I stumbled onto Twitter as a marketing tool completely by accident. I was looking for a way to promote a book I'm working on, and a friend suggested that I do two things: Start a blog and get on Twitter.

"What is Twitter? I don't get how will it help me promote my book to tell people what I am having for breakfast," I replied. "It would take me too long to explain, just try it out," he said.

What follows here is a week-by-week review of how I learned that Twitter can be an important business-development tool for lawyers and law firms.

Week 1: Signing up The sign-up at Twitter. com was just like everything else. I needed to add a picture but luckily, I was still holding on to the picture used for my attorney bio, so I uploaded that. A bio. Usually I leave them blank, but this one was limited to 150 characters, so I wrote: "Father, husband, attorney, and aspiring author. Follow me as I work to get published." I was pretty happy with myself, it was a perfect bio for someone trying to get published. After I finished my profile, Twitter suggested that I start following a bunch of famous people like Ashton Kutcher and Shaquille O'Neal. Was it the real Shaq? Turns out it was. These famous people have almost 80,000 people following them, and the truth is I just didn't get it.

Week 2: I start following people I needed help finding some publishers to submit my manuscript to, so I used the Twitter search function. I searched using the term "publisher" and turned up about 50 results. So I started following all 50 of them. Some were small publishers, some were big, but the cool part was that they were all posting stories and links all about writing and publishing, one of the articles was "10 Things Every Author Should Do Before Submitting a Manuscript." This was good stuff, exactly the types of things I needed to learn in my situation. I also realized that, as I started following people, the majority of them followed me back. Now I had more than 30 followers. I was feeling pretty good.

Week 3: A fortuitous connection Some total stranger was asking about my book, this was great. So I explained my book to him, and we chatted back and forth using Twitter's Direct Messages, which are kind of like an e-mail message or private messages on Facebook. He was an author who has self-published in the past, and he gave me the phone number of one of the gurus of self-publishing. Out of the blue, I call this guy up, and he takes an hour and talks to me. He gives me advice and shares a few contacts with me.

Week 4: Spreading the message When someone shares an interesting link to an article on Twitter or shares a good quote, it gets repeated. This is called a "retweet." I noticed that whenever I posted articles, they never got retweeted. Why not? Because they weren't interesting enough. So I started paying attention to the types of articles that were retweeted. Usually they announced breaking news or shared really interesting content on blogs, so I started trying to think of something to post on my blog that might garner some interest. I posted a satirical response to an article one of my buddies from law school posted, and it spread like wildfire, or at least like a small brush fire. I had 170 unique visitors to my blog in just an hour or two in response to that one post. That was fun but, more importantly, it made me realize the power of Twitter. Here I was with fewer than 100 followers, and my message spread well beyond that circle.

Week 5: My first corporate client "Does anybody know an attorney that practices contract law?" "Yeah, that's actually what I do, what do you need?" I replied suspiciously. "My friend needs some legal advice about a contract, could you talk to her?" "Sure, send me a direct message with her contact into." After exchanging e-mail addresses and a few phone conversations, my firm had a new client. All our communication was exchanged over the phone and e-mail, and the retainer and payment were paid by credit card. It was so easy, it made me realize that maybe there was more to Twitter than just promoting books. Maybe I could use Twitter to find clients. You see, Twitter functions like a giant cocktail party where thousands of conversations are going on simultaneously. You can listen in on any conversation you please, you just simply need to "follow" the individuals having the conversation. Unlike two other social networking sites, Facebook and Myspace,you don't need to be accepted as someone's "friend" to listen in on their conversation. For example, if MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice (both of whom are on Twitter) are having a Twitter conversation, then you may listen in if you have a Twitter account- you can even try to add your own clever enough comment or question to be included in their discussion.

