Posts tagged Social media

Are there any home workers out there not yet on Twitter? If so, I highly recommend you get yourself an account pronto, firstly to get connected with likeminded people all over the world and secondly, to pick up news and views about your industry way before they hit the traditional media.

The best way to get started is to go on a course. I know it will cost you, but you’ll get that investment back many times by learning how to use Twitter properly from the start, making a good impression, and engaging with the people who matter to your business.

Who is good for a home worker to follow on Twitter? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

@e_nation tweets about its small business support, StartUp Britain events around the country organised by co-founder Emma Jones, and the chance to win money for your business from Fund 101.

@shedworking shares sheds and garden offices currently used by all kinds of home workers, famous shedworkers of the past and everything happening in the shed world.

@UKJelly tells you about upcoming Jelly events all over the UK and beyond, along with coworking news and information.

@HeatherTowns is the Twitter account of Heather Townsend, author of The FT Guide to Business Networking. She tweets about face-to-face and online networking with many links to her blog.

Melanie Mackie runs Scarletta Media Marketing and tweets as @ScarlettaMedia. I like her down-to-earth and human take on social media.

For a bit of silliness and a glimpse into the ‘royal’ mind, have a look at @Queen_UK

@CondeElevator was a shortlived account supposedly reporting vacuous remarks overheard in the lifts at the Conde Nast magazine offices in New York. My favourite – “Your eyelashes look FANTASTIC today.” Try that at your next networking meeting!

Who do you follow and why?

Yesterday I reached 2000 followers on Twitter! And I’ve been thinking about what an amazing phenomenon social media is, and how much it’s become part of my life in the last year.

Through Twitter I have connected with people all over the world who are working from home, running coworking spaces and running and attending Jelly. I’ve made instant contact with writers like Steven Pressfield and Barbara Winter, who previously would only have been accessible through a letter to their publishers. I’m privy to the latest thoughts of business leaders, thinkers and trendspotters, and the links they tweet to articles.

I’ve ‘met’ people I would otherwise never have come across, both a few streets away and on the other side of the Atlantic. All of which has added immensely to the fun and interest in my life, and to this site. The blog post this week by home office expert Lisa Kanarek came about after she found me through Twitter. On #watercoolermoment I came across networker extraordinaire John Valentine, who made me laugh with his comment on how the decoration of his own home office was likely to go. If you were wondering why I’ve chosen a paint roller for today’s picture, it’s in honour of his services to interior design.

Facebook remains largely a mystery, although I’m still pathetically thrilled when anybody likes my page. I think I’d better steer clear for a while anyway if I’m to stay focussed on the important things and keep in favour with my KPI buddy!

So this Thankful Thursday I’m feeling grateful for all the aspects of social media I’ve mastered so far, and I’m looking forward to tapping the vast resources that remain. What are you grateful for?