Gift Ideas For The Tech Lover In Your Life

Here in Minneapolis the snow and the temperature are falling and that means one thing; winter is here. With the arrival of the season also comes holiday shopping. If you have someone on your list that always seems to be in the know with the latest and greatest tech gadgets, it can be hard to find gifts that are sure to make their jaw drop, so here’s a guide with some great options to help you out.

UNDER $25

Google Cardboard $15

Virtual reality is seeing updates left and right, but for those just starting to garner an interest, Google Cardboard is the hilariously fun (and inexpensive!) way to get started in the immersive experience of VR.

Tile Mate $25

Losing your phone, wallet, keys and other personal items has never been less stressful. The Tile Mate attaches to your items and when you can’t find them, simply use the accompanying app to alert the tile to play loud noises until you have the item back with you.

LOOP World Adapter Plug $18.95

If you have a life full of travel like I do, you know that charging your devices can get tricky if you’re out of the country.  The LOOP World Adapter Plug is a universal AC socket that can charge up to 3 devices at a time. Powering up on the go has never been so easy.

UNDER $50

Mobile.Net’s @udio Ultra Earbuds $40

Power, performance, precision: in four bold colors. Offering earth­shaking bass and sweeping treble, the @udio Ultra prove big things come in small packages. Plus, hands-free call answering and microphone support make multitasking a snap.

Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) $39.99

The smart home revolution is upon us, and this small device packs a punch with the full capabilities of Amazon’s Echo, just in a smaller package and a basic speaker, rather than the Echo’s dedicated one.

Roku Streaming Stick $49.99

Stream almost anything from this device that looks like a USB drive.  With this plugged into your TV’s USB port you can access great content from anywhere, and control your TV with your mobile device with the Roku app.

UNDER $100

Amazon Fire TV $89.99

Go a step up from the Roku and pick up the Amazon Fire TV streaming device. With universal search results, games, Alexa enabled voice control and 4K enables picture, this is the new wave of entertainment technology.

AirHogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon Quad Drone $99.99

For the Star Wars fan in your life check out this iconic drone that has no FAA registration requirements. Control the drone from up to 250 feet away.

Samsung Gear VR $99.99, Google Daydream View $79.00

With both of these VR headsets you can experience the fun of Google Cardboard in a comfortable and wearable option. Unfortunately, Daydream View is currently only available for customers with Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones, and Gear VR is only for Samsung Galaxy flagship phones. However, with that being said, if your techie has a compatible phone, this gift is really a head turner.

Mobile.Net’s @udio Mix Headphones $50

Featuring 20-20000 Hz of frequency response, the @udio Mix is all about supercharged sound. Not to mention the smooth surfaces and streamlined design, letting you look as good as you feel.

$150+

Nixon Mission Smartwatch $400

Defined as the first action sports smart watch Nixon’s Mission watch is attractive, but functional; with it’s capabilities seemingly unlimited. Calibrated for surf and snow, and powered by Android, this watch is more durable than it looks, and is water resistant up to 10 ATM, which is the highest rating of any smartwatch.  Perfect for the person that craves adventure and innovation.

Vantage Robotics Snap Drone $1295

For those that have already embraced drone technology, this small but powerful drone is revolutionizing the way that videos are made. This tiny, portable and smart drone captures 4K video as it flies for 20 minutes, at speeds up to 30 mph. Snap can follow you via your smartphone’s GPS, and orbit the area you’re in and boomerang back to you for the most stunning aerial videos you can imagine.

Ember Mug $149.95

There is nothing worse for anyone than having a hot drink that you forget about, or leave at your desk during a meeting only to come back to a cold drink when you finally remember it. The Ember Mug changes all of this, with their mug that maintains the temperature of your drinks for up to two hours on the go. This smart mug can be controlled by the base that changes your set temperature, or the Ember app that allows you to change the temperature remotely, create presets and get notifications. The sleek design makes this mug attractive even without the added benefit of continually warm coffee.

