My All-Time Twitter #FollowFriday List

Twitter’s #FollowFriday has gotten a bit unwieldy.

Yes, it’s cool to acknowledge the friendly, helpful, and insightful tweeps you meet and get to know. But, the constant streams of ever-longer lists of “cool tweeps” takes up lots of screen real-estate.

My eyes start to glaze over with “FollowFriday blindness.” And I don’t always have the time to give shout-outs to all the people I’d like to.

That said, I thought I’d highlight the people who have made my all-time Twitter #FollowFriday list.

Some are marketers, some aren’t. Some I’ve spoken to offline, most I haven’t. Some are famous in their fields, most aren’t. Some I converse with on Twitter, some I just read and/or RT. Some have lots of Twitter followers, many don’t.

The common thread is that they all provide value in some form or fashion and, to me, their tweets are must-reads for one reason or another.

So, here goes, a list-in-progress in no particular order and sometimes in more than 140 characters. (Hey, my blog, my rules! ):

@Bonniestwit Bonnie’s a tutor in NYC, who simply kills Twitter. You want to know how to “do Twitter right,” follow Bonnie. Period. She’s fun, provocative, inspiring, personal yet never boring. She rocks.

@LarisaBelliveau Another Twitter supastar who “gets” the medium with no agenda other than to communicate and be communicated with. Insightful. Fun. A friend I’ve yet to meet.

@Follow_Steph Steph is definitely good tweeple who says, “I love to Promote other Twitizens. I guess I’m a Twitterholic.” He communicates, RTs when he likes a tweet, and gives props when props are due. In fact, his #FollowFriday Tribute page is the inspiration for this post.

@melmilletics Melanie takes social media marketing to the next level. Informative. Hilarious. Follow and learn attraction marketing in action. Plus, her site’s chock-full of awesome marketing tutorials: Sponsoring Success.

@unmarketing No doubt a skilled marketer with an expertise in social media. Never one to shy away from an opinion or discussion, his posts and probing questions caused me to re-think my Twitter presence and stop auto-following. From Scott’s bio: “Stop Marketing, Start Engaging.” Indeed.

@itsallsuccess Seems like we’ve known each other for a long time. A professional network marketer who’s in the masterminds of several Big Deals. Literally. Deborah knows it’s really all about people, not just products and comp plans. Her blog says that and more importantly she lives it.

@PerryBelcher Bio: “Seriously Bad Ass Marketer & Neurological Copywriter With a Gift From God.” Yup. Tweets useful links about how to do cool web, marketing, copywriting, etc stuff. Plus, his informative videos usually feature a whiteboard.

@LorenaHeletea Bio: “Passion to Coach. We figure out where our old Beliefs have us stuck. We create new habits, set goals, identify actions.” Always positive vibes from another person who “gets Twitter.” She’s not a successful life coach for nothing!

@jawar Not just because his tweet style is featured in Mike Klingler’s “How I Built My First List” as an example of great tweeting, but because he’s truly motivational, insightful, and a masterful networker. Best plus: He really supports his tweeps and is great at connecting people with common interests.

@Ferny_Ceballos & @RaymondFong No, they’re not the same person with multiple accounts. But they are biz partners in SEO Networker. Cool guys who know their *ish about SEO and marketing.

@h0neyb One of the first people I “met” on Twitter and one of the most memorable. I mean, who else do you know who blogs about bees and can chronicle her move from UT to DC without sharing too much or revealing too little?

@rebelbrown Even my “more than 140-character” leeway can’t do Rebel justice. She’s real, humorous, caring, committed to transformation (of people, of organizations), a great conversationalist, a great ally. Simply a great person I’m privileged to know. Her ebook “Its Not About You Anymore” is a straight-up strategy for positioning your business. It’s free (no signup required). Get it. Read it. You’ll learn something.

@k0zm0zs0ul A masterful copywriter who I think of as the “Queen of the RT,” which is all good because the people she follows — and the perspective she has — leads to very useful tweets from all over the map.

@lorenzomyers The name of his business says it all about Lorenzo: Positive Impact Solutions Positive impact, indeed. He’s got a lot going on and will RT when he likes what he sees and reads.

@kimshahan Kim always seems to tweet some info or a new tool that makes me go “why didn’t I think of that?” or “why didn’t I know about that?” She’s connected, makes informative videos, and constantly creates useful content everywhere. A whirlwind.

@darrenmonroe First noticed Darren right before one of his “24 Hour Twitter Marathons.” Told him to make sure to walk around a bit! Seriously, Darren’s a committed entrepreneur who’s got his pulse on Twitter and marketing. And, he’s combined the two into a great Twitter program.

