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Monday, July 27, 2009

Twitter Tools

Twitter’s success is downright astounding. From June 2008 to June 2009, the micro-blogging service grew nearly 2,000% (yes , thousand). And while this growth is impressive, I don't think that it would have been possible without the help of third-party applications. It's the applications that have turned Twitter from a simple social networking service into a social media marketing powerhouse.

There are hundreds of applications to choose from, but the following are my personal favorites. They are easy to use, will help strengthen your presence, enhance your tweets, and manage your profile(s).
  • Twellow – “The yellow pages of Twitter” can help you find users by searching for keywords, categories, and locations.
  • TwitPic – If you really want to share pictures on Twitter, this is the best way to go.
  • Twitter Feed – Automatically posts links to your (blog or blogs) on your twitter account. Saves a little time and ensures that you won't forget to link to your blog.
  • Twitlogo- Allows you to change your custom text into the format of the Twitter logo, which you can then use on your own website, blogs or profiles. It’s fun to play with and easy to use.
  • Bit.ly – This is my favorite tool for shortening URLs. You can review your history of links and track their performance.
  • Tweet Deck – This application is easy to use from both your computer and your phone. You can personalize your settings and manage multiple accounts.
Ask any twitterholic and they will tell you that the service is only as good as its applications. We each have our favorites, but we all use at least one of them.

Follow us on Twitter!

posted by SaraS at 10:54 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 20, 2009

Controlling your Reputation

Controlling your reputation almost seems like an oxymoron, not unless you have social media at your finger tips. By now, most people have heard about the recent news article about Southwest Airlines and the hole within the plane which caused an emergency landing. This incident could have completely destroyed the airline's reputation after Twitter pictures and YouTube videos were uploaded from passengers. Instead of sitting back and watching, the PR and Marketing manager did the right thing, they confronted the criticism. They commented on all of the negative press and in turn saved the airline's reputation. To read more about how the airline did this read the great Ad Age article.

Essentially, this shows that you are in the drivers seat for your reputation. If you see some negative comments or concerns from patients/clients- address them. Let them know that their concerns are acknowledged and spin the criticism into a positive.

posted by Amanda at 12:47 PM 0 comments

Friday, July 10, 2009

Website Combined

We just finished combing URL's on Dr. Paul Huynh's site! Previously, there were two URLs on one site - making it challenging to navigate. The designer, Lori, did a great job re-doing the navigation and re-directing pages.

Go to www.lasiksd.com to find out more about Dr. Paul Huynh San Diego Lasik Surgeon.

posted by Millicent at 10:20 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Shelnutt Law Firm Site is Live!

The Shelnutt Law Firm is a Personal Injury and Criminal Defense Law Firm in Birmingham, AL.

Their website just went live. As usual the our designers built an exceptional site. Check it out!

http://www.thealabamalawfirm.com/

posted by Millicent at 1:48 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Why Celebrities Are Using Twitter – And You Should Be Too.

Celebrities are head-over-heels for Twitter. They eat it, breathe it, and sleep it. And it seems kind of silly. I can’t count how many times I’ve thought to myself “why in the world are these high profile people so obsessed with some micro-blogging service?”

And then it hit me today: They love it because they have finally found a way to control their own reputations. They can combat Perez Hilton and lessen the blow of paparazzi. Twitter gives celebrities a voice—a voice that millions of people are listening to.

Essentially, these media magnets are taking PR into their own hands. They have found an opportunity to brand themselves and are taking full advantage. It’s pretty smart, actually.

But strangely enough, it’s the law firms and medical practices that haven’t yet caught on. Social networking websites are among the top resources for consumers these days. They are using them to find referrals, research their options, and tell other people about their experiences. Your prospects are on Twitter—why aren’t you?

Brand yourself. Brand your practice. Take advantage of the opportunity to control your own reputation online. Respond to rumors, address bad press, and reply to reviews (both good and bad). And if nobody’s talking about you, then get the conversation going (and fire your PR rep, because she’s not doing her job).

Click here to follow us on Twitter

posted by SaraS at 4:46 PM 0 comments