Technology moves fast, but your gifts can be just as quick to please. Share any other gift ideas in the comments section below. Happy Holidays!

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Useful Insights about How People View Websites and Mobile

Do you know what the first thing a user is drawn to on any given website? How about what the first thing a user will click on or skip over? Who doesn’t love a good eye-tracking study? With the ability to take a lot of guesswork out of conversion rate optimization, eye-tracking software and heat maps reveal startling insights into increasing conversions (and avoiding sales killers) that can benefit every business.

It may surprise you, but most people read websites and web content in a very specific pattern. Understanding this pattern may help you easily improve the usability and popularity of your website.

So, let’s go over 15 important eye-tracking studies that will give you a sneak peek into common browsing patterns and elements of human behavior that all marketers need to know.

Let’s take a look!

1. Text attracts more attention than pictures.

2. People start viewing your website from the top left corner.

3. Readers ignore banners.

4. Fancy fonts are ignored.

5. People only scan the lower parts of your website.

6. Short paragraphs work better than long ones.

7. Ads, that are placed on the top or left part of your website, get the most views.

8. Ads, that are placed inside or below an awesome piece of content, get more views.

9. Big pictures attract more attention than small ones.

10. Also headlines draw attention.

11. Visitors spend more time looking at menus and buttons than other parts of your website.

12. Lists are better at keeping your reader focused than large paragraphs.

13. Some people even completely ignore large chunks of text.

14. White space is good!

15. Menu works best when placed in the top part of your website. 

5 Facts on How People View Mobile Web:

1. The reader’s attention is focused more on the top left corner of a screen.

2. Keep your content short & simple. Reading long paragraphs needs concentration, which is something that mobile users don’t have.

3. Users pay most attention on the top 2/3 of the screen.

4. Mobile phone users absorb visuals more than text or content. (But if an image doesn’t supplement your content, you can do away with it).

5. Short, but hard-hitting headlines draw more attention. Make your headlines count.

Read more about how to make user-friendly mobile website here.

There you go. Some points from this list are pretty basic and elementary (perhaps obvious), but a good reminder never hurts. So the next time when you’re writing an awesome piece of content, or building your new website, keep these points in mind.

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Top Tech New Stories You Missed Last Week

Happy Cyber Monday to you all, undoubtedly the most sanctified and unanimously-loved day of them all. It was one of the busiest week of digital news, but there’s plenty a discerning reader like you needs to keep abreast of.

Apple decided to do Black Friday

Last year it didn’t, this year it did. The mysterious Black Friday landing page carried no clues as to what might be on offer, except of course that big picture of an Apple Watch.

Google Maps tells you if a store is busy

Google Maps is providing real-time information about how busy a store is. ‘Popular Times’ was added to Search and Maps in 2015, but is now bolstered by this real-time data. The service aggregates anonymized data coming from Android phones that have opted to share location data. So, now you can know before you go.

Amazon Prime might air sports

Amazon is reportedly in talks with the NBA and NFL, potentially to air sports as part of its $99 Prime subscription. Such a move would obviously signal more danger for traditional cable networks.

Facebook’s may create a censorship tool for Chinese market

The New York Times reports that Facebook is building a censorship tool, which will allow a third-party to suppress certain posts in the News Feed. The effort is part of Facebook’s attempts to crack China, and has raised eyebrows in the US, given the networks failure to stamp down on fake news. Of course, as many in the press point out, it’s a lot easier to build a censorship tool than it is to build a lie-detector algorithm.

Amazon cracks down on ‘incentivized’ reviews

From early October this year, Amazon has made good progress cracking down on ‘incentivized’, less trustworthy reviews (for which reviewers receive free or discounted items). Analysis by ReviewMeta of 65m reviews for 32,000 products has shown these reviews, which have an average rating 0.38 higher than genuine reviews, are being removed. When Amazon announced the ban on these reviews earlier this year, it suggested retroactive action would only be taken in exceptional cases, but this new data shows older reviews are being impacted. Average rating for all reviews has fallen since the crackdown.

