Twitter – a Recruiting Ground for Mainstream Media?

While being a Twitter skeptic myself at the beginning, I have become increasingly fascinated with the different ways Twitter is intersecting with mainstream media. I read a great post from Small Business Trends today, “Grab Attention of Top Editors and Producers with Social Media“. The blogger, Jonathan Fields, mentioned how the senior writer and blogger for the popular Business Week Magazine, was writing a cover story on blogging and social media and was regularly asking Twitter followers for input. Jonathan sent him a tweet giving his 2 cents on Social Media only to find that the Senior Editor loved the quote and included it in the article months later. Wow, from a Tweet to a quote in a major US publication!

He also told of a top editor from Wiley Publishing (an avid Twitterer) who recently posted this tweet: “Pitch me a book idea in 140 characters or less. Go”. How’s that for an opportunity to get in the face of a senior editor of a major publishing company?? The net has certainly broken down conventional ways of getting things done!

Take a read of Jonathan’s full post as it clearly reinforces the dynamic relationship that is taking shape between mainstream media and Twitter.

Okay I am officially a Twitter Believer – there is definitely untapped potential to make new business contacts, build your client base and even ink a book deal:)

TweetBeep Your Way to New Client Prospects For Your Virtual Assistant Business!

Now, I am fairly certainly that many of you are becoming avid “Twitterers“, but are you also a “TweetBeeper”? Okay Craig, speak English!

I have started to use TweetBeep over the last little while and have been quite impressed with the potential for Virtual Assistants to connect with clients interested in hiring Virtual Staff – Your marketing strategies couldn’t possibly get more targeted:)!

TweetBeep functions similar to Google Alerts in the sense that you can receive daily or current alerts based on specific keywords listed in Twitter conversations.

So, check out a segment of a TweetBeep email alert from yesterday for the keyword, “Virtual Assistant”: (mind the less than stellar quality of the below image:)

As you scan this list, you will see the first two are ideal “twitterers” to follow and connect with as they are both serious about hiring VIrtual Assistants. The 4th post demonstrates a very smart way of doing “Twitter Marketing” – Sharing a blog post relevant to prospective VA clients. The second to last post (Hi Frances!) also has a heads-up Twitter post by attempting to engage those that are seeking a Virtual Assistant – nice!

There are no shortage of creative ways to connect with prospective clients in Twitter. We covered a number of these ideas in a recent teleseminar we did at VAClassroom, Marketing your VA Business in a Web 2.0 World.”

So, if you are not yet using this tool, it is time to start “Tweetbeeping” your way to a wave of new clients for your Virtual Assistant business.