Much as I love and use it now, I readily admit at first I didn’t “get” Twitter. I don’t think most people do, initially. If you joined Facebook first, then Twitter may seem limited by comparison. Yet, Twitter in my opinion is by far a better medium to get really useful information from reliable sources on just about any topic of interest quickly and efficiently. Its brevity, which novices can find limiting and even frustrating, is its best and most valuable feature. Each tweet is easy to digest, can be easily shared, and the short bursts of info enable you to cover more “ground” quickly. The symbols and shorthand are easy to learn and use once you visit the site a few times. I use it both as communication and research tool. By following those individuals, organizations, and companies who have content of interest to you, you’ll find it an invaluable and virtually unlimited resource platform to use for your personal and professional benefit and that of others. Have a complaint about a company on Twitter? You’ll likely get a response in hours, if not minutes. Want to stay abreast of current events? Often the first place I learn of breaking events is Twitter. Other mediums are slow by comparison. Have insights to share? Tweet it. Looking for a job? Post a link to your resume. The possibilities are endless.

As for the redundancy issue, remember, Facebook is more about personal connections with people you’re acquainted with, and sharing information in much greater detail. Twitter is better used as a pointer of sorts to worthy information of greater general interest to many people. They are two completely different tools that complement each other.

My advice? Sign up at Twitter.com. Right now. Read over the Twitter Basics in the Help section, and if you’re a business, check out that section, too. Both appear at the bottom of theTwitter page. Next, type in some topics of interest, start following a few folks, and tweet at least twice a day. Offer interesting content (including links where appropriate) ask questions, (even about Twitter itself – people love to help) respond to requests for info when you can, be friendly, and let your personality shine. In other words, be your interesting and unique self and you‘ll reap the rewards. Concerned about the time it takes? Don’t be – you can do all this in 15-20 minutes a day several days a week. I promise.

New to Twitter ? If you have questions we’d be happy to address them, If you are a seasoned Twitterholic, tell us what you love about it!

Guest post by Liz DeLoach of the Social Strategies. Please be sure to check out her company and website at http://socialmediawiz.biz. You can also find her on Twitter at @SocialStrateg and, of course, on FaceBook.

I’ve found one particular feature very helpful, and recommend those of you not using it already to try it: Lists. Here’s a how-to, along with ways I use it to my benefit myself and others:

1. On your Home Page in the left hand column, click ‘Friends’. A list will appear with all your friends’ profiles and your Fan pages.
2. To the upper right, there is a tab ‘Create List.’
3. When you click this option, a box opens which enables you to give your list a title, and then add friends and/or fan pages there to each list you create.

I have several lists to fit my needs and interests: Among my titles: Fav local restaurants, Web/IT, High school friends, Social Media/PR, Business I follow, Non-Profits, News, Political orgs, Charleston sites etc. Once your lists are made, the name of each group will appear under your friends tab when you click it. A quick click of the list title shows all the recent updates from members of that list. Now, either daily or a couple of times weekly (depending on the topic) I can get news, the latest development in my field, and even choose where I may want to go for lunch that day. I create new lists and edit new list members as needed. Think about your areas of need or interest, and start with just few areas initially to get your feet wet.

New to Facebook? Great! You can begin now to customize quickly instead of going back to do so like I did over 400 friends later. For you Facebook veterans, yes, this was time consuming, but well worth it in the long run.

For me, this one tool has taken Facebook beyond a means of keeping in touch with some friends to being a valuable and necessary portal to the world.

We’d love your feedback on this or any other features that are helping you manage information on your Facebook page. Our advice? Tame this monster early and often!

Guest post by Liz DeLoach of the Social Strategies. Please be sure to check out her company and website at http://socialmediawiz.biz. You can also find her on Twitter at @SocialStrateg and, of course, on FaceBook.

If you spend any time on Facebook, doubtless you’ve noticed all the business pages that are springing up. I bet you’re already a fan of several. Restaurants, retail establishments, hotels and numerous others find Facebook a great way to “reach out and touch someone” (currently, over 400 million some ones!). Given its many functions which allow you to add pictures, events, applications, etc., have we reached a point where your business no longer needs a Website if you have a Facebook page?

I bring this up because I’ve heard both veteran and new small business owners say they think company websites aren’t as important as they once were due to Facebook, and even that they are becoming obsolete! My opinion on both of these observations is “no” and “heck no!” Websites are considered a necessity, and people expect your business to have one. Period. They’re designed to be a one-way, owner controlled presentation of vital, detailed info about your company that can have multiple sections and pages. Often included are a few forms of inbound communication, such as email link, file transfer protocol, and direct purchase ability. In essence, Websites are your online announcement of: Here’s who we are, what we do, and how to reach us.

Well, you might argue, isn’t that true of Facebook business pages, too? Yes, and there are elements common to both, such as branding considerations and the imparting of key information. The differences between the mediums, however, lie primarily in scope, tone and use. Facebook is all about relationship building through real time exchanges between you and others about your business – an ongoing conversation. Information updates are important to both, but a Facebook business page lends itself more readily to weekly, or better still, daily updates of current information. Websites are more comprehensive in nature, but not intended for ongoing two way communication. Regards tone, your website is your business’s formal attire, while Facebook fits nicely into the ‘business casual’ category. In today’s business climate, each presence has its own unique value in getting your message to its intended audience. Some ways that each can complement the other include referring your Facebook fans to your Website, and vice versa, through icon and text links. Also important are considerations of SEO for your website, and Google search rankings for both, making it easier for customers to find you in the first place.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, is a website’s key role in the ownership/control issue of your online business identity. If Facebook is your only presence on the web, then you don’t own your identity – Facebook does. Would you be comfortable with someone else governing your only form of identity online? Of course not.

Did I leave anything out? We’d love to hear your ideas on this topic, as well as how you use each of these mediums to market your business.

Until next time…

Liz DeLoach is President of Social Strategies, a marketing consulting business specializing in Social Media for business. She is also a wife, mom, Les Mills Fitness coach, and Boston Terrier enthuisiast. You can find her on Facebook (Social Strategies and Liz DeLoach) and Twitter, (@LizDeLoach, @SocialStrateg).