IBM launches Watson IoT Consulting Solution

IBM Watson (the company’s artificial intelligence infrastructure) continues to expand its impressive applications, launching a global consulting practice for the Internet of things (IoT). This will allow customers such as Ricoh to integrate Watson into IoT services.

A press release stated: ‘The practice will feature 1,500 experts across IBM Watson IoT headquarters…By integrating IBM Watson IoT Platform APIs and technologies, including cognitive, analytics, mobile, security and cloud capabilities, together with development and implementation consulting and ongoing support, clients can fully use the IoT without the risk and complexity of dealing with multiple vendors.’ 

Facebook follows Google & Apple, commits to bigger London HQ

Facebook has committed to employing a further 500 people at its London headquarters in Rathbone Square, increasing the workforce there by 50%. The news comes after Google has committed to a new building at Kings Cross, and Apple is in the process of creating a Battersea headquarters. Nicola Mendelson, Facebook’s European boss, said: “The UK remains one of the best places to be a tech company.”

Ctrip.com buys Skyscanner

Ctrip.com, China’s biggest online travel company, has agreed a deal to buy Skyscanner for $1.4bn. The acquisition of the Scottish-based company, which was founded by three Manchester University graduates, comes after it was valued at more than £1bn after a round of funding in January 2016. The Guardian commented that the news comes just days after ‘the chancellor, Philip Hammond, promised to stem the flow of British firms being sold to foreign investors before reaching their full potential’.

So, there you have it! Enjoy the rest of your week.

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Best Instagram Tools for Professional Marketers

With over 500 million monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most powerful social media platforms today. Thanks to its popularity, you can find many available tools to improve your marketing strategy on the highly rated social platform.

Here is a list of my favorite Instagram tools to help you assess your current approach, analyze your audience and create engaging posts. If you make sure to use them properly, achieving optimal results will be nice and easy.

1. Hootsuite

This is a platform for social media management that makes scheduling and publishing posts a piece of cake. You can use its Instagram options for scheduling your posts in advance so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to publish them.

Once you have prepared your posts, you can move on to deal with other important tasks. Then, when the publishing time comes, Hootsuite will send you a notification. Instagram, like any other social media, is overflowing with posts and ads so, it’s important to post content on a regular basis. This tool will help you keep up with the hustle.

2. Social Insight

This is a tool that runs a thorough analysis of your account. You can follow your account growth, interactions and engagement. The main features allow you to estimate the best time for posting content and gain data on followers (gained and lost ones). You can also see the information on the average engagement.

Furthermore, if you own more than one business account, Social Insight lets you connect them and compare their analytics. This is one of the most promising Instagram tools used by businesses owners.

3. SocialRank

SocialRank provides you with the insight into the follower demographics. It does that by managing, identifying and organizing your followers. Once the tool has gathered the followers’ profiles, you can filter and categorize them according to a variety of criteria. Afterwards, you can export the lists of followers and use them for further assessment.

This is a great tool for collecting data about your customers’ age, gender and location, but you can also identify other relevant factors to find out what the audience wants and adjust your strategies. Knowing your audience is a prerequisite for conducting a successful business. SocialRank can be an excellent tool for getting to know them.

4. Crowdfire

Crowdfire is used for managing your following. Use is to keep your following in order. The tool identifies people who don’t follow you, or who aren’t active, and gives you the option to unfollow them.

Crowdfire also enables you to quickly start following users who might be interested in your service or product. It generates the suggestions about who you can follow by relying on your following patters. In addition, you can use the tool for monitoring the effects of your updates on the users.

5. VSCO

Since Instagram is all about photos, make sure to incorporate VSCO in your marketing strategy. It’s a top-notch tool for taking and editing photos. This photo-editing platform will help you tackle the visual side of your marketing approach. You can use a variety of filters to customize your photos and appeal to the audience. You can take pictures of your products, or capture beautiful scenery that can be a great theme for your following campaign.

