Why use Twitter for business? Can it help me in my business or is it a monumental waste of time?
Twitter is networking on a local, regional, national and global scale. Successful networking is an exchange of ideas, listening and being listened to. Nobody likes a taker and nobody likes those who just talk about themselves and don’t contribute. Well nobody likes them much anyway, they may not say anything to your face but you just won’t get the traction you are looking for.

Our basic guide for new tweeters  will give you links to some of the tools you need or you can download the free Twitter Report from the presentation that Greg Lawrence and  Simon Younger made to the business breakfast at the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre – just click on Twitter for Business to download your copy of the Twitter Presentation in PDF format.

This free Twitter report outlines many reasons why, as a business, you should be on Twitter. It points to great tweeting ideas and will probably spark off ideas you never knew you had in how to use Twitter for your business. I personally have gained many things through tweeting.

Here are just a few:

• New networks both local and international
• New skills through e-courses and collaborations
• More website visitors
• New clients
• New tweep friends, some of whom have or are becoming offline friends also

Twitter is to you what you want it to be. Sure you will see a lot of folk selling the “next great online money maker”, some actually are good, but don’t discount those people. They too are potential customers and sources of knowledge. Un-follow them if they annoy you too much or if they are just shouting at you or peddling something you don’t want like pornography, Twitter has a block function to block them.

Twitter is the greatest opt in information stream the web has seen in years. It’s a communicator, jump in and start tweeting, locally, nationally and globally. You will probably like it.

Download ypour free Twitter for Business Report here

Of interest to businesses and residents of the Central Coast, NSW Australia is an invitation by Craig Thomson, Federal Member for Dobell to a presentation entitled “Local jobs for Local people”.

With so much talk about the government’s stimulus package this is a real opportunity for our community to find out what, if anything, it means in real terms to business men and women on the ground here in the Central Coast of NSW Australia. Talk’N Communications is posting this information for your information.

The invitation details are:

Craig Thomson, Federal Member for Dobell, is inviting you to a special event. If you operate a business, work for a non profit organisation, work with an environmental group or work in the training sector you should find time to find out how you can benefit from the Rudd Government’s stimulus package and help support jobs in our local community.

Learn how the stimulus package will assist:
- Training providers
- Not-for-profit groups
- Local government
- Environmental groups
- Local businesses

Speakers include:
- Senator Mark Arbib, Parliamentary Secretary for Government Service Delivery
- NSW Dept of Housing
- NSW Dept of Education
- Tradespeople
- Retailers
- Service providers
- Schools

This is an important opportunity to hear about the Australian Government’s stimulus package and what it means for local businesses and local jobs.

When: 17 April at 2.00pm
Where: Mingara Recreation Centre, Mingara Drive
RSVP: Please call: 4351 1223 or
Email: sue.mueller@aph.gov.au

Office of Craig Thomson MP by Thursday 16 April 2009

The Purpose of Twitter
The purpose of Twitter can be what you want it to be, but the aim of Twitter is generally to connect with people and exchange a little of your life info, share business ideas and well, communicate.If you desire followers in Twitter, then you must tweet about something of interest and be worth following.  It could be your sport, funny instances in your life, your business, your family, politics, movies, and music, whatever is of interest to you.To be worth following it is unlikely anyone will follow you if all you have to say is “buy this stuff it’s good” or similar spammy stuff. It is unlikely someone will follow you if you are spammy because they just know that they are opening themselves up to spammy comments.Simply defined, Twitter is a micro-blogging service that gives you 140 characters to say what’s on your mind. Beyond that, Twitter can be used for making new friends, exchanging community information, networking or for promoting yourself, your business, brand, music etc.  Twitter is a learning tool, a research tool and a way to connect with people, locally or across the world.

Setting Up Your Profile

Your profile comprises a place where you can share a little about your interests and/or quietly commercialise yourself.

One Line Bio: Here, you are able to give yourself a brief tag line that tells more about yourself.

Location: Enter in where you are. This is crucial because when first beginning, start with Twitter, you’ll need to acquire some people following you and one of the best ways that I have seen so far is to plainly enter in your location. When you input your location, other people who are in your same city or still in your same Province/State will find you and start to follow you. By adding your location, you instantly have something in commons with individuals you probably never even knew before, an avid way to meet some new acquaintances.  You can just put a general area such as Central Coast, NSW, Australia if you don’t want to be specific.

Time Zone: Change the time zone on the profile to yours; don’t leave it at something unrelated to your location.