@vernitasherman Not a frequent tweeter, but when Vernita tweets a marketing tip, take note and take action. As cited here before, Vernita’s truly committed to being what her bio says– an “Internet Marketing Coach for Solopreneurs.”

@vene2ia Bio: “Physician, writer, entrepreneur, educationalist, pianist, world traveler, sports, good friend to many (not necessarily this order!). Carpe deum-what’s sleep?!” Judging from Yvonne’s blog, it’s all true. Plus, a fellow chocoholic with a nutrition site to prove it!

@marketingmandy Her first at-reply to me was a helpful suggestion. And from there, she’s been a consistent source of assistance and thoughtfulness, which embodies what her company, Marketing Kinetics, is all about: Strategy, Action, Results.

@ALauderdale Bio: “Bio Triple major, M.A. candidate, songwriter and poet trying to bring change to the world. I also have this blog people seem to like.” His blog, First Wonder of the World provides a peek inside the complex mind of a guy who clearly got a lot going on.

@kemet He stepped to me once saying that network marketing doesn’t work. I stepped back to him with some mojo of my own. We’ve been cool ever since. Provocative, opinionated, calls-it-like-he-sees-it, Bill will educate you on how to have your money work for you on his blog and Internet radio show.

(If you’re not following me — @roadmapp — or just started to, please check out my Welcome Twitter Followers page for more info.)

Wishing You the Best,
Ben Mapp
@roadmapp

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Network Marketing Tip: Learn Prospecting on a Large Scale

Top earners in network marketing know how to prospect effectively on a large scale.

One-one-one or small-group prospecting makes sense as far as it goes. The chances of success, it is said, can be much better if you could talk to a person or do a presentation one-on-one.

True. But there are two main flaws to that approach:

1. Having a better chance of recruiting the person does not mean he/she will turn out to be a better network marketer.

2. It takes a long time to build the numbers needed to explode your business.

Read more

6 Ways to Generate Leads for Free

Yesterday, I asked the question "what is a lead?" And I came up with a broad definition that went like this: A lead is someone who has taken some form of action toward you or what you’re offering.

Further, the goal of an Attraction Marketer in each and every interaction is to move that person one step closer to what they’re offering.

That, of course, begs the question: Where does one go in search of leads? Answer: Go where the people are.

Here are 6 ways you can generate leads by meeting people where they already are– for free and without even having your own website:

Article Marketing

Writing articles on your subject area is a smart way to attract leads to you. It establishes your credentials in a particular area and it extends your reach to a range of ezines and publications around the Net. I use both EzineArticles and Article Marketer in my article marketing efforts.

Content Communities

Both HubPages and Squidoo offer online tools that enable you to post content — articles, photos, video — and interact with a community of lensers (Squidoo) or hubbers (HubPages). A great way to blend content creation and community.
Click here for a two-part video tutorial by Mike Klingler on Generating Leads from Squidoo Lenses.

Forum Posting

A very popular method of establishing your "street cred" in a particular subject area is to post useful information in forums. It’s not without it’s drawbacks. Some communities can be unforgiving, so if you make a fool of yourself once (say, by shamelessly promoting your business or affiliate links), you may not be taken seriously again. Who can blame them? On the other hand, I can attest that it does work. A fellow marketer once gave me some game-changing advice. And, now I remain a big fan.

Video Marketing

Yes, you can be just like the people you see on TV. In fact, on YouTube, you can have your very own channel all to yourself. Seriously, video is a powerful way to establish yourself, your brand, your message. People can get to know you and respond to your personality, beyond just a picture.

Twitter

The increasingly popular microblogging service is as immediate and intimate as it is overwhelming and addictive. Twitter is perfect for the short-and-sweet communication. And for adding value to people with common interests. New to Twitter or have yet to send your first tweet? This article — Newbie’s guide to Twitter — gives you what you need to get started.

Facebook

Yes, believe it or not, amid the high school friends you haven’t thought of in years and the goofy friends who keep sending you those wacky gifts, there’s a huge opportunity to develop meaningful relationships and, yes, leads for your business. Groups, Fan Pages, and other Facebook applications offer a wide range of ways to meet and stay connected to people who share your interests.

Wishing You the Best,
Ben Mapp

<<– Back to "What You Need to Know About Generating Leads"

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How Can You Increase Your Twitter Following?

This past week I’ve been testing out The Twitter Traffic Machine, which promises to allow you to dramatically increase your Twitter following. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical. It costs $27. And I thought it could be yet another Internet ‘over-promise, under-deliver’ ploy. The main reason I went for it was because the link came from someone I trust.

