Shop To Earn Social Media Happy Hour

This week Tuesday, Shop To Earn’s monthly Social Media Boot Camp became a happy hour. Hosted by The Buyer Group’s Lisa Buyer and Sarah Van Elzen, Tuesday’s webinar discussed Shop To Earn’s new communication outlets with an emphasis on Twitter.

Since ShopToEarn is streamlining communication and limiting the number of daily e-mails, the push/pull outlets to contact representatives include checking the ShopToEarn Virtual Office or the ShopToEarn Official Blog, and following @shoptoearn and @shoptoearth on Twitter.

This month’s social media webinar theme was the “Glitter” of Twitter. Following @ShopToEarn and @ShopToEarth on Twitter is a great way to receive up-to-the-minute updates about the business. Even Shop To Earn’s executives are sharing their personal status with the company.

Who to Follow on Twitter
Pat Welsh @shoptoearnpw
Dan Swiniarski @danswiniarski
Joe Locke @shoptoearthjl
Mark Soderquist @MarkSoderquist
ShopToEarth @shoptoearth
ShopToEarn @shoptoearth
Rich Soviero @richsoviero
Julie Soviero @juliesoviero
Lisa Buyer @lisabuyer

Last night’s Social Media Happy Hour informed representatives how to best use Twitter as it relates to Shop To Earn, including the basics of Twitter, re-tweets (RT), direct messages (DM), and public @replies. The webinar instructed participants to use Twitter with devices on so associates get real time updates sent to their cell phones.

As always, it is important to follow ShopToEarn’s business guidelines when using Twitter. Associates must understand the compliance rules about using the Shop To Earn logo, name, or contents, and also the use of third party trademarks. All of this information is stated in the Website Owner and Business Builder Agreements located in the company’s Virtual Office.

The next Social Media Happy Hour will be July 7th, so please join us if you would like to be in the know on social media.

Happy Hour Follow-up Questions
Here’s a look at some of the questions that were asked during the webinar, which we were unable to get to before time ran out.

How can I add a short link to my tweet?
The best way to have a link fit in the 140-character limit of a tweet is to use a Web site to shorten the URL. Our favorite site to use is bit.ly, which can shorten lengthy URLs to as little as 10 characters. Once shortened, Twitter will automatically turn any URL into a clickable link for your followers.

How can I send and receive tweets from my cell phone?
Tweeting from your phone is simple and easy. To receive messages, simply select the option to turn devices on when you chose to follow someone. You will need to add and verify your cell phone number in the devices tab under the main Twitter settings. Once your phone has been added, it is just as easy to begin sending messages from your phone. All you need to do is send a text message that is less than 140 characters to 40404 and Twitter will update your status. You can also download Twitter applications if you have a BlackBerry or iPhone.

What is a hash tag?
An exciting component of Twitter is the ability to index words for users to see all that is being said about a particular topic. A hash tag (#) is what Twitter uses for indexing. Simply type # before anything you would like to be indexed in your tweet, for example type #ShopToEarn or #ShopToEarth, and your post will display as a search result for those words.

What is a twibe?
ShopToEarn now has a Twibe on Twitter. That means anyone’s tweets including the keywords #ShopToEarn, #ShopToEarth or Shop To Earn will automatically feed into our Twibe. Joining the Twibe allows users to easily find and communicate with other ShopToEarn associates in the Twibe. To join the ShopToEarn Twibe visit: http://www.twibes.com/group/shoptoearn.

Please feel free to leave any social media comments or questions you may have.
Also, be on the look out for your opportunity to register for July’s Social Media Happy Hour and learn how to use these exciting tools to maximize your ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth business network!