The statistics show that the average number of photos shared on Instagram on a daily basis is 80 million. In order for yours to get the audience’s attention, they need to be more than just pleasing to the eye. Find a theme that will be a constant in the photos that promote your products and use VSCO to make it perfect.

6. Boomerang

This is a great tool for creating videos that will appeal to the audience. Having a well-developed strategy entails engaging with your audience the best way you can. You need to speak their language. And according to Liquid Creativity, Boomerang videos have become a crucial part of the Instagram language.

You can use Boomerang for filming one-second long videos. And the best thing about it is that you won’t need much preparation since the videos don’t have audio. Therefore, you don’t have to work on dialogues. Capture a perfect moment behind the scenes, or make an interesting video about your product. Every second counts!

7. Foursixty

Instagram can be also used for purchasing. Foursixty enables you to sell your products on Instagram by linking them to their product page. In addition, your customers will have an opportunity to add items to their carts, instead of having to browse the Internet for the website.

Some companies that successfully use Foursixty for sales are ban.do or Pura Vida Bracelets. Follow their lead and post photos of satisfied customers using your products. That signals to other users that you’re reliable, and creates an incentive to get the product for themselves. Everyone needs a little push every once in a while. All you need to do is link your images to the product pages, which is exactly what Foursixty helps you do.

8. Instagram Business Blog

Instagram has recently announced the launch of their Business Blog. It will be used as a business resource to contribute to the success of other companies. You can visit the blog to get all the information necessary to make the most out of everything Instagram offers. Keep up with the news from the Instagram world and learn how to use the available tools effectively. Also, find out what other business accounts are up to.

Instagram marketing statistics shows that 48.8% of brands have an Instagram account, including 90% of the top 100 brands. That indicates that the competition on Instagram is fierce and you have to use every tool to get to the top. After all, who knows Instagram better than Instagram?

9. Repost

This is an essential tool for sharing user generated content. By doing so, you will show your customers that you appreciate them and their opinion. Repost is easy to use, all you need to do is click and share the content you like, while acknowledging the person who created it.

Repost features enable you to bookmark photos or videos you want to repost. You can also find photographs you like by typing in a hashtag or a user’s name and to repost by tapping a single button. This tool will contribute to strengthening the business relationship between your clients and you.

10. Facebook Power Editor

Instagram uses Facebook Power Editor for generating sponsored posts. By using this tool you can easily target factors, such as age, gender, location, habits, or interests of your users, which will help you create ads that will meet the needs of your customers. You don’t have to invest much into running ads, even $1 would suffice, but if you’re ready to invest more, your ads will, of course, have a larger reach and bigger exposure.

Conclusion
With the right tools and proper use, Instagram has the potential of becoming one of the most powerful business platforms. It offers a wide variety of different tools, and you shouldn’t hesitate to use them. Find the ones that meet your needs, and start improving your social media business strategy.

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Get Ready for the Future of SEO

Recently, I ran across a blog titled, “Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Five Years,” and it grabbed my attention. As an Internet Marketing guru, I know that SEO is a big piece of the content marketing puzzle. It is always good to stay on top of changing techniques.

Let’s take a look at some statistics around SEO:

According to Impact Branding & Design: “81% of B2B purchase cycles start with web search and 90% of buyers say when they are ready to buy, ‘they’ll find you.’”

According to NewsCred: “57% of B2B marketers say SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation.”

According to NewsCred: “53% of marketers rank content creation as the single most effective SEO tactic.”

So, what do these statistics tell us? First, if you’re not paying attention to SEO as part of your inbound content marketing plan, then you may be missing out on potential customers. Secondly, if you aren’t using current SEO techniques and strategy, then you’re already behind in the game for lead generation. It will only be more difficult to catch up.

Based on “Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Five Years,” SEO is going to change in big ways over the next five years. Below are three areas where SEO will have the biggest impact.