Week 6: Automated searches Using the free program Tweetdeck, I set up searches so that every time someone mentioned "contract law" on Twitter, from anywhere in the world, their post was filtered through a search that arrived instantly on my computer. I soon learned how to create an alert that would send me an e-mail or text message any time the term "contract law" was mentioned in a Twitter post. That allowed me to respond in real time. Return for a second to our cocktail-party analogy. Here you are at this gigantic cocktail party, and you overhear a conversation about contract law. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear you are looking for a corporate attorney. Could I recommend someone? And like that, a new relationship is created that is specifically targeted. Here are a few of the comments I saw posted on Twitter after setting up my search: "I urgently need an immigration attorney, can anybody recommend one?" "My friend is getting a divorce, can anybody recommend an attorney?" "Does anybody know a NY attorney I can ask a malpractice question to?"

Week 7 and beyond: A world of opportunity I have been on Twitter for 14 weeks. I have a large following now, but more importantly, I have learned some amazing tools that are helping me to expand my zone of influence beyond just Western New York. Every day I see potential leads- some of which I pass on or have to ignore because they are outside of my area of expertise. There are some 12 million users of Twitter now, mostly highly educated people in urban centers, and they are talking about every single legal topic imaginable. My recommendation for any lawyer? You just need to jump in and give it a try.


About the Author: Adrian Dayton is an attorney who was recently admitted to practice law in the state of New York. He is also an author awaiting publication of his first book "The Year of 12 Virtues." He can be found on Twitter @adriandayton or at his website http://adriandayton.com/blog/

I decided to start a blog because I enjoy writing. My first blog post wasn’t very attention-grabbing, but I wanted to write about my personal experiences. Secretly, I imagined a career as a freelance writer. One day, instead of daydreaming about becoming a writer, I began researching information about the social networking industry. I was amazed by how many people blog on a daily basis and I wanted to become a part of this fascinating social phenomenon.

So, I frequently browse the internet and visit book stores or libraries for more information. Here’s a few tips that I learned to help boost your blogging skills: Writing good quality content helps you to establish credibility.  No one likes to read something that they don’t understand or is misleading.

Meaningful topics that are well thought out can increase traffic to your blog, instead of making posts that are filled with a bunch of fluff.  Don’t make blog entries just for the sake of posting because fluff stuff only purpose is to take up space.  You should make every effort to establish a relationship with the reader by encouraging comment discussions.

Also, strive to address the reader’s needs and connect through email. Keep in mind, many people do not read blogs word for word and may start by skimming quickly to see if it’s worth their time.  It’s a good idea to break up your content by using bold text, sub sections and add color to text links.  Modifying your text will help get your message across to readers that are glancing at your post. Use a conversational tone because it’s easier to read and smoother to digest.

Always use correct spelling and proper punctuation.  Proofread your content once or twice before posting your message. Take your time writing good quality content and be resourceful.  Make an effort to help your readers in each post that you make.  The internet is filled with millions of readers that share first-hand information and common interests about any number of topics. Learn from other bloggers mistakes and don’t underestimate the potential of your blog.

If you want to start blogging seriously, get your own domain name and hosting service.  You’ll have more control over your content and learn what you need to do if you want to monetize your blog. Don’t forget to backup all your blog posts.  Use external devices, such as USB flash drives to save your data or use an online backup service.  Remember, computers often crash and your information may not be recoverable. If you use a social networking site to make blog posts, keep in mind their site may develop glitches or problems.  Some known issues bloggers have experienced include disappearing content, difficulties logging on, being unable to view profiles and error messages when posting content.

For more information and "hot" blogging tips visit: http://justsayitblog.com Follow Me On Twitter! - http://twitter.com/justsayitblog 


About the Author:Tips and advice for writers, bloggers and entreprenuers.  Learn how to monetize and increase traffic to your website.

This is part four of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) – Jessamine Chapter. The businesses and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.


The Clipper Club is a unique barber spa on James Island, SC that caters to men only.  It is a small, one-woman shop owned by Lori Bush.

Under the direction of The Modern Connection, The Clipper Club started using social media in October of 2009, just shy of its fourth year in operation. Business had slowed down due to the economy, and traditional advertising methods were no longer working.

