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Times have sure changed. In the 70’s it was popular for parents to put a birth announcement in the local paper. In the 80’s and 90’s people videotaped their child’s birth. For the 21st century there is Twitter. For those who may not know, Twitter is a blog/IM hybrid. It is the latest trend for expectant mom’s to give a play-by-play of their experiences in labor to friends and family. Sound weird? More moms are using Twitter because it is an easy way to disseminate real time information to many people.

Recently, a friend of chronicled the birth of her baby boy on Twitter. Including me there were 23 other people following the saga. My friend tweeted about her water breaking, epidurals, and boredom. She was in labor for almost 48 hours so she had plenty of time to write. We could send her encouraging words too. She appreciated those kind words - especially when she started pushing!

Expect more moms to be twittering while in labor in the future. Even celebrity moms are getting in on the act. In February, singer Eykah Badu tweeted on the birth of her baby girl to more than 4,500 followers. Twittering while in labor is just another example of the impact that social media has on interpersonal relationships.

Twitter may have a similar impact on business relationships. I suggested it to Dr. LeSueur as way to bring instant exposure to his cosmetic dental office. With the exposure comes the potential for more website traffic and referrals. It’s easy to use Twitter simply answer the question: What are you doing? The idea is to have a conversation with the people you follow and those who follow you. Twitter uses the term follower which is similar to "friend" on Facebook and "connections" on LinkedIn.

Twitter Topics:

• Direct tweeters to look at new blog posting on your website (make sure to add a hyperlink to the blog)
• Breaking news stories that are relevant to your practice/office and linking to that relevant page on your site
• Local news stories
• News announcements about your practice/office (new newsletter coming soon, community service, etc.)

Law Firm
• Comment on recent legal news or trends
• Recent wins

Medical Office
• Announce new procedures offered
• Promotions or specials offered on services