1. SEO for Mobile Apps 

We all know how popular smart phones are and that people are constantly on them, so why wouldn’t mobile search become a big part of your SEO inbound marketing plan? Here’s the catch though: 85% of the time people spend on their mobile is spent in just a handful of apps. Therefore, search engine optimization for apps and the content within them is going to take on a new role within the inbound content marketing plan.

2. SEO for Social Search

We know that a lot of people rely on social media platforms when doing search on products and companies, so being present on these sites is important for your brand. They drive traffic to your site and create new leads. However, if you’ve noticed many times you never even leave Facebook when you click on a link that someone shared. Now, Twitter and Snapchat have also released features to keep viewers on their sites and apps rather than redirecting them to your website. What does this mean? Content may become more decentralized away from your website, so we will have to adapt to the new ways of optimizing our content for social.

3. SEO for Voice Search & Personal Assistants

The use of voice-activated personal assistants has been increasing over time. There are so many different ways to use these voice-activated personal assistants (computer, phone, tablet, watch, etc.). Most of us have some kind of voice-activated assistant at our fingertips. My niece attends a magnet school where they all get iPads and do a lot of work on the tablet. She uses the voice-activated assistant to search for things online regularly for school. So, why wouldn’t SEO start to take shape around voice-activated searches when a whole generation of future customers are getting acclimated to using them for search?

The newer generations are changing the way SEO will be done in the next five years. Most devices are connected to the Internet and each other. This also plays a part in the whole SEO process because search history and the way we search on each device may be taken into consideration in the overall search engine algorithm. If you’re not SEO conscience with your inbound content marketing plan, then it’s time to take another look and start preparing for what the future holds for your lead generation.

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How to Successfully Prepare for a Business Trip

Traveling to in-person meetings is a great way to build relationships and inspire big ideas for your client. But, they can be intimidating—especially if it’s your first one. So how can you ensure you are properly prepared and ready to take on your first big trip? I recently went on a long-distance business trip and wanted to share a few vital tips that can help set you up for success, while also having fun along the way!

1. Meet with your team

Organization is key to ensure your business trip goes off without a hitch. Before you jet set off to your destination, sit down with your team members to discuss specifics, such as:

• Logistics (e.g. departure and arrival time, meeting place, etc.)
• Lodging
• Travel details
• What to pack
• Technology and apps to make your trip easier (e.g. Uber, Google Maps, OpenTable)
• Chances are one of your other team members will have been on a business trip before; so use them as a resource. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, such as, “What type of outfits should I pack?” or “What does a typical day look like during business trips?”

2. Properly prepare

Collaborate with your team to deliver maximum value while you’re visiting. When preparing for your in-person meeting, plan ahead with the following action items:

• Create an agenda to help stay on-task. Send a sample agenda to your client a week in advance to better understand expectations. Consider asking your client what they hope to get out of the in-person meeting so you can be prepared for any and all questions.
• Compile a strategic and well-thought out deck to deliver big ideas. This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your skillsets to your client.
• Delegate specific roles and responsibilities. Determine who will be in charge of what, such as making reservations, presenting information to the client, etc.
• Practice, practice, practice. Run-through all meeting materials and information prior to your trip to ensure you are knowledgeable about various items that will be discussed.
• Proper preparation can ensure your in-person meeting runs smoothly.

3. Make use of travel time

Travel time, especially when traveling long distances, can be boring. So why not make the most of your time? When traveling, whether by car or plane, prioritize projects that don’t require internet connection. Being disconnected from the Internet may also give you the chance to really buckle down and tackle to-dos you haven’t gotten to in the office.

Traveling also gives you ample face-time with company leaders or senior level coworkers. Think of specific topics or ideas you have been wanting to discuss, or pick their brain to fuel intelligent (and fun) conversation. Also, consider asking more experienced coworkers how they stay productive and make the most out of travel time, like catching up on emails to avoid being overwhelmed upon your return.

