DazzlinDonna » Forming Connections

Twellow Categorization Tip Number 2 – Edit Your Profile

Donna — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:29:26 +0000

Recently, I told you about Twellow.com and gave you a tip on how to make sure your Twitter account was properly categorized in this new Twitter directory. Today, I’m here to tell you that there’s a new better way to handle this. Twellow has just released an Edit Listing feature, that allows you to add/edit/delete categories, as well as allowing you to make various other profile changes. Here’s how:

First, you’ll need to go to your user page (mine is at http://www.twellow.com/user/dazzlindonna, so substitute your username for mine). Then, click the Claim Your Profile link and enter your Twitter password.

Now, you’re able to edit your profile and categories. Notice that the instructions say “To add yourself to additional categories simply browse through Twellow and click the Add to category buttons found throughout the site next to the category names. You are limited to 10 categories in addition to any automatically determined by the system.” So, while you can verify the original categories, or delete categories from this page, you’ll need to add new categories from the site itself.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll see that you’ve verified your profile and can login and edit your changes at any time in the future.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: categories, edit profile, Twellow, Twitter

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Twellow – Twitter Directory + Categorization Tip

Donna — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:14:26 +0000

A new site has just emerged, called Twellow (Twitter Yellow Pages), and it’s a nice little directory of Twitter users. At the moment, it contains 332,261 Twitterers, with that number growing at all times, I assume. You can search for people in two ways: either a search across the entire directory, or just within a specific category.

The first thing I noticed was that I was included in the directory, but I wasn’t categorized, so I contacted them to ask how I could rectify that. Here’s an excerpt of the answer I received:

We are working to add a feature which will allow people to verify their identity and add/edit themselves within categories. This is one of the biggest requests we’ve had, so it will definitely be coming soon. In the meantime, a less-than-perfect alternative is to adjust your bio on Twitter to include “SEO” as a separate, distinct word and then load your Twellow profile page at http://www.twellow.com/user/DazzlinDonna. This will pull your updated bio and re-categorize you in the system.

So, I followed the instructions, and added the separate word “SEO” (without the quotes) to my Twitter bio, went to my Twellow profile page (and refreshed it as well), and like magic, I was now categorized. If you aren’t categorized, that tip should work for you as well (using whatever category designation fits your profile).

Twitter and services like it are extremely useful to you when developing your personal brand and when marketing your sites/blogs. To be able to find Twitterers within specific categories enables us all to follow people we might not have noticed before – and allows others to find and follow us as well. This can help us identify and more fully develop our social network friendship pockets.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Directories, social network, Twellow, Twitter

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Using Superstition As A Hook

Donna — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:50:43 +0000

Since today is Friday the 13th, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about interacting with your readers at a really deep level – so deep in fact that it’s almost spooky. I’m talking about superstitions here. We humans are a superstitious lot, and I’d be willing to bet that even the sanest, most practical amongst us still have some superstitions lurking deep within them. (Just don’t expect them to ever admit to it!)

So here’s what I’m suggesting. Make use of the various superstitions and related “holidays” to serve interesting content to your users. You don’t want to make fun of your users beliefs or cause them to feel judged for having those beliefs, but you do want to present your content in an interesting or humorous way. Do your best to tie the superstition into the topic of your site, and give your readers something fun that helps them to visualize your site, topic, or product in a new and interesting light.

Writing fun, creative content can be difficult to do, so take advantage of those times each year when the day itself helps generate ideas for you. By combining holidays with superstitions, you have the chance to create compelling content that engage and entertain your readers. When you can hook into a reader’s deepest emotions like that, you stand a very good chance of being remembered, and creating that memory could mean the difference between having a drive-by reader, and a long-term user.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Content, Friday the 13th, hooks, superstitions

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The Forehead-Slapping, Lightbulb On, Information You Need

Donna — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:13:08 +0000

I’m going to plug a product today that I actually think is worth spending a little money on. (And yes, the amount is pretty low, so it won’t be too painful for anyone to buy it). Raise your hand if you’ve purchased ebooks or digital products that was just a waste of both your time and money? I only have two hands, but if I had 50 or so, I’d raise all of them. I’m not a gullible person, but even I get suckered into some of those cheesy sales letters, and regret it later.

Luckily, every now and then, the cheesy sales letter leads to worthwhile information, so I don’t have to feel like a total loser, because I occasionally stumble across the good ones. The Guru Catcher Report actually contains worthwhile information…not only in the ebook, but also in the hour-long interview (mp3 audio) that accompanies it. It explains (really, it actually explains) how a lot of the bigwigs are making money online. And then it shows you how to make that information work for you.

If you buy this one, don’t just read the ebook. The ebook is good, but I liked the mp3 even more. If this doesn’t make you slap your forehead, and the lightbulb of understanding come on, I don’t know what will. I could attempt to explain it to you, but I’m not sure I could do a better job of explaining it, and I couldn’t do it more quickly than just sending you off to grab this.

