9 Ways to Get More From Twitter
If you talk about social media, invariably someone is going to say something I’m sure you’ve heard a lot: “I don’t have time to chit-chat. Time is money, and I don’t care about a bunch of nerds’ opinions anyway.” …or something along those lines! Twitter is often the target of such criticism.
Now, reading Social Media Examiner, you might be surprised to hear that sometimes I think people who say this have a point. Sometimes.
Fact is, if you see Twitter or any other social media service as a venue for chit-chat, and that’s how you use it for hours a day, then you’re likely better off doing something more productive with your time.
On the other hand, there are ways to get a lot of value out of Twitter. As with most things, it all depends on how you use it.
We programmers have a saying: “Garbage In – Garbage Out.” This essentially means you get out what you put in. If you put in chit-chat, don’t be surprised if that’s all you see in return!
Here are nine benefits I’ve personally seen through my couple of years of Twitter usage.
Top 5 Social Media Articles from 2009
The year is coming to a close and there’s been lots of great social media content developed.
Here are our top five articles (in order of popularity) from this year…
#1: Five Must Read Social Media Marketing Studies
Here’s a quick overview of the this article:
Study 1: By 2010, 26 Million (1 in 7) U.S. Adults Will Use Twitter Monthly
The study by eMarketer found the following: “In 2009, there will be 18 million U.S. adults who access Twitter on any platform at least monthly. That represents a 200% increase over 2008 levels. Usage will reach 26 million U.S. adults in 2010, a further 44.4% climb.“
Outsourcing Social Media: Good or Bad Idea?
One of the big concerns about using social media for business and marketing is time. Social media activities do pose a risk of drawing you in and taking up a huge amount of your day just interacting with people.
Add that the technology is changing all the time. It can seem impossible to keep up with all the tools, software, techniques, etiquette, and social media best practices.
It’s hardly surprising that people are looking to social media consultants, agencies and contractors to take on their social media activity. But should you? Let’s explore this. 
7 Ways to Overcome the Social Media Time Sink
Many business owners and marketing professionals respond to the social media buzz with what Olivier Blanchard calls the “Social Media Terror Syndrome“—a wait and see approach. The next barrier is often a lack of time. And the focus becomes “how do I avoid the social media time suck?”
Chat Live With Social Media Gurus Via Video

On Monday October 12th, 2009, Social Media Examiner is sponsoring four hours of live video chats with leading social media superstars Mari Smith, Jason Falls, Chris Garrett and Denise Wakeman.
Here’s how to participate: Simply click here to enter the live video broadcast room (login with your Twitter ID or as a guest).
Here’s the line up:
- 7am Pacific (10am Eastern): Join Chris Garrett (co-author of ProBlogger) and Michael Stelzner
- 9am Pacific (Noon Eastern): Denise Wakeman (The Blog Squad) and Michael Stelzner
- 11am Pacific (2pm Eastern): Mari Smith (Facebook for business guru) and Michael Stelzner
- 1pm Pacific (4pm Eastern): Jason Falls (Social media strategist) and Michael Stelzner
How to Create Headlines That Go Viral With Social Media
Are you struggling to get more clicks and bookmarks on your articles? Possibly there is one area in which your content is letting you down. Even the best blog post writers sometimes make this mistake.
One aspect of your writing requires a great deal of effort getting right, and it is so obvious it is commonly overlooked. What is the first thing a social media user sees?
“I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories, and I get briefed by people who probably read the news themselves.”
George W. Bush
“It has been found that the less an advertisement looks like an advertisement, and the more it looks like an editorial, the more readers stop, look and read.”
David Ogilvy