I was going to wait a full week before posting the results. But five and a half days later, I’d say the results are in. And, it’s a winner.

As the picture from Twitter Counter shows, over the past week, I’ve had a dramatic increase in followers. Specifically: on Sunday morning, I started with about 60 followers (call it 65, for the sake of conversation). On Friday, as of this writing, I have 518. That’s a 790+% increase over five or six days. Or, about 82 new followers per day. (The number of my current Twitter followers is on the right column, below My Twitter Feed.)

Is Twitter Traffic Machine as good as it claims to be? One mathematically inclined tweeter pointed out its promise of adding "16,000 followers over 90 days" breaks down to 177 followers per day, which was far above my pace. I guess he direct-messaged me that insight to say "It’s not working for you , so why should I try it?"

Here’s why:

1. My pace might not be your pace. Bill Crosby, the creator of the system, lays out in six videos the steps you need to take to increase your Twitter following. I can attest that you will increase your following. And, I’m willing to cop to the fact that I may have cut some corners here or there. A classic disclaimer, for sure.
2. Detailed video tutorials. Bill’s put together a very clear video series that not only introduces you to a variety of Twitter-related tools, he also takes you step-by-step through the set up process for each tool in the system. A well-made product.
3. It’s all done automatically. After the initial set up, the whole system runs on auto-pilot. Crosby recommends some minor maintenance every three days or so (and here’s the corner I’ve been cutting), to optimize it. But that’s up to you.
4. You’ll connect with people who share your interests. The increase in followers isn’t just a group of random twits. The system shows you how to increase your following with people who share your interests or who are in your target market.
5. You might actually learn something. The content of the videos might be old hat for hardcore tweeters. But for someone like me who was just getting started tweeting and trying to figure out how to maximize Twitter’s marketing potential, it’s great. In addition to discovering how to increase my Twitter following, the system gave me lots of other useful information, including a great way "tweet my blog," that is, to automatically feed my blog posts onto Twitter (or anywhere else). Convenient. Time-saving.
6. It actually is working for me. I don’t know about you, but the uptick in my Twitter following is pretty impressive (if I say so myself). Don’t think so? Ask yourself this: if that graph is what your stock portfolio looked like over the past, say, three months, would you be a happy about the results? Thought so.

Here’s the best part (and the aspect I love most about Social Networking): I’ve been connecting with some really interesting people –people who share my interests, people who I can learn from, and people to whom I can provide value. A win-win all around.

Here’s my bottom line: Want to increase your following on Twitter? The Twitter Traffic Machine will definitely do that for you. It’s $27. And it’s definitely been well worth it.

Click here for the Twitter Traffic Machine

Wishing You the Best,
Ben Mapp

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Over 20 Twitter Tools to Improve Your Tweeting

So, you’ve just started out on Twitter and you’re wondering how to get the most out of it. Or maybe you’re already tweeting but you’re still trying to figure out how Twitter can fit into your marketing strategy. Or, you just don’t get social media or Twitter at all.

Recently, I’ve been looking into how social media and Twitter in particular can fit into my marketing plans. I’ve come up with a list of Twitter tools that I hope is useful for everyone — social marketing newbies as well as social media fans. This is by no means an exhaustive list. And, it’s one I’m planning to update as time goes on.

For right now, here we go by category and listed in no particular order:

Follow Twitter

• TwiTip: Twitter tips in 140 characters (or more), edited by Darren Rowse of Problogger.net.
• Blog of Mr. Tweet: Fresh insights for understanding the Twitterverse.
• Tweedz: Message board featuring Twitter tips, news, and resources.

For Firefox

• TwitterBar: A Firefox extension that turns your browser’s address bar into a Twitter input screen. Great for tweeting a quick thought or the link to the webpage you’re viewing. A must-have.
• TwitterFox: This extension adds a tiny icon on the status bar that notifies you when your friends update their tweets. Also it has a small text input field to update your tweets.
• Power Twitter: This extension interacts directly with the twitter.com website to add lots more features to profile pages, including inline video, Twitter search and search results, and lots more.
• MyTwitterToolBar: This toolbar’s got links to over 100 Twitter tips, plus Twitter how-tos and links to Twitter-related services and tools. Oh, and you can log in to your account to check your tweets, replies, and Direct Messages. Full-featured? Uh, yeah.