4. Nurture in-person relationships

Business trips can be a great way to nurture client relationships and build trust, especially if you’re in a long-distance working relationship. If you and your client are still getting to know each other, consider prepping fun icebreakers to drive early conversation. Although it’s important to infuse intelligent and expertise into conversation, it’s also okay to keep it causal. Remember that people want to work with people, not robots.

As a nice touch point, don’t forget to write down your client’s life milestones (e.g. having a baby or getting married). These gems will allow you to continue to have meaningful conversations even after you’re gone. After meetings are complete or even if you’re looking for a break, consider taking your clients out for coffee, lunch, dinner or drinks. Bottom line: get to know each other as people, and not just professionals.

5. Set personal goals

Embrace your first business trip as a time to shine. Sit down and think about what you would like to accomplish on your first trip, and set some personal goals for yourself. For example, challenge yourself to present valuable information or share ideas during brainstorm sessions. Not only setting goals, but also achieving them, will help you grow as a professional and help your client gain trust in you along the way.

How do you ensure your business trips are successful?

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15 Blogs for the Tech Enthusiast

Some blogs educate, help people collaborate, spark ideas and just plain expand our thought universe. Others stir emotions or anger us or make us laugh. Here, I’ve listed 15 technology blog sites based on breadth of information, newsworthiness, design, frequency of updates and entertainment value.

Sure, the list is subjective, but I think this is one of the best catalogs of blogs that has ever been published. The entries ran the gamut, from serious technology news and reviews to commentary on games and the latest tech gadgets. I also included some honorable mentions at the end because the competition was so close.

1. Lifehacker

Lifehackers’ motto says it all: “Don’t live to geek, geek to live.” This blog offers timesavers of just about every stripe, from Firefox shortcuts to tips from the “Getting things done” faithful.

2. IT Toolbox Blogs

IT Toolbox has a number of “in the trenches” IT pros who talk about technology and management issues. There are specialist blogs dealing with security, databases and project management, among other subjects. It’s a very versatile site.

3. Valleywag

Bring in the noise, bring in the snark. Valleywag is for those who believe that the tech industry lives or dies by the scuttlebutt pinging around Silicon Valley. And it’s amusing for those of us who prefer that the lotus-eaters of Northern California stick with the dishing and tongue-wagging, leaving the rest of us to get the real work done.

4. Kotaku

Kotaku is the snarky, gamer uber-blog. It has everything from reviews and gossip to cheat tips. Just about anything you’ll ever need, including which game to buy and how to play it.

5. 5. Danger Room

Wired’s military and defense blog writes about some of the coolest and scariest military technologies; not to mention scandals, debates and other military news. Lots of video and imagery are included.

6. Gizmodo

Gizmodo’s got the scoop on all the latest toys and cool and wacky inventions. From high-def TVs and coffee makers to booze belts and USB drives—you’ve got to love a site that publishes photos of a solar-powered bathing suit. They also blog about serious technology news too.

7. O’Reilly Radar

This is where you can read Tim O’Reilly (founder of O’Reilly Publishing) and others discuss networking, programming, open source, intellectual property, politics, Web 2.0 and emerging technology.

8. Techdirt

Techdirt is a newsy, “tell it like it is” blog that frequently features debates on the hot issues in the Internet and computer fields. Scandals are a specialty. Simplicity is its hallmark.

9. Groklaw

Groklaw’s raison d’etre is needling SCO in its long-running legal fights against IBM and Novell, but the discussion sometimes veers toward other issues that involve technology, intellectual property, and government regulations.

10. Hack a Day

Want to learn how to add USB to a cheap Linux router? Create a snake robot? How about an XBox 360 laptop? Hack a Day has these basement projects and many more. This site is for the serious techie. At the same time, it’s good for a laugh or a new hobby.

11. Engadget

As Coke is to Pepsi, so Engadget is to Gizmodo. It’s all about gear, gossip, techish issues and the occasional rant. It’s got great product photos, and the editors have access to pre- and early-release gadgetry. Also, it hosts some really funny homemade junk.