We took Lori’s best assets and showcased them online. We created a Facebook fan page and a Twitter page that really allowed Lori’s magnetic personality to show. Lori’s focus is on building relationships with potential clients, which, along with superb services, is a main attractant for customers. People do business with those that they like, and, in Lori’s case, being likable is one of her best qualities.

Along with relationship building, Lori wanted to overcome the negative stereotype that barber spas are too feminine. In an effort to show that regular, “manly” men often pamper themselves with her luxury services, she started posting photos of her happy clients.

Lori also offers a monthly giveaway to a “service” type man (like a firefighter, veteran, active duty military, etc.), which is promoted through her social media sites. This doubles as a way to get a new person into her shop and also allows her to give back to the community, which is something she really cares about. 

Lori saw immediate results with her social media activity and is continuously gaining new clients and recognition online. To date, she has 20 new clients who found out about her through Twitter.  Her online reviews are happening more frequently, and some of her clients have even featured her shop in their blogs or personal Web sites. Lori credits the use of social media as the reason why her business is once again booming.

What We Can Learn From The Clipper Club:

1. Be genuine and care about your community of people – Lori sincerely cares about her clients, and it shows. She builds relationships with people, which is why her clients choose her over another barber.

2. Highlight your best features and assets – Know yourself, your business and your brand well enough to be able to pick and choose what works for you.

3. People like freebies – I hate to repeat myself, but featuring some sort of giveaway or special will get people talking.

4. Consistency is key – It’s not good enough to just join social networking sites. If you’re going to do it, do it well … and do it often. Maintaining regularity helps with building trust, relationships and your online network.



About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of The Modern Connection, LLC, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.  www.TheModernConnection.com

This is part three of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the American Business Women of Summerville. The businesses and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.

Spirit Telecom, a telecommunications company, is a noteworthy social media case study. Spirit’s headquarters are in Columbia, SC with many other branches all over the state.

Led by Step Ahead Web Strategies, Spirit launched a “Magic Phone” Kindle giveaway in February of 2010. Using Twitter, they asked people to tweet about whom they would call if they had a magic phone.  This could be anyone, dead or alive, which solicited some very interesting replies.

The tweet also included a #hashtag (or a way to categorize tweets), a way to invite your other Twitter friends to “use” the magic phone and a link to the Sprit Web site, which featured details about the giveaway.

I like this promotion because not only was it brand consistent (a telecom company playing a phone game), but it was fun. People liked participating in the #magicphone contest because they got to play the “what if” game. I think the chance of winning a Kindle was a perk.

Since the contest, Spirit has continued to maintain their company Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blog, which focuses on education and communication.

What We Can Learn From Spirit Telcom:

1. Be consistent with your brand– Using a phone game for a telecom company makes sense. When selecting your own social media tactics, strive for brand consistency.

2. Use what’s popular and what works – The Charleston Twitter community is very active and close-knit. Spirit used this to their advantage by creating a community through a popular platform.

3. People like freebies– Again, finding an incentive for people to take action is sometimes all it takes. According to the Step Ahead blog, the competition drove 4,500 hits to the Spirit Web site. Could this have been done without the allure of a freebie? Perhaps, but it’s nice to reward those loyal participants and brand evangelists.

4. Maintain regularity after a promotion – Post-contest, Spirit has maintained a significant online presence using social media platforms. This shows that they are serious about the relationships they’ve built and will continue to put the effort in to the online community, even after the promotion is complete.


About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of  The Modern Connection, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.  www.TheModernConnection.com

This is part two of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the The American businesses Women of America and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.

IKEA Furniture, an inexpensive and modern furniture company based out of the Netherlands, is the international social media case study.

IKEA makes great use of multimedia features on their Web site. They feature live support chat, virtual planning and an integrative online catalog. They also have a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites.

In the fall of 2009, IKEA hired Forsman and Bodenfors, a Swedish media agency, to come up with a social media campaign. Creating a low-budget campaign, they used Facebook’s already built-in feature – photo tagging. They posted 12 photos of IKEA showrooms and allowed friends to “tag” themselves as an item to WIN THE PRODUCT.