Clients

• TweetDeck: The mother of all Twitter clients. This stand-alone application allows you to organize your friends into categories so that you can easily sort through your public stream and follow your most important conversations. Most importantly, you can group people together and search across Twitter. A must for serious tweeters.
• Tweetie (for iPhone): I was considering a separate category for Twitter mobile applications because there are so many. But this $2.99 application is by far the best of breed and well worth the price. It has been extremely well-reviewed and I can personally say that, yes, it’s easy to use and has all the features you’d want.

Backgrounds

• MyTweetSpace: What’s a Twitter page without a cool background, or at least one that expresses who you are? You can choose from a range of templates or create your own custom design. For free.
• TwitBacks: Another free Twitter background provider, TwitBacks adds some additional services for a fee: for 30 days (for $9.99) they’ll promote your services and profile on various websites. I use TwitBacks for my profile background.

Account Management

• TweetLater: Bills itself as a productivity tool for "busy tweeple." Humor aside, this is truly a great tool for marketers to manage their Twitter account. Schedule tweets, track keywords, track multiple accounts, follow and un-follow automatically, and lots more.  I use it to help keep automate parts of my account that would be too tedious to do manually
• HootSuite: Another productivity tool that allows you to manage multiple Twitter profiles, schedule tweets, and measure your progress. This service also has a feature that allows you to add small ads into the links you post on Twitter. Nice user interface on the dashboard.
• FriendorFollow: Use this tool to find out who you’re following but who’s not following you back. Or, who’s following you but you’re not following back. Once you know who’s doing what, you can decide what you’re going to do about it.

Feeders

• TwitterFeed: Ever wonder how to automatically post your blog updates to your Twitter account? I did until I found TwitterFeed. I would have put this tool on the ‘For Bloggers’ list below, but it can be used to feed Twitter way more than just your blog posts.
  
• FriendFeed: This is another service that allow you to post content you find on various parts of the Web to your Twitter account. I haven’t actually used this tool yet, but it also promises to allow you to share your information to multiple locations.

For Bloggers

• Twitter Badges: Twitter.com provides custom widgets, or badges, that allow visitors to your blog or Web profile page know what you’re up to at the moment. I use one style of badge here to display the latest tweets from my Twitter account.
• Twitter Buttons: Get a custom "Follow Me on Twitter" button to post on your blog or Web profile.
• Tweetmeme: This tool tracks the most popular links on Twitter and posts it to their website. Why is this listed in this section? Because, you can add a Tweetmeme button to your blog — with JavaScript or a WordPress plugin — that allows visitors to instantly re-tweet your page.
• TwitterCounter: Add a button to your blog or Web page that keeps track of how many Twitter followers you have at any given moment. This service also allows you to chart the number of followers for any Twitter account — yours or anyone else’s.
• Twitter for WordPress: A plugin that allows you to share your latest tweets on your WordPress blog.
• Twitter Friends: Another WordPress plugin that allows you to post your Twitter friends in your sidebar in the same way that they appear on your Twitter homepage

Searches and Directories

• Twollo: This service allows you to locate people with the same interests as you and to follow them automatically. Looking for people in your target market? Then this is the tool for you.
• Twellow: It is what it sounds like: the Twitter Yellow Pages. Search by people according to interest, geographical location (or, TwellowHood, as they call it), by who they follow, by who’s their friend, and more. Very useful for finding other people you want to contact.
• Twitterholic: According to their site, "Our twittastic robots scan the Twitter public timeline for new twits to tweet. A few times a day, we calculate individual statistics for each twittering twit in our database."  You use the tool to see where you (or others) ‘rank.’
• TwitterDigest: Allows you to read Twitter updates by account in a manageable fashion. Get a daily digest of the people you’re most interested in following either by RSS feed or on a website you can visit regularly.

For Facebook

• Twitter: Inside of Facebook,  you can send a tweet to Twitter. And, you canalso set it up to update both your Twitter page and your FB status automatically.
• Twitter Updater: Automatically updates Twitter whenever you change your Facebook status.
• Selective Twitter Status: If you’re like me, then you like to keep your tweets separate from your FB status, but have the option to update both at the same time. By adding "#fb" to the end of a tweet, this app will also update your FB status.

Monetize Your Twitter

• Twitter Traffic Machine: This 6-video tutorial by Bill Crosby will not only help you get more followers, you’ll also learn how to manage your account more effectively and earn referral fees doing it.
  Click here to check out my review.
• TwtAd: TwtAd merges pay-per-click with your tweets to enable you to earn money from your tweets.
• Twittad: Twittad allows you to monetize your Twitter profile in two ways — by allowing advertisers to place ads on your profile background or by getting paid to advertise your own product.

Please feel free to drop a line to let me with the Twitter tools you use and why you use them.

Wishing You the Best,
Ben Mapp

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