Tag Archives | Christina Katz

Why I Love Twitter

By on February 1, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Twitter is a social networking site that is a micro-blogging platform. It is designed for people who need the bottom-line and not much else. In short, if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, forget about it. Twitter demands that you “hit it and quit it” as James Brown would say.

Can small biz make money from Twitter?

Can small biz make money from Twitter?

I got on Twitter in 2008 and instantly I had access to anyone I wanted or needed to talk with.  I love Twitter because anything I need for my business. I can find on the social networking site.  I am able  I am going to give you examples of how Twitter has helped me enormously in my business.

I am a book lover and one of the great things about Twitter, is that ability to contact just about anyone who uses it.  One of the best marketing books I’ve read in recent years is The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. I was so moved by his book I wanted to contact him.  Email wasn’t fast enough. So I went to Twitter, found his name @dmscott then sent him an open tweet and got an instant response.  I now communicate with him regularly.

Another author Twitter experience was my interaction with @thewritermama.  She wrote a great book Get Known Before the Book Deal, which I really enjoyed as I was getting my first book completed.  Her book explained how the publishing industry worked and how to build a marketing platform, which very was helpful at the time.  I reached out to the author Christina Katz on Twitter to tell her how much I liked her book in an open tweet.  She was so moved by me reaching out to her, she offered to read an early draft of my forthcoming book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, and write a blurb for the cover.

I was in need of a new assistant and was far too busy to hire one, (which of course is why I desperately needed one). Every Wednesday on Twitter I host #SmallBizChat which is a Tweetchat (or Twitter Talkshow as I like to call it) to help emerging entrepreneurs get answers to their questions as they start and grow their small businesses. After the first, one or two chats, a woman approached me on Twitter and offer to produce a weekly transcript of each chat. This was great for participants and anyone who missed it. After she did a few transcripts we built a relationship and now Sonia Schenker @yourjobmyoffice is my virtual assistant and my right hand.

Twitter has grown my @SmallBizLady coaching brand. I have gotten several coaching clients and hundred of business contacts. I have also been invited for at least five speaking engagements, numerous blog talk radio interviews, and to do guest blog posts on several major small business websites just because of the content, resources and blog posts I tweet out regularly on Twitter.

Twitter is also an excellent resource for vendors and quick questions. In fact the header for the blog you are reading with designed by @paintermommy who approached me on Twitter to offer her services. There have been many days when I needed an answer to a technical question about WordPress or a media contact at Good Morning America and my Tweeps rush to my aid with answers in minutes.

Twitter has a culture which you should learn before you dive in, but once you find your niche it’s an amazing resource to grow any small business.

I often get asked, “Do people really make money using Twitter or are they just talking about what they had for breakfast? Absolutely, that is what I use Twitter for.

Do you have a Twitter story to share? I would love to hear it so please leave me a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter.  #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.  Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works. is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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How to develop a platform for your small business

By on December 10, 2009 in Branding & Marketing, How to Start, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat.  The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET.  This is excerpted from my recent interview with author, Christina Katz @thewritermama on Twitter.  Christina is the author of Get Known Before The Book Deal Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids for Writer’s Digest Books. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, presents at publishing events around the country.  Katz is the founder of #platformchat on Twitter, The Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway, Writers on the Rise, and The Northwest Author Series.  For more information: http://christinakatz.com/

Smallbizlady: What is a platform as far as entrepreneurs are concerned?

Christina Katz: When I hear about your platform, I should immediately know three things…or you might lose my attention. 1. Who you are. 2. Whom you serve. 3. What you do. Your platform is what you DO with your expertise for a particular audience.  If I have to shuffle thru  pages, bios and profiles trying to piece these things together, your platform might be a hot mess.

Smallbizlady: Why is clarity crucial to entrepreneurs BEFORE building a platform today?

Christina Katz: Because if you don’t communicate who you are and what you do, then how will anyone know how to work with you?  It’s not enough to say, “I’m a radio personality” or “I’m a life coach” neither of these tell ME how I can work with YOU.  Say: On Jan 31st I’m offering a workshop at location x on topic y for $z. Now I can pay, show up, and work with you!

Smallbizlady: What are the platform challenges for entrepreneurs today?

Christina Katz: Standing out. The web is more crowded today. Don’t be slick or all zing. Let your integrity shine through. But don’t be boring.  Check yourself constantly for rushing. The Internet goes fast but people grow slowly & steadily. Slow and steady is sturdier.  Avoid social networking overload. Don’t get so busy surfing that you are not investing time digging deeper into your own niche.

Smallbizlady: What’s helpful platform-wise for entrepreneurs who want to land a book deal?

Christina Katz: Think in terms of numbers. How many blog readers? How many e-zine subscribers? Twitter followers? How much buzz online?  Don’t fudge. Agents & editors want real results. Everyone knows how to use Google. Not just online buzz. Get media coverage.  It used to be that a FEW things were key like a site, blog, and e-zine, but these days it’s more like EVERYTHING matters.

Smallbizlady: How did you come to write Get Known Before the Book Deal?

Christina Katz: Marketing comes pretty naturally to me. I’m actually rather shy in person but in business, I’m a fountain of ideas.  Both my books, Writer Mama & Get Known, are written based on looking back at what I’ve done and sharing what I learned. Get Known was the book idea that was right in front of my face but I couldn’t see it. Luckily someone else could. And did.

Smallbizlady: Why was a book on platform development needed?

Christina Katz: There is a flood of info on platform online but not all of it necessarily comprehensive, useful or well organized.  Also, no one should have to pay thousands of dollars for information they can find in a book for the price of a paperback.  Getting known doesn’t take a lot of $, but it does take the investment of time, skills & consistent effort.

Smallbizlady: What is the key idea behind Get Known Before the Book Deal

Christina Katz: My intention was it would be the book folks would read before attending a writer’s conference to increase chances of landing a book deal.  Often folks with weak platforms are over-confident about impressing agents and editors, while folks with strong ones are under-confident.  Get Known offers a plan to help anyone make gains in the rapidly

Smallbizlady: What are some common platform mistakes entrepreneurs-turned-authors make?

Christina Katz: They don’t spend time clarifying who they are to others.  They don’t zoom in specifically on what they offer and offer it, in specific packages.  They don’t precisely articulate what they offer so others get it immediately. Even one second of “Huh?” is unfortunate.

Smallbizlady: What are three things entrepreneurs can do today to get started building their platforms?

Christina Katz: Make sure your website represents you in the best possible light. Website or blog doesn’t matter, it just has to fit. The blog is the front of the house, but more often the real work is going on in the back of the house. Get this. Your platform is only as big as your permission based e-mail list. Read everything by Seth Godin, especially his book, Permission Marketing.

Smallbizlady: At the front of Get Known, you discuss four phases of the authoring process. What are they?

Christina Katz: First is the platform development and building phase. Second, comes the book proposal development phase. Third, comes the actual writing of the book (for fiction writers this is likely the re-writing of the book). Finally, once the book is published, comes the book marketing and promoting phase.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. 

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

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