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The following is a guest post by Sophie Zollmann of  SophieZo, LLC Virtually There For You.

The business world has been set on fire by social media. It’s the latest trend for getting out there to consumers worldwide. The favorite among many businesses is Twitter. Twitter is a social networking site for sharing who you are and what you do in 140 characters or less.

After setting up your account, you search for people who would be in your target market and follow them. You may also follow others in your industry to network and share ideas. Once you’ve done that, you begin sharing information about you, your business, and any other information of value to your target market.

Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when using social media:

1.    Be real. Present the real you to your target market. With all the information available on the web today, a simple search on Google can lead people to all kinds of information about you. Be honest and genuine in everything you send out.

2.    Engage people. Most consumers buy from people they know, like and trust. Engage in conversations with your followers to help them get to know you better. Build a relationship with them before you try to sell anything.

3.    Provide valuable content. People want to learn about you and what you do. They need to know how you can solve their problem. If you provide valuable, informative content, they will be interested in learning more.

4.    Retweet others. Always be on the look out for other information your followers will find interesting. By retweeting other’s content, you build a relationship with them. They can then retweet your information in return. Reciprocity is an important part of social networking.

5.    Minimize sharing your personal life. The idea is for people to get to know you. However, that does not mean they want to know everything you do every minute of every day. If someone asks how you’re doing, answer them honestly but do not rant on about everything, good or bad, going on in your life. They don’t need to know when you eat, what you eat, when you brush your teeth, etc.

Social media is a great way to network and market your business. It is easy to use and fun, too. Take time to think about what your goal is and how you want to present yourself. Then get out there and make it happen. Just remember to be real, engage others, provide value, retweet and minimize the personal information you share.

Sophie Zollmann of  SophieZo, LLC Virtually There For You is a virtual assistant working with online entrepreneurs to increase their productivity and income potential. She helps entrepreneurs with the day-to-day tasks to get them back to doing what they love. Services include email/blog/social media management, calendar/schedule management, article submission, customer service, dictation and proofreading, data entry, and much more. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Further reading:

What Can Hiring A Social Media Virtual Assistant Do For Your Business?

When Are Social Networks Least Helpful For Business?

The One Social Networking Tool Essential For Your Business

10 Reasons Businesses Should Participate On Social Networks

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