Your Picture: Upload a picture of yourself! The default Twitter pic is just plain awful.  Twitter is a personal interaction and here you can personalise so that people can connect with you.  If you are uncomfortable with a personal photo then just pick something funny or a nice location picture but do not keep the default Twitter icon.

Theme Background: Lastly, decide on a background theme. This may be one of Twitter’s own default themes or create your own. I would advise one of your own that shares a little more about what you are into or displays your business information.  You can personalise further at a site like Pretty Tweet

Twitter Tools To Get You Started

Tools to Find Followers & Friends:

Twellow - The “Yellow Pages” of Twitter. Lets you search for followers through hundreds of niches. Twellow

Nearby Tweets - Find who is tweeting nearby you. Updates in real time. Nearby Tweets

TwitPic - Quick and easy way to share photos on Twitter. Twit Pic

Twitterfeed - As the name implies, feeds your blog directly to Twitter. Twitter Feed

CelebrityTweet - List of celebrity twitterers you can follow with a live update feed. Celebrity Tweet

I hope this gets you started, Twitter can be fun, but like most things you get out of it what you put into it and authenticity about being sharing and being genuine in your approach to fellow tweeters are the building blocks of a fulfilling Twitter experience.

Online video is one of the key business differentiator for companies wanting to communicate effectively their product profile and benefits on the web within the shortest possible time.

The podcast features an interview with Bob Fitzgerald from VideoSpark. Bob’s a videographer who specialises in corporate video for online application and he is based on the Central Coast in NSW, Australia, just north of Sydney. In the podcast we explore the application of online video as a part of your marketing mix.

What it is, how to do it and some of the do’s and don’ts of online video.Web video is its own medium. Authenticity and information are a critical part of ensuring that viewers aren’t disappointed in their decision to view the video.

Video advertising with poor production quality or uninspiring content creates a negative brand experience. To make a video truly actionable it must emotionally engage viewers, building the trust and familiarity that forms the backbone of return on investment.

Contact Information:
Bob Fitzgerald
VideoSpark
Website: Visit VideoSpark Website

00.13 Introduction to the show
01:17 Bob outlines how he became a videographer.
02:08 Video on the web market outline.
02:46 Why video works online.
04:05 Online video provides a presentation and call to action.
05:25 The key to making effective online videos.
06:25 Be authentic in your presentation.
07:25 The do’s and don’ts of online video production.
09:05 How online video differs from broadcast TV.
10:26 Online video works well for small business too.
10:42 What does a short online video cost to produce professionally?
12:18 Future directions of online video.
13:58 Show summary
14:26 Contact information.
14:38 End.

Local search is one of the fastest growing trends in online web searching.  In this podcast Greg Lawrence talks with Simon Younger from Qwert.net about the trends he is seeing.

Well like all building projects I have ever heard about there are unexpected delays, the latest being the weather which, after months of drought, now seem to be delivering a steady downpour.  Good for the land, bad for building.

We’ll keep you informed but the current estimate for our new studio opening is early March 2008.

For this 1st Talk’N Business Podcast we will be exploring trust and the role it plays in our business and personal lives.

The podcast features an interview with Katie Smith. Katie’s a lawyer, and an accredited specialist in family law.  Her practice is “West Street Legal Services” and is based in Umina Beach on the picturesque Central Coast of New South Wales Australia, a little bit north of Sydney. Katie is fully engaged with the local community as a trusted member and this interview will help cut to the essentials of thow to create and maintain trust in your professional and private lives.

Trust plays an important role in both our private and business lives and yet it is often something that we under-rate in our relationships.  But what is trust?  How do you get it and how do you loose it?  Is it such a big deal?  Today’s Podcast will explore some of these questions and provide 7 key tips on how you can build trust within relationships.

00.30 Introduction to the Talk’N Business Podcast and outline of future content.
01:40 outline of this episodes podcast.
02:00 Trust and how important a role it plays in our lives.
03:90 Interview with katie Smith, lawyer.
17:35 How to improve the level of trust you enjoy in your business and personal lives.
17:48 7 tips on how to build trust.
20:51 Show summary.
21:46 Contact information.
22:30 End.

Talk’N Communications is looking forward to bringing you an efficient web service for adding audio to your website.  Our specialist podcast service will assist you in enhancing your communications with  existing and potential clients through regular on topic communications.

Additionally you may add streaming web audio directly to your web page so that when your web visitors are on your page they can hear topic specific messages.

Our new audio studio facility will come online in January 2008 to further enhance our ability to service your audio requirements professionally and quickly.  We’ll keep you posted.