Twitter with a Purpose

When Twitter first started, I took a look and did not get it. I could not imagine who would want to know what I was doing every moment, ie drinking coffee and working or feeding kitties. As well, it encouraged my mischievous side that wanted to tweet things like: Dancing Can-Can on dining room table. So I put away Twitter and moved on.

Last year, as I began making more and more political contacts, the question was: Are you on Twitter? And, of course, the Obama campaign certainly brought Twitter into the living rooms of America. I revisited and joined the 140 character craze and I have not regretted one moment.

Twitter with a purpose is how I explain it as people ask me: What do you tweet?

Twitter is the ultimate tool for purposes; Political, Photography, Cooking, Music, Entertainment, Events - you name it, you can find your little niche of the Twitterverse and tweeps that share common interests.

For those new to the Twitterverse, I recommend a few things to get you started and give you some ideas to Twitter with a Purpose:

• Make sure you follow your friends - tweeting is more fun when you know people who are also on Twitter
• Hashtags - hashtags are how you can sort Tweets by ideas or groups - Just add the # and the tag. Example, for photography, common hashtags: #photography, #photos, #photogs, #photooftheday. You can then follow hashtags through Twitter and find other tweeps that have are interested in the same things.
• Interact with other Tweeps - broadcasting is boring and Social Media is about being ... well ... Social!
• Don't be discouraged - the first few times on Twitter is like stepping into a different world where noone seems to be speaking your language. Stick with it and soon you will be dropping comments like #FollowFriday and RT casually.
• Use the search and read timelines from other Tweeps. Find out what people are tweeting.

I have gotten over my initial aversion to Twitter and have found it to me incredibly useful in connecting with people, getting the word out about my business and my causes and sometimes, well, sometimes I do tweet about doing the can-can on the dining room table.

If you are just joining Twitter or an old hand at it - Follow me! I would love to chat!

Writer's Block - What happens when ideas go MIA

A blank screen and a blank mind can be a death knell for a blogger but we all run up against it.

How do you get your creative juices flowing? How do you get all those great ideas out of your head and onto the blog?

• Notepads - I make notes and carry a notebook with me everywhere. That way when the brilliant idea strikes, I can jot it down for a future post
• Use a word generator or idea generator on the internet to spark inspiration
• Read the news - Comment on what is happening in the headlines (and sometimes create an entire blog around it! See my political blog - Lady Libertas )
• Check out the trending topics on Twitter and write a post around that - of course, make sure you tweet it with the appropriate hashtag!
• Don't be afraid to be controversial - Controversy attracts comments and readers!
• Check out what the Gurus suggest - below I have listed a link to Chris Brogan's "100 Topics I Hope You Write"
  
• When all else fails - post cute pictures of your kitties / doggies / kids - Have you seen Anabella?
• Write a review of a product that you have used or a restaurant that you have visited
• Ask friends and families for a topic - asking other people what they would like to read can be a great idea generator

The most important guideline is not to give up. Writer's block strikes the best of us but you can't let it get you down. And sometimes, you can blog about not having anything to blog about!

100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write

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So What Does A Blogger DO All Day?

When I was working full time as a recruiter, I used to get the question - So, you are on the phone ALL day?

Now, when I tell people that I am a writer or blogger, I get - what does a blogger do all day? or another of my favorites - do you ever run out of things to say?

So...what I do all day...I drink coffee - ALL day. I am on the internet & computer ALL day. I read alot ALL day - blogs, news, articles.

Sometimes I have really productive days where I knock out posts for several blogs in one day and some days I lay on the living room floor and play with the cats. and take pictures of them. So I can torture my readers with cuteness, or at least what I think is cute. By the way...this is Air Anabella, my new kitten...

The Nemesis

Teasing the Nemesis

And we have Air Anabella!

Ninja Air Anabella - HIIIIIIIIIIYAH!

Mostly, I am working on ways to improve my blogs and building contacts and trying to recruit new clients. I work hard - sometimes more than 12 hours per day - I just do it in my pajamas. I spend alot of time writing and alot of time networking - Twitter with a Purpose.

And do I ever run out of things to say? HA - there is a reason that I have gone into the fields that I have - like recruitment - because I can talk - ALOT. And writing is like that for me - talking. Give me a topic and point me in the direction and off I go. Writer's block does strike so I have developed all kinds of weird little tricks to get my brain to produce an idea - random word generators, photography, playing with the cats, reading and more reading and sometimes I actually have a conversation live on the phone.

Now...I have to go play with Anabella ... err ... work!

Anabella waiting for Mommy