Word spread quickly and virally (as it so often does), and within two weeks, the photos were filled with friend tags. Of course, the tagging popped up peoples’ news feeds, home pages, profiles and links. While this campaign reached about 10,000 people, the aftermath is what is impressive.

Popular blogs like Mashable and CNet have picked up the success story, as have thousands of other bloggers and media. Months after it happened, we’re STILL talking about it, which is a great thing for IKEA.

If you’re brainstorming a way to recreate this for your own business, you can’t. Facebook has since changed their Promotion Guidelines, but this does go to show that great success can happen even on a small budget.

After their huge success, IKEA started a “non-official” interactive Web site: www.ikeafans.com, which allows brand evangelists to socialize, interact and share. The site is moderated but very open and non-controlling. It’s a great example of why to create a hub of community for such a powerful brand.


What we can learn from IKEA:
1. Sometimes simplicity is best – IKEA utilized already existing features and created a very successful campaign on a low budget.

2.Know your audience and customers– IKEA customers are very modern, tech savvy and social, which is why they have great success on their multimedia channels.


3. People like freebies – It’s a fact of life: give something away, and people will take notice. If you give entire showrooms of furniture away, people will DEFINITELY take notice.

4. Find those brand evangelists – Finding the people who love your business and brand is so important. Nielsen reports that 90% of people trust peer recommendations.  Reward those who love your brand, and they’ll be more likely to spread the love.



About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of  The Modern Connection ,which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC. www.TheModernConnection.com

This is part one of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) – Jessamine Chapter. The businesses and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.


Social Media is a buzzword we’ve been hearing a lot about. Facebook this… Twitter that. As a business owner or decision maker, the implementation of social media can be overwhelming. I’ve compiled four case studies of my favorite social media campaigns – one national, one international and two South Carolina local. My hope is that seeing other businesses’ use of social media campaigns will inspire you to create your own social media magic.


The first example is of Threadless Tees, which is a T-shirt company based out of Chicago, IL. Threadless is very popular among the teen and young adult crowd. Their slogan is “Nude No More,” which gives you an idea of the company’s sense of humor.

Threadless is a great example of how to do social media because they really have a grasp of their customer base. They know who to target, where their target is online and how to get into the minds and hearts of them.

One their most popular campaigns is the “Design a T-Shirt Competition.” Threadless runs design competitions on their social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Members of their networks are able to submit their ideas for T-shirts and then vote on which ones they like the best. They get hundreds of applicants per week.

Thousands upon thousands of people use their Web site as a community portal – a place to hang out online, chat with others, vote, design and socialize. Of course, as they’re spending more and more time online, they’re more inclined to buy that $15 T-shirt.

Threadless has developed an entire community of brand evangelists, or people who LOVE their company and sing their praises. These people are not only active on their social media channels, but they’re loyal.

On Sept. 9, 2009 (09/09/09), Threadless ran a $9 T-shirt special to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime calendar date. This sale was so popular that the web traffic crashed their servers. Frustrated fans started venting through their social media channels, and Threadless was there listening and responding. As soon as the servers were back up, the company sent out an apology email and extended the sale a few days longer. Needless to say, those disgruntled customers were thrilled their voices were heard.


What we can learn from Threadless:

1. Everyone has their say and is important – Threadless opens up the channels of communication to their customers. They let them decide what products they want and actually listen. Because of this, their products sell out every single time.

2. Be fun and entertaining – They know how to reach their customers. By posting regular updates, integrating humor and really highlighting their brand’s personality, people WANT to be in their network.

3. Cultivate the community the “right” way – Even with a great reputation, international clientele and impressive sales, Threadless has a relatively small community.  On Facebook, they have just over 112,000 fans. Their community is 100% organic, meaning they haven't used an agency's help in "gathering" fans. “The secret isn't growing a huge fan base. We have 100,000 Facebook fans, but those fans have all come to us organically. We believe the more organic the growth, the more loyal the fans, the more likely they will be repeat customers,” says Cam Balzer, VP of Threadless.