12. Feedster

This Web page brings together blog sites about technology, sports, celebrity gossip, food, personal experiences, you name it. It also offers a blog search feature that allows you to input words or phrases, and it has a very cool RSS aggregator for news feeds. It also injects some great humor into technology news. An all-around great site.

13. Forever Geek

Forever Geek is a great site with a myriad of blogs on diverse topics, from technology and general interest news to movie and game reviews. Definitely a tech paradise. If you want to learn about the upcoming Iron Man movie or read a review of Photoshop CS3, this is the place to go.

14. Rough Type

Nick Carr of “Does IT Matter?” has a sharp-minded blog that discusses all manner of issues and trends relating to technology. Always an entertaining read, Rough Type often locks horns with companies, people, technologies and policies that rub Carr the wrong way.

15. Smorgasbord

Billed as a site for gadget and game-loving geeks, this blog also serves up articles that cross over into the political and celebrity news of the day. The combination of entertainment value and tech news make Smorgasbord a top contender.

Honorable mentions:

1. The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

TUAW offers collection of independent bloggers, that is independent but not undecided or uninformed. It’s a good source for Apple-related news. The only reason it didn’t make the top 15 was its singular topic focus.

2. Elliot Back’s blog

A self-professed computer scientist, Elliot posts everything from his opinions on why XML sucks, to the Titanic’s passenger list and reviews of movies like 300. This site is diverse and well composed, offering great tips on topics such as increasing system performance and blocking spam.

3. Ed Foster’s Gripelog

There is a new crop of blogs that highlight poor customer service for consumer electronics, bad UIs and outright rip-offs, but Ed Foster has been doing it longer than anyone else.

4. Gadgetell

This is a great site if you want to get the latest gadget and game news along with some topical opinion pieces.

5. 4sysops

This is a very useful with well-written tips and how-to’s for Windows admins.

Of course, not everyone will agree with my selections. If you think a blog site that’s not on our list deserved a top 15 spot, share it with me in the comments section!

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The Secret to Building Your First 100 Twitter Followers

I regularly speak to clients, business contacts and people at our conferences who want to use Twitter more, or who have struggled with getting past the initial stages of using the site. If you are an experienced Twitter user, then hopefully you’ll still be able to share this post with friends or clients who are just starting out in building their brand or their own profile on the site. 

Getting Started

There are plenty of guides and blog posts that cover the basics of signing up for Twitter account and advice about how to use the site in general. Twitter has released their own Twitter for Business minisite, and Mashable have compiled a number of blog posts into a Guide Book.

I think it’s valuable to think in terms of building an early base of followers, since the flywheel effect comes into play beyond a certain threshold. I would pick the number 100 as a target where anybody can say that they’re beyond the ‘beginner’ stage, and where all the advice from the other guides becomes much more applicable.

Preparing for Promotion

If this is a brand new Twitter account, the first few tweets will demonstrate that you’re actually using the service and lets potential followers know what to expect. This makes gaining followers a little easier.

After creating the account, you should immediately try to publish a few interesting tweets. If there are things on your mind about your industry or area of expertise, then make a comment or two. You could make insightful remarks about your niche or publish links to useful or interesting content (though avoid promoting your own content at this stage.) You could even supplement these tweets with less formal comments, such as something funny, a comment about something that’s been bothering you, or just mention when the weather is going to change.

You can also share images and photos. When photos are shared through certain prefered services (such as Twitter’s mobile apps, yFrog, TwitPic and Instagram), they will be added to your own photo gallery. Thumbnails of these pictures will be displayed on your profile page, which will make your profile look more interesting and can encourage people to follow you. 

First 100 Followers

Depending on the existing influence of you or your company, your first 100 followers might be stunningly simple to find, or particularly difficult. I’ve suggested some straightforward ways to build this solid base of followers.

