twitter followers that want pay your mortgage. Building real businesses that make real income over your lifetime takes hard work and dedication. The only real sustainable growth is slow and steady increases. You wouldn’t even be able to handle a drastic increase if it was handed to you…and besides…you wouldn’t have the tools and knowledge you had built over time to use it properly anyway!

As you look at all of the products and offers online, if it seems too good to be true…it probably is. If that wasn’t the case, we would all be rich off of our South American prince that just needs to move his money and wants to give you a cut! All you have to do is give him all of your banking information right?

As you build your business, bring value…bring hard work…show your readers/followers/customers that you are willing to put in the work it takes to enrich their lives with your product, your content and your dedication. If you want real success…that is the only way of going about it. The rest is just pissing in the wind.

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,

Twitter: Growing Blogs Without Google Since 2007

January 7, 2010 By 17 Comments

So here you are, a new or experienced blogger looking for traffic to start things off or get over that plateau in traffic. In the olden days (like they were really that long ago), you were at the mercy of the search engines. How can I word this article so that it will rank well? How many keyword strings do I need? Are people actually going to read this after I throw in a bunch of crap just to improve rankings and grow my blog? I hate being at the mercy of the corporate search engines to grow my blog!

Then something happened that changed the blogging world for forever…Twitter and other micro blogging sites (Facebook can be included in this mix) gave the small blogger a voice and an audience without the aid of Google. It was an amazing turn of events as you could now reach targeted readers faster, easier and you can do it under your terms! You are no longer at the mercy of the infamous keyword. You are now actually building a following, community and network online by connecting with people instead of statistics! It’s a wonderful thing.

As I look back at 2009, it really was the year for Twitter. With record breaking growth numbers, Twitter gave businesses, blogs and the random neighbor down the street an easy to grow outlet to promote their content or what they were eating that morning in 140 characters or less. If you need proof, you can look at how John Chow grew his blog to epic proportions while being banned from Google completely (has since been let back in after having subscriber counts above the 50k mark). This shows the powerful leverage power of Twitter and social media as we move forward into the blogging future.

So how do I grow my blog to epic proportions with Twitter and other social media outlets without looking like a spammer trying to promise unrealistic goals?

Twitter Tips That Grow Your Blog

The key with Twitter and other social media outlets online is to grow your following, increase your spread and network in a way that brings value to BOTH your blog and your Twitter account. When you try to run them mutually exclusive…it doesn’t ever come out with the results you are looking for. So…as we move forward…keep in mind…a QUALITY social media profile (more than just self promotion that looks like spam) and QUALITY content on your blog is what wins out in the long run. The trick is fusing these two together so they grow as one.

  • Syndicate Your Blog Feed On Twitter – Typically, syndicating your rss feed on Twitter has been handled through TwitterFeed, but…recently…Google released a new feature on FeedBurner (which you should already be using to syndicate your feed to your rss subscribers) that automatically tweets your latest article with a host of options including excluding categories, adding hashtags, controlling the text amount and even making sure there is room for your followers to RT. While I used to recommend TwitterFeed, I now use FeedBurner due to the new options and ease of having less accounts to sign into. By syndicating your feed on Twitter, you are automating a process that you would normally have to do manually and driving your followers to your latest content. You are also giving them an opportunity to spread your new content for you by ReTweeting that article to their followers within their preferred Twitter application or web app.
  • Search Out and Follow Like Minded Twitter Users – Social Media is very much a game of finding people and being found. Twitter is one of the purest forms of that application by being able to search for hashtags, keywords and trending topics. In all reality, unless you are a New York Times best selling author or Oprah, Twitter users are not going to follow you just because you want them to. You are going to have to search out these users, follow them and then hope they check out your profile and follow you back. I do not have time to do this manually every day of the week, so I use a tool called Social Snipe to handle that chore for me. The trick is to find people who are tweeting about what you are blogging about…and then interacting with them on Twitter.
  • Provide Alternate Resources and Articles Related To Your Blogging Topic – No one likes a shameless self promoter (only promotes themselves constantly without any other content), so it is always good practice to tweet other articles in your blogging topic that you think your readers and followers would find benefit from. This increases your credibility online and brings more attention to your articles as they hit the Twitter stream because they are not seen as self promoting spam.
  • Make ReTweeting Easy For Your Followers - If you want your content spread on Twitter, you have to make it easy for people reading your blog to spread your content. As much as you think your readers are going to copy and paste your url into their Twitter app, most if them are not going to go through the trouble even if they like your article. By installing the Tweetmeme plugin, you can insure that you have provided the easiest outlet for your readers to spread your content on Twitter. I typically recommend having an option to submit at the top and bottom of your article. You can see my Tweetmeme button at the top of this article…hit it…I know you want to! ;) And a Twitter icon that submits at the bottom of the article.
  • Display Twitter Profile and Latest Tweets On Your Blog – A lot of social media and blog integration is to make sure you are properly displaying your profiles on your blog. You do not want to make it hard to find you on Twitter and other social media because…the harder you make it…the less follows you will see. On your blog, you are going to want to use a widget (plugin like Twitter for WordPress will do the trick like you see in my footer) and link to your profiles on your About Page and other related sections of your blog. If you want people/readers to find you…you have to make it easy.
  • Run Contests On Twitter – One of the fastest ways to grow your following on Twitter in a way that compliments blog growth is to create a contest on Twitter where they have to follow and RT some line you setup to be entered in the contest. For best results, you are going to want to give away something your blog readership wants (does not have to be expensive) and link to the contest article in the RT line. You are driving traffic to your blog and increasing your Twitter following with targeted leads that will help grow your blog down the line.
  • Have A Complete Twitter Profile – What is a complete Twitter profile? Let’s break it down…a user name that compliments your blog title/brand, a Twitter background that compliments your branding and blog (usually includes urls, useful info, etc.), a link to your blog in the sidebar of your Twitter page and a short excerpt of who you are and what you blog about in the description (DO NOT use the word expert, guru, etc…you can not give yourself those terms and it just looks like spam). It really surprises me sometimes when people completely overlook their Twitter page and leave the background generic. You can get fantastic backgrounds on the cheap from freelancers (TwitterWalls.com did mine for @robbsutton) and you will see an increase in follow rates by having a professional looking profile.