4. Listen, observe and take action – Threadless constantly has a pulse in their community’s conversation. They know what people are saying and doing online, but instead of trying to control the message, they let the fans take control.


About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of The Modern Connection, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.  www.TheModernConnection.com

In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to be a member of Facebook, Myspace, Digg, Twitter, YouTube, FriendFriend, Google Wave and author seven personal blogs. You’re connected… trendy… technologically superior to your grandmother… and overexposed?

Thanks to Web 2.0, it’s easy to reach a worldwide audience on a daily basis. Instead of having traditional media gatekeepers filter messages, the average Joe is able to reach a mass amount of people without any filters or editors. With great possibilities come potential liabilities.

Search engines and social media sites make finding information on nearly anything or anyone easy. Who’s responsible for most of the information out there? You are!

Your involvement in social media is influencing your online reputation, so why not make sure the influence is positive.

“I Have a Personal Brand?”

Branding is crucial, no matter your professional title, business arena, age or technological level. Everyone has a personal brand—and it’s critical to manage it. Social media has made the concept of personal branding rather complex as the personal and professional boundary lines are becoming more blurred with each tweet.

The reality is that you’ve been creating your online personal brand passively, possibly without any awareness, thought or strategy. In every way you communicate, people are judging, labeling and stereotyping you whether you like it or not. In the online world, people whom you’ve never even met in person are learning about you based on what YOU share with them.

“What’s the big deal,” you ask? If you’re a successful professional, or aiming to be one, your personal brand is your ticket to the show. A polished, trusted and professional image will not only open up doors for you, but it can nearly guarantee success.

From this point forward, remember that every single Tweet, Facebook update, YouTube video comment and blog post can and will be held against you. That realization changes things.

Cut and polish your personal messages so that everyone who comes into contact with them hears the same words in their mind when they hear your name. Highlight the things that make you great at what you do and send those messages out into the world.

“It’s Not What You Say, But How You Say It.”

Most of the time, there’s no speaking when using social media. Our blogs posts and Facebook comments don’t come with voice tags to help decipher tone and meaning, which can be very dangerous. Our written words alone communicate for us.

Keeping that in mind, it’s important to adjust your tone for your audience. If you have a private Facebook profile where you only allow close friends to see your content, your off-color humor might be more acceptable than in a professional blog post.

Try to keep in mind that what might be obviously funny to you could be terribly offensive to someone else. Your audience might not get your humor or even realize that you’re joking. Sure, the addition of a “wink” or “LOL” might aid in clarification, but seriously consider the true effect of posting a less-than politically correct joke.

If you’re not sure how your messages are coming across to others, a great way to test the water is to listen to the conversation around you. Are people responding to what you’re saying positively, negatively or at all? Adjust your tone a bit and see the change.

A fun tool to help figure the tone of your Tweets is http://analyzewords.com. Input your Twitter handle and see what emotional, social and thinking style your tweets say about you.

Keep Your Personal Life… Personal.

We’ve all had moments we’re less than proud of. If you’re lucky, those moments weren’t caught on camera and then posted to your Facebook account. If that’s not the case, use the infamous “untag” feature and consider bribing the “friend” to take down the incriminating photo all together.

If you don’t want your latest tweet broadcasted on a billboard in Times Square, linked to your full legal name and photo, then don’t post it. Generally speaking, keep uncomfortable details about your significant others, diet, bodily functions and daily errands out of the equation. You do not want your name associated with the feeling of “TMI” (or too much information).

Every time you post something on a site, even if your privacy settings limit viewers, assume that the information will end up in the hands of your worst enemy. Don’t give anyone the ammunition to damage your reputation … and certainly do not do anything yourself to harm your own image.

Remember that every action on the Internet tied to your name, email or photo can be traced. All the sites you join, comments you post and photos you upload automatically become property of the World Wide Web. You’ve worked hard to get where you are today – don’t let a little Tweet ruin it.