If you’ve ever wondered what those bigshots were doing to make all that money, and wondered why you weren’t achieving that same success, this ebook and audio will very likely answer the questions for you. If you’ve ever had faith in anything I’ve ever said over the years, I hope you have faith that I’m not sending you information on some stupid product. (Even if you think the sales letter page looks like the typical stupid product). Again, read the ebook, but then listen to the audio. There really is some forehead-slapping information there. The product comes with a guarantee, so if you think I’m wrong, you can always get your money back, but if you don’t slap your forehead, I’ll be surprised.

Here’s the link again. Guru Catcher Report

I really do think you’ll slap your forehead as the lightbulb goes on. And if I’m right, and your marketing strategy changes for the better because of it, I’d love to hear about it.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Guru Catcher, mp3, stupid product, typical stupid product

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I See Your True Colors Shining Through

Donna — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:39:36 +0000

from weirsdo

Every day this week, I’ll be posting based upon a random Flickr image that inspires me. Here’s one now.

This photo exudes happiness, freedom, confidence, and joy. Each of us has experienced such boundless expression at some point in our lives, when we shed all inhibitions, danced simply for the joy of it, and really allowed our true colors to shine through. Infusing this colorful freedom of expression into not only our “play time” but also into our work time is critical to success, in my opinion.

You don’t have to be colorful, playful, joyous and creative in every blog post or every site article, but that side of you needs to shine through on occasion. Your joyful spirit can embody your ebusiness in many ways, some subtle, some vibrant. Humor, joy, flamboyance, and elation WILL affect your readers in a positive way.

Have you ever seen someone having an uncontrollable giggle attack? They laugh and laugh and laugh… and you don’t know why they are laughing, but for some reason, you start laughing as well. And the more they laugh, the more you laugh. Others see the two of you laughing, and they begin to laugh. Only the original giggler knows what caused the laughter to begin with, but his explosion of giggles affects everyone around him in the same way.

That’s powerful stuff. We all have beautiful colors within us that we can share with others on our blogs and our web sites, and the sharing of those colors will affect those we share them with. If you are looking for a way to connect with the visitors to your site, find a way to share your colors. As Cyndi Lauper said in her 1986 song, True Colors:

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And thats why I love you
So dont be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

And in deference to the always wonderful Ms. Lauper, sit back and enjoy a little YouTube video of her singing True Colors. Afterwards, think of ways you can share your joyful side on your site.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cyndi Lauper, e - business, Youtube

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Friendship Pockets Form Via Social Networks

Donna — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:10:24 +0000

Facebook, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Mixx…need I go on? There are too many social networks to even begin to list them all these days, and keeping up with them can be a chore. But the advantages of networking and connecting with others via these sites far outweighs the hassles. You just have to find the few that you like best and concentrate on spending time there, rather than dividing your time up between too many places.

One of the things that happens once you start participating in a few social networks is that you start to form what I call Friendship Pockets. As you befriend people on each network, you see that you have lots of overlap. The same friends you have on one network may also show up as friends on another. The best way to illustrate this is with some sort of graphic, so I’ve quickly made one (below). I’ve only used 3 circles, but of course many more could be added.

A one-person icon represents people who are only friends with you in one network, two-person icons represent friends who exist in two networks, and three-person icons are in all three networks.

So who cares about these friendship pockets anyway? Well, I think they do matter, because the pockets represent your strongest networks. Those people who befriend you in several overlapping networks are generally the ones who you can depend upon the most. These are the ones you can rely on to help you share your sites with others, the ones who will come to your aid when needed, and the ones who will reciprocate when you help them out.

If you don’t already know these friends well, make an effort to get to know them better. You obviously all share some common traits, and together you can grow each others’ businesses faster than you can alone. The tighter your friendship pockets become, the more strength they collectively have. Take a little time to develop these pockets further and your site will only benefit.

(Note: This is no way means you should be spamming the friends in your networks. It’s all give and take. Don’t be just a taker.)

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: few social networks, friendship pockets, pockets further and your site, social networks, strongest networks, Twitter

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Communicate With Your Readers And Have A Little Fun

Donna — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:05:56 +0000

Now is the perfect time to communicate with your readers. You could send them a Christmas card (or Holiday card if you want to be P.C.), or a note of thanks for sharing this year with you. Let them know how much you appreciate them. While you can certainly stick with the standard tried-and-true methods of communication, I’d like to suggest that you do something just a little more modern and fun. Here’s the perfect example, as I wish you happy holidays.

I’d like to thank all of you for spending time with me this year by giving you this little holiday greeting. You’ll see I prepared it just for you directly from me. (Yes, that’s me grinning at you in the picture above!) Just click here, or on the picture to get your holiday cheer from me. When you’ve finished watching it, make your own, and send it to all your readers.