Your Friends & Contacts

The first batch of people you engage with could be coworkers, friends, clients or partners. Aim for people with whom you have a close relationship, so that you can simply email or ask them directly; friends won’t mind you asking, and you could easily pick up your first couple of dozen followers this way.

Your Blog

You can promote the account on your blog, by writing about it and explicitly asking people to follow you. (These readers can visit your Twitter profile to see the types of thing you’ve published already, and make a decision about whether to follow you.) Your blog should be a great source of followers, since the readers are already a self-selected group that trust you enough to subscribe and are interested in what you have to say: this translates well to having an interest in following you.

Email Lists

If you have an email newsletter that gets sent to certain people, you could use that list to promote the account as well. If you have separate lists for different audiences, it’s worth trying to tailor your description to each of them.

For example, a recruitment company with an email list of HR Managers could tell them something like “We’ll be sharing new advice from our recruitment agents about finding and retaining the very best employees.”

Meanwhile, the same company’s email to job-seekers might say “I’ll be publishing the best new job listings on Twitter, so you could find out about the hottest opportunites before anyone else.”

Promoting your Twitter handle

You should also begin using your Twitter username on and off the web, so that people can find and follow you without you explicitly asking them to. There are many easy ways to do this such as:

• Include a link in your email signature
• Add your Twitter URL / Name on print media such as business cards and flyers
• Consider including it on any advertising
• Include a link to your Twitter account anywhere you participate online, such as in forums or when blogging.

Finding People to Follow

Through your regular use of Twitter, you’ll discover interesting and relevant people to follow. However, it will be important to find some relevant people to follow early on.

The focus should be on accounts who you are legitimately interested in following or talking to. For example, suitable accounts might include:

• Interesting or well connected people from your region
• Local companies, restaurants, events, etc.
• Other accounts focused on your business niche
• People with similar interests to you, etc.

Three particular methods for finding these people are listed below:

1. Twitter Search

Twitter’s advanced keyword search tool (more details below) will let you find people who are tweeting about particular topics. It also allows you to restrict your search to a geographic area. For example, I might look for “seattle mariners” or “520 bridge” to find people have an affiliation with or live in my area.

2. Twitter Lists

The official ‘Lists’ feature allows you to view user-generated lists of account. Finding lists created around a particular topic may give you a selection of people worth following. (TheNextWeb has more information about Twitter lists.)

You can find the lists that a particular user has created by following the ‘Lists’ link on their Twitter page.

3. Third Party Services

There are numerous third-party sites to help discover users on Twitter. We also recommend third party services such as Listorious, WeFollow and Twellow to search for relevant groups of people.

One of the most useful services, FollowerWonk allows you to search the profile bio text of Twitter users, which can help to find users in particular niches or local regions.

Sharing Content

There will be two distinct types of tweet that you publish. The first type is one which you decided to write, independent of others. The second are is reactive to what else is happening on Twitter. Early on, I recommended that you post tweets of the former at least once or twice a day. These updates could include:

• A comment from you that demonstrates expertise of thought leadership in some aspect of your niche
• A link to news or blog content that your followers might find interesting
• Photos that are either taken yourself or found online

In addition to creating content, it is important to engage with users more directly. At minimum, this should include checking and responding directly to direct messages (DMs) and @ mentions from other users. (The @Connect link on the site lets you see people who have mentioned or responded to you. In addition, various smartphone apps will alert you when someone mentions you in a tweet.)

We recommend checking relatively frequently and responding to these messages quickly. Whether people are asking you a question or just mentioning you, a quick response will be well received by the other person.

Other Conversations

In addition to seeing things that people have said explicitly to you, scan through the content posted by the people you follow. Are there interesting posts that you would like to comment on, or conversations that you’d like to join? Go ahead and respond to anything that people have posted.

Remember that people on Twitter don’t mind receiving responses or comments from people they’ve not talked to or met before. Don’t feel you have to stick to any off-line social conventions about butting in to a conversation: this is Twitter, and people have only posted content looking for a reaction or response.

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