About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of The Modern Connection which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC. www.Themodernconnection.com

We’ve all done it: Used the World Wide Web to find out more information about a business. Maybe you were trying to find a florist, a new restaurant or some more information on a friend’s real estate agent they suggested. The reality is that as more and more consumers turn to the Internet for their information, it’s never been more important to ensure a killer online presence.

When a consumer types your business name, brand or industry into a search engine, you obviously want there to be results. How can someone love what you’re doing or selling if they don’t know about it?

In addition to your presence, you obviously want those search results to be positive. Let’s face it: Having a positive, influential and reputable online image is key.

According to  2009 Social Media Marketing and PR Benchmark Guide, “At least two-thirds of consumers agree that recommendations and information from other people online are valuable, relevant and influence their purchase decision.”

So what does this mean for your business? Let’s put it into perspective. Say that a client comes into your business, has a terrible experience and leaves in a huff. They’re so upset, they vent in their online community network, sharing their bad experience with their contacts. Well, it doesn’t end there. The upset customer’s network sees their frustrated friend and shares with their whole network. Now the negative comments can be searchable not just by the social networking sites themselves, but the big search engines like Google and Bing also.

Now, when another potential client types in your business name, brand or industry, the search results are tainted with negative comments. And what do you think your potential clients will do? If you answered, “Run in the other direction,” you’re probably correct.

What’s the solution? The idea behind social media marketing for businesses is to LISTEN in on the conversation around you. If your company were properly monitoring your online brand, you could easily join in on the conversation, recognize an unhappy customer and do everything in your power to turn their experience around. You can’t fix something if you don’t know its broke, right?

According to MarkeingSherpa, “62 percent of marketers neglect to join the conversation either by not monitoring social media or not responding to negative commentary.”

Stand out from the majority, take control of your brand and listen to what people are saying. If it’s negative, FIX IT! If it’s positive, thank them for their business and kind words.

What more can a consumer ask for than a business who actually cares about their experience?
About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of The Modern Connection, LLC, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.

Big companies are moving their marketing and advertising dollars to the social scene, but is it a smart move for all businesses? Before making the social media marketing commitment, read over the following checklist to help you determine if the social switch is right for you.

1. Determine your objectives. What do you want to accomplish? More sales or leads? Brand engagement or awareness? More Web site traffic or RSS subscribers? Understanding what you hope to get out of a social media presence is the very first step.

2. Ask yourself, “Why social media?”  Is your customer-base using social media? Which sites/outlets hold the best demographic matching? Determine if the “why” is because you want to build a connection with your client-base or if you just want to stay up-to-date on the marketing trends. Before you commit to any channel of marketing or revenue spending, make sure your reasons are legitimate, genuine and logical.

3. Can you commit? Because social media is relationship-based, it takes time – time to build a community and time to come up with what to say to that community. To be honest, it takes a lot of time. Managing a business’ social media could very easily be a full-time job. If you don’t have a brand evangelist on your staff that can spend hours per week on social media, how can you make it succeed? If you don’t have the staff, do you have the funds to hire an expert to handle the tasks for you?

4. Where should you spend your time?  We all know the options are endless, but where will your time and money be best spent? Ensuring your objectives fall in line with where your customers spend the most amount of time is crucial. As in advertising, placement is everything. 

5. Are you ready to lose control?  The nature of social media is … SOCIAL. In order to succeed, you must put your brand and business out there, ask questions, communicate and listen to what people are saying. Will everything said be positive? Of course not, so make sure you’re ready to lose a bit of control. In reality, when you give up control, you really gain more control over time.

6. Remember the big picture. In most cases, social media needs to be a part of a bigger marketing communication picture. It needs to run congruently with your company’s public relations, traditional marketing and advertising strategies to work well. Determine how social media will fit into those other channels and how those other channels can work together simultaneously.

7. What is success? Determine what constitutes success and failure. Whether you’re measuring page views, retweets, blog comments or followers/fans, set a level of “success.” Along with that, determine what would constitute failure and what the plan of action is if you do fail.


If you’d like additional information on determining if social media is the right avenue for your business, contact  The Modern Connection today. We help businesses with social media and email marketing strategy.