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Embrace Every Site Visitor

Donna — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:08:57 +0000

Each of your site’s visitors is important, and you should welcome and embrace them all. That statement sounds like an obvious one, generating a Duh! response, but it actually is one that needs to be considered. There are webmasters who don’t appreciate every visitor, and although their reasons may seem logical, I must disagree with them. Let’s take the following as an example.

Some people prevent certain users, such as Digg visitors, from seeing their site, using the theory that since many of these visitors use ad-blocking scripts, then they should not be allowed to view the site’s content.

Sure, a visitor uses bandwidth, thereby costing the webmaster a bit of money. In return, the webmaster expects that the visitor will at least view the ads placed on his site, and that some of them may even click through on those ads. Those ad views and ad clicks then justify the bandwidth usage. If the visitor blocks the ads, and never even sees them, then the visitor is “stealing” bandwidth, or so the logic goes.

But this logic is all wrong. That visitor is valuable in more ways than one. Yes, it would be wonderful if every user saw your site’s ads. It would be even better if every user engaged with the ads and clicked through on them. But we know that only a very few will engage with the ads, and we accept that as the natural course of things. So, too, must we accept that some people will never see the ads at all. That is not a reason, however, to turn the visitors away at the door.

A visitor to your site is valuable even if that visitor only stays for a second, sees no ads, clicks on no ads, and never returns to your site. That visitor may still hold some value in that he may tell someone else about your site. He may bookmark your site in one of the social bookmarking sites, such as delicious, and though he may never return, someone else may visit because they’ve seen his shared bookmark.

You should never assume that one visitor is more valuable than another. No matter where they come from, what their motives may be for visiting, or how they interact with sites, they may hold value that you might never have imagined. Making assumptions is usually a bad idea in any area of life, and it applies here as well. Don’t make assumptions about any of your visitors. Roll out the red carpet for everyone. Embrace each and every visitor as though they were the most valuable user ever to have stopped by your site. That kind of attitude will create much more profit in the long run, than you will ever save in bandwidth costs by turning many away.

That’s my opinion, anyway.

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What Sharing Your Knowledge Achieves

Donna — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:17:27 +0000

While reading an interview of an online acquaintance of mine, I realized that he said some things that I needed to share with all of you. Since I couldn’t have said this any better, why try.

During this interview, the interviewer, Tom Critchlow, asked Hamlet Batista this question:

Further to that – what are your goals for your blog? What would you like to achieve?

and Hamlet’s reply was:

I am a serial entrepreneur, and sharing my ideas and experiences in my blog accomplishes several positive things:

I can build up authority in my domains of expertise.

I can create/improve products/services based on the feedback/critiques I receive via the comments to my posts.

I can gradually build a following that can potentially buy and/or recommend my products/services to others, as I have established a relationship based on trust and on delivering high quality.

I can interact with my peers and meet highly-regarded figures in the industry. For example, I recently demoed my software via WebEx to Bill Slawsky, Andy Beard and Halfdeck. I received great feedback, critiques and ideas that I took back to the developers and we have implemented most of them. Those guys would not have listened if we hadn’t ‘met’ in the blogosphere.

My goals are to keep growing readership, share and get more ideas, announce new products, both free and paid. Along with the feedback I hope to get some sales and recommendations.

First of all, I can so relate to the concept of being a “serial entrepreneur”. It fits right in with the fact that I describe myself as an idea gal. But aside from that, his four points are so on point that I believe everyone should read them a few times.

Hamlet has knowledge. I have knowledge. You have knowledge. As we share our knowledge, those 4 points come into play, and your chance of succeeding grows. ‘Nuff said for now.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2007. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andy Beard, Bill Slawsky, create/improve products/services, Hamlet Batista, online acquaintance, products/services, profiting from knowledge, serial entrepreneur, sharing information, Tom Critchlow

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Newsletters and Email Correspondence vs. The Spambox

Donna — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:54:29 +0000

Because I’m sick and may be out of sorts this week, I wanted to point you to a resource that might be useful to you. Although we haven’t talked about sending email newsletters to your users yet, (we will), I didn’t want you to miss out on some good information about it that is coming up shortly.

There is a free video training seminar coming up this week that I recommend attending. It is called Reaching the Inbox: How to Avoid the SPAM Folder and is being conducted on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, from 2:00 – 3:00PM Eastern Time. This is similar to a teleseminar, in that you call to listen in, but it offers one extra advantage in that you watch along via video as well. Here’s what this one covers.

The Importance of Choosing A Good From / Reply Address For Messages
Using A Content Analyzer To Screen Message Content For Problems
Why You Should Always Include a Plain Text Version
How To Get Subscribers To Add You To Their Address Books

If you are even considering emailing users at some point in the future, it’s worth your time to check out this live video seminar, so that you are prepared to get your email delivered to their inboxes, and not to their bulk/junk/spam folders.

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