So there you have it! Follow these steps and you will watch your blog grow without the aid of Google. With social media growing by record numbers each year, you can actually grow your blog and your business easier than ever before. It just takes making the right decisions and carry out a plan…the rest will be history.

Filed Under: Social Media, Tutorials/How To Tagged With: , , ,

A Look Back: 2009 Blogging and Social Media Recap

December 28, 2009 By 4 Comments

Now that we are all fat and happy from the holiday season, it is time to look forward to 2010 and our blogs. As RobbSutton.com continues to poor high octane content into the cranium of bloggers, lets take a look at where 2009 brought blogging. 2009 was a huge success from both a social media perspective and for blogging as a whole. While the HUGE paydays of Google Adsense are gone for big bloggers (really left earlier than 2009), those unrealistic expectations were replaced with solid business models that will bring the blogosphere into a legitimate money making and business growing strategy. So what happened in 2009?

Twitter and Facebook

Twitter is now a household name. Even if you are not using – or understand – Twitter, you know what it is at the end of 2009. From a social media perspective, Twitter saw a massive amount of growth in 2009 that was unmatched by any other social media outlet. More people are throwing out 140 character blasts than ever before, but that growth will not be sustainable over the long haul…2010 is going to continue the decrease in growth as nothing can keep that kind of rapid growth over time. During 2009, Twitter gave smaller bloggers a wider spread and another outlet to get their voice heard. This meant faster growth outside of search engines for bloggers looking for traffic and connections within their niche. This was a HUGE win for the beginning and small niche blogger as you no longer have to rely on unreliable search engine results to find readers.

Facebook started off as a college student social media site and has grown into the most reliable way to connect with friends, family and other like minded individuals on the net. I know that Facebook is now widespread because even my dad (who said he never would) created an account during 2009. With spam riddling MySpace and LinkedIn keeping its professional atmosphere, Facebook as filled a niche all to its own as the place to hit up to keep your friends, relatives and whoever else in tune with what you have going on in your own life.

Both Twitter and Facebook began this massive growth before 2009, but during this calendar year, they saw numbers that are unheard of globally. As we enter in to 2010, I see individuals, firms and online entrepreneurs finding more inventive and lucrative ways to convert these massive communities.

Blogging In 2009

Blogging is inching its way forward as a mainstream form of communication. What used to be online diaries are continue to grow into full fledged businesses accepted by the general public. Often times, visitors of many blogs might not even know they are reading a blog as the line between full CMS and blogging platform continues to get blurred. As businesses and individuals continue to use blogging as a source of communication and income, we are going to see the line between website and blog continue to merge.

With Julia and Julia, 2009 brought the first mainstream, successful Hollywood movie centered around the theme of blogging. Regardless of your feelings on how blogging was portrayed in the movie, it brought legitimacy to bloggers in the eyes of many individuals who believed that blogging was just a place to rant on the internet.

In 2010, I expect to see more large firms implement blogging and other social media into their business strategy. As of this point, they are still not really sure how to tackle this large consumer base, so there is a lot of testing going on behind the scenes. As Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets continue to grow, we are going to see companies use these as a way to increase their spread on the net. With bloggers attacking the top results on search engine rankings and news media, companies are going to have to rethink there web strategy to stay in tune with the times.

What do you think?

What do you think was the best accomplishment or setback in 2009 for blogging? Where do you think things are headed for 2010? As blogging and social media continue to take shape, your guess is as good as any…so let’s hear what you have to say…

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

Laugh At Yourself and Connect With Your Twitter Followers

November 6, 2009 By 11 Comments

Twitter is a social media outlet that connects all types of people from around the world. With little 140 character excerpts of our lives, we are able to give a little bit of light into our world and what we do on a daily basis. So the situation arises…if you are not marketing a blog post, ebook or some other form of online expression…what the hell do you say?

I tried something out the other day that had fantastic results, so…like any good blogger…I have to share the experience.

Every now and then, I like to tell on myself. You know as well as I do that no one is perfect. There are times where we look back what what we have done during the day and thought…”what was I thinking?!” And at that point, you just have to laugh at yourself.